BISC220/S11:Guidelines for editing OpenWetWare

Since OpenWetWare is a wiki, anyone with an account can edit any page they want. Additionally, the MediaWiki software keeps track of all the previous versions of a page, so it is easy to roll back unwanted page edits.

However, to keep things organized and to go easy on the instructors, there are a few guidelines for editing OpenWetWare (in the context of BISC 220).

Use the "Talk" page not the "Main" page
To keep the protocol pages short and easy to read, please add your comments to the "Talk" page for that protocol instead of to the protocol itself. At the top of every wiki page, you'll see a tab saying "Talk". It is a page automatically created for the purpose of discussing the contents of the associated article. By adding your comments there, the main protocol should remain easy for others to read and use. The exception to this is if you find an error or typo in the protocol (and you are sure it is an error!), then by all means correct it. Use your judgment on this or if in doubt, ask an instructor.

Sign your work
Sign your name to non-minor edits to the wiki. It makes it easier for others in the class to know who is saying what. If you are logged in as yourself, you can automatically sign with your name and a timestamp just by typing ~. Try it in the Sandbox to see what happens.

Editing your userpage
To get started on OpenWetWare, try editing your userpage. Type User:Yourusername in the search box on the left hand side of this wiki page to go to your user page to begin editing. Write a sentence or two about yourself so that other OpenWetWare users can see who is making which edits. You can also add a link to your user page to the BISC220/S11:People page enabling others in the class to find you more easily.

Other
Follow the general etiquette guidelines for OpenWetWare.