Poynter Wikis FAQ

Some frequently asked questions about Poynter Wikis:

1. What's a wiki?
   It's simply a set of webpages that anyone can edit or add new content to. Wikis are open to public input, with no editors formally charged with vetting added content or changes made. Wikis are useful because of the group intelligence that drives them; the community of people contributing to wiki pages drives toward accuracy and completeness.
2. Why should I trust what I read on a wiki page?
   You should read wiki pages with a skeptical eye, definitely. It is possible for a page contributor to post false information. However, the community of users monitoring any page tend to be experts on the topic at hand, so mistakes typically get fixed or removed quickly. The group intelligence that drives wiki pages tends to deal with errors and falsehoods. Nevertheless, reader beware.
3. Can I edit these pages?
   Yes, you're free to make changes or add new content. But be reasonable, and keep your submissions on topic. If you don't, other wiki users will remove your changes. Strive for accuracy and fairness; that's the only way that other users will allow your contributions to remain intact.
4. Can anyone edit the wiki pages?
   Not everyone. You must register in order to have the privilege of contributing to or editing wiki pages. This is so that we can keep track of who made changes to wiki pages.
5. How do I edit an existing page?
   It's easy. Look in the right column of the page where you'll see a list of commands. Select Edit Page and you'll be presented with an editable version of the current page. (If you don't see the Edit Page command, then you need to Log In or Register first.) Make your changes then click Save at the bottom of the page. That's it!
6. How do I use the page editor?
   The page editor allows you to add to or make changes to a page. It operates like a word-processing or HTML-editing program that you already may be used to. Since the default is WYSIWYG mode, you can simply type in text, and leave it at that. You also can do more sophisticated actions, like insert a hypertext link (select a block of text then click on the "Insert/edit link" icon that looks like a chain link); insert a photo (click the "Insert/edit image" icon that looks like a tree); etc. The page editor has a large number of functions. Move your mouse over an icon to see a description of what it does. (There's also much more help available here.)
7. What if I mess up?
   If you make a mistake, you can of course just reopen the page for editing and fix it. Another option is to revert to an earlier version of the page, before you made your changes to it. To do that, select Versions from the right menu. Click on a number to view an older version of the page. When you have the older version you want, Edit that page, then Save it.
8. Can I create a new page?
   Yes. Simply select New Page from the list of commands in the right column. Name your page (no spaces), then create a headline for the page and type in your content. Click Save at the bottom of the page and you've created a new page. ... But wait, you're not done. The page you created needs to be linked to from an existing page (or pages). To do that, simply edit the existing page and add an appropriate link to the new page. If you named your new page "CoolStories" then the link to it should look like this: [[Cool Stories]] Voila! You have a link on an existing page to your newly created page.
9. Can I include photos and images on wiki pages?
   Yes. Among the commands available in page-editing mode is an add-image function.
10. Someone has vandalized a page. What can I do?
    You have two choices. 1) Alert the Poynter Wikis editor and ask that the page be set right. (e-mail bmitch@poynter.org). 2) Click Versions in the right column; select a previous version of the page before the vandals struck; republish (Save) that page. Voila! Vandalism removed.