TIPS+AND+TRICKS

=TIPS and TRICKS for WIKIERS= Introduction: Typing text on this wiki is similar but not exactly the same as typing on Microsoft Word. The wiki system is not nearly as sophisticated and consequently you will encounter a few problems. These tips and tricks are just helpful advice from observations of a frequent wikier. WARNING: There are Gremlins in the system! You will get frustrated at some time, BUT keep at it and you can create a really good teaching and learning tool.

TYPING TEXT Problems you may encounter include: Half the selected font changing to one size or colour and the other half changing to another size or colour

Font changing size when you cut or copy and paste

Text looking different in the saved page to what you created in the edit page

Suggested Solutions: Sometimes the wiki has a mind of its own. There is no real way to totally avoid these problems. However, there are things that seem to help.

Type everything in the default font and size and you should be okay. Finish typing and editing before you change the font, colour or size.

Use the Heading options rather than the font style and colour tab.

PASTING FROM WORD You can paste from a Word document, but make sure it is your final draft before you paste it into the wiki. The font systems are different and if you try to edit in the wiki you may have problems.

TABLES Tables are a mixed blessing. They are the best way to place text and images across the page. However you will find that you cannot add blank spaces as you would like. The best way around this is to put in dots and then make them white or really small.

IMAGES Always resize your images before you upload them. Do this using Microsoft Image Resizer (Small) or Microsoft Picture Manager (Web Size) to make your images about 50KB.

When you insert an image on your page DO NOT try to make it smaller using the corners like you do on a word document as this will skew the image. Instead, click on the picture and use the plus and minus functions in the window that appears.

You may find that when you upload an image to your page, it appears as a file that you have to click on before you can view it. To avoid this and have the pictures appear directly on your page make sure that your image is a GIF or JPG file. Others may work but I have had problems with some of them.

Don’t forget to move the cursor to where you want the image to go before you insert it.

If the image appears outside the page borders and the screen freezes, you may have to close the wiki and start again.

If you insert the image in the far left of the page and you need to move the cursor to the left of the image, use the left arrow key. If you try to use the mouse you may find that you can’t do it.

UPLOADING When you are trying to upload larger files (eg around 1MB or larger) you may have difficulties if you try to do this from the page you want to put it on. Instead, upload it from the file manager uploader. Manage Files – Files – Upload

The Manage File method is also the way to upload multiple files.

Always name your files and remember them so you can find them in the file bank. They are filed in alphabetical order.

AUDIOS Always convert your audios to MP3 files as they will be much smaller and start much more quickly.

Upload audio files using the Manage File page.

NEW PAGES When creating a new page make sure that it has a unique name or it will link to an existing page. For example if you have two students with the same name they will have to have different names for their pages. Similarly if teachers of different classes all create a page called Revision then they will all be linked to the same page and text will be erased.

Sometimes when creating a link to a new page you may find that the text you linked it to is missing a letter on the end. Don’t know why, but you can avoid this by putting a space after the last letter of your link text and selecting up to the space.

When you create a new page for a student and leave it open to public editing (in our system students do not use logins so in reality anyone can edit their pages) you, as an organizer, have to open and edit the page for them the very first time it is used or they will not be able to edit it.

Do not forget to lock any pages you do not want students to edit.

Do not forget to sign in before you upload anything.