Getting Started with Wikis

Are you new to using a wiki? Don't worry too much about going crazy with formatting or layout. When you're editing a page, the right side of the page >>> has some basic formatting tips to get you started.

You can also check out the full Notation Guide or the Confluence Documentation site for some basic resources to get you started with Wiki Markup and other wiki mechanics. Be sure to also check out the Guidelines & Best Practices listed below before you get started.

Guidelines and Best Practices

Before you create a new page, search to see if a similar or identical page already exists that you could add to/update so that we don't end up with duplicates.
When creating or editing (or even reading!) a page, add whatever labels make sense to you so that the page is easily searchable
Different IT groups are encouraged to document their individual practices and procedures (e.g. steps for cleaning an infected computer, computer build processes, etc.). The best way to collect this information is all in one page or section, divided by group.
- If you'd like to add your group's procedure, search to see if a page already exists.
- If so, add a new header/section with your procedure, but don't overwrite a different group's procedure.
On the other hand, please feel free to edit/overwrite/update general documentation that was added by someone else. More contributors = more information! Remember that we can always look at the page history and revert to a previous version if needed.
You're encouraged to document issues that you're experiencing with a service or application, including symptoms, workarounds, etc.
- However, documenting an issue is not the same thing as reporting the issue to the service owner. In addition to documenting what you know, don't forget to submit a ticket if it hasn't already been done.

Disclaimers

The ITKB is open to be edited by any FSP at Tufts. This means that the information you read is not necessarily accurate, up-to-date, or endorsed by the service owner.
- We rely on ITKB readers and contributors. If you see something inaccurate, please edit the page and fix it!
- If you are a service owner, we encourage you to watch pages relevant to your area of expertise to ensure that they remain as accurate and updated as possible!
As listed above, documenting an issue is not the same thing as reporting the issue to the service owner. In addition to documenting what you know, don't forget to submit a ticket if it hasn't already been done.

Miscellaneous

In the past, we used the live template macro across the ITKB to control overall page formatting, etc. We've done away with this practice on new pages, but many pages still have a live template, because they have to be manually removed.
- Live templates don't allow us to track changes or revert to a previous version of the page
- If you are editing a page with a live template, please help out by removing it! Use the following steps:
  - Edit the page.
  - COPY ALL OF THE WIKI MARKUP ON THAT PAGE. This is really important, otherwise we will lose all of the documentation on that page. To be extra cautious, you can paste it into a text file temporarily.
  - Then click "Edit Layout" in the top right of the page that you are already editing.
  - You will see {live-template:Exchange}. Erase this and paste in all of the wiki markup that you had copied.
  - Save the page
  - THANKS!

Where to Begin

Now that you've read all of this, you're ready to start using the ITKB!

If you're not sure where to start you can check out Documentation Tasks to see what needs to be updated, created, removed, etc. Or, start by searching about a topic you're interested in or know about, and contribute information that you notice is missing. Thanks!

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