WikiFaq

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See also QuestionsAndAnswers about MeatballWiki.

Q: Why can't my page about me be a story?

A: Wikis are chaotic enough not to further complicate things. There is one rule that helps us get things right in the end: the content of a page and its title should match. If it doesn't we move content, split or join pages - often many times - until we feel that some unity is reached.

Q: Why are there such SillyTextFormattingRules here, and at other Wikis as well?

A: A few answers:

It's simpler. Wikis are built for normal people. Enabling HTML would make them second class users compared to professionals (e. g. web designers).

It's easy to write HTML that doesn't work with different browsers. Using HTML directly would create all kinds of nasty problems.

Historical reasons. The original Wiki:WikiWikiWeb has them, and they have become quite widespread and conventional (among longtime wiki authors, at least).

Readability. Wiki-style markup like '' and * help make text readable in "source" as well as rendered form. Since wiki users expect to spend as much time editing as reading, text should stay readable in edit mode.

The Wiki:PrincipleOfBeneficentDifficulty. If someone is forced to make an effort to do something, they will care about it more and put more thought into it. Being forced to take a small amount of time to learn something unfamiliar ensures that wiki authors care enough to make at least a nominal effort before they start.

See also Wiki:WhyDoesntWikiDoHtml and RawHtmlWiki.

Q: Isn't the Wiki approach perfect for creating FAQs from genuine user questions? Shouldn't new users be given a page where they can ask about things which puzzle them?

A: New users ask questions on all pages anyway, often quite naturally on their homepages. Sometimes such questions are transfered to pages like this, where you can find them more easily. Of course, we could create a HelpDesk? - one can never have enough places to provide help.

Q: What prevents people from clobbering good pages, and filling them with crap?

A: Not much right now except for PeerReview. The following pages might also help: WhyWikiWorks has the "classic" answer based on etiquette, KeptPages explains the peculiar backup mechanism, and SoftSecurity has more techniques to prevent abuse in the absence of technological solutions.

Q: How do you pronounce wiki? "Wicky" or "wee'-kee" or are both okay (Google:wiki+pronounced seems to indicate that both are okay -- which sits fine with me)

Note: Wiki:WikiWikiWebFaq seems to approve of both of them:

Q: How does one pronounce the word "wiki"?

A: (wee-key? wick-ee? why-key? whee-ke ...) wicky!

In Hawai'ian, it's wee-kee, vee-kee or anything in between, most often a voiced bilabial fricative.

Q: I wonder where to get to code for a wiki???

A: WikiEngines may be a good starting point.

Q: What's the difference between 'Wiki' and 'WikiWiki' ?

The words have become confused. See WhatIsaWiki.

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