User:Reece/Using Wikibooks

Last updated 08:43, 26 June 2007 (UTC)

The Comprehensive Opensource Handbook for Learning Wikibooks

This book is for Wikibookians of every level. Its purpose is to walk you through your Wikibook journey, starting from being a Wikibook reader. Chapter 1 covers the things you can do with a Wikibook, from reading it for your own edification, to printing it, to using it in a classroom. As you read a Wikibook, you may come across an error, and if you are willing to correct that error yourself, you are ready to read chapter 2 - becoming a Wikibook editor. As a Wikibook editor, you will find yourself fixing typos, correcting spelling, grammatical, or factual errors, or even expounding at length on a subject for which you have a passion. You may even decide you'd like to start your own Wikibook. At this point you become a Wikibook writer. Chapter 3 tells you how to start a Wikibook, how to structure it, how to attract readers, and how to recruit contributors. As your book gains more contributors, you may find them looking to you for advice and for help with administrative tasks. That would be a good time for you to read chapter 4, The Wikibook Administrator.

To see the earlier version of this Wikibook Click Here.

Brief introductions to the parts

to give a quick overview

Detailed descriptions

(-icons are individual web pages; Numbers are sub-sections)

Part 1: Introduction

Introduction to Wikibooks and It's Ethos

What is Wikibooks?
How does Wikibooks License It's content?
Who Can Edit Wikibooks?
...

Reading Wikibooks

How to select a Wikibook to Read
How to read a Wikibook
...

Part 2: Getting Started

Setting Up A User Account

Staff Lounge and Community Portal

What is the Staff Lounge
What is the Community Portal
...

User Talk

The User Talk System
...

Part 3: Introduction to 'Wiki Formatting' and Basic Editing

Editing Wikibooks

What can i Edit?
How do i Start a new Book?
...

Wiki Formatting (Basics)

Basic Text Formatting
Links
...

Wiki Formatting (Advanced)

Advanced Text Formatting
...

Special Characters

Umalauts and Accents
Punctuation
...

Part 4: Using Images & Tables

Inserting Images into a Page

How to Insert
How to Adjust Size of Image
...

Using Tables

Basic Tables
...

Advanced Tables

Joined Rows
Joined Columns
...

Colours for Tables

How to Colour a Cell/Row/Column
Colour Codes
...

Part 5: Advanced User Settings

Screen Nickname

Designing A Nickname
Using Raw Signatures
...

Skins

Choosing & Applying a Suitable Skin
...

Search Options

What Search Options can be Applied
...

Other Settings

Part 6: The Wikibooks Administrator

What is an Administrator

What is an Administrator?
What does an Administrator Do?
...

Contacting an Administrator

How to Contact an Administrator
...

Part 7: Policies

General Guidelines

Follow Decision making guidelines
Contribute what you know or are willing to learn about, and create stubs responsibly
Follow editing guidelines
Be bold in updating pages
Make obvious omissions explicit
Build the web
Avoid using bots

Wikibooks Copyright (Policy)

...

What is Wikibooks (Policy)

...

Wikibooks Structure (Policy)

Naming Structure
Bookshelves

Wikibooks Content (Policy)

Annotated texts
Neutral point of view
Deletion policy
Profanity
Explain jargon
Integrate changes, instead of just appending your thoughts at the end of a module
Define and describe
Cite your sources, and use proper references
Avoid statements that will date quickly
Check your facts
Avoid blanket statements
Avoid self-references