Nov 13, 2012

Working with Wikispaces.com

Creating a wiki is not as easy as one would hope. Thankfully I have been creating complex structures on web pages and various other media. So, I'm aware of linking, formatting and navigating when it comes to creating a project like this.
The first thing to do is to sit down with a sheet of paper and sketch your tree of web pages. That way, you already get an idea of how big your project is going to be. Be clear about your structure before you start. With your tree you can begin building the basic frame work. Adding content is the last step.
After the first few pages have been created, you will have to organize them. Wikispaces uses a tagging system in which you can create a tag like “British Literature”. Now use this tag on one of the pages like “19th century” that is supposed to end up in the “British Literature” column. Pages can be arranged in whatever order you wish. Personally, I wanted my own navigational template. After watching one of the many training videos on the official YouTube channel – which can be accessed via the help menu – I was able to create the template.
Another important aspect is linking. Wikispaces makes it very simple. Edit your page and click on the symbol for adding a link. A pop up appears where you can choose from all your pages you have created so far. Putting in an external link or a link to a specific page from another wiki is also a possibility. The long web address can be disguised as underlined text. The tree now becomes more real.
Wikispaces is a very comfortable online platform to work with, if you bring a little bit of experience to the table. Many of the useful editing tools are not easily accessible, so that you will maybe get frustrated very soon.

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