Wiki Etiquette for Students - How to act on a wiki.

(Based on a template by Kristine Molnar)

[Please do not edit this page.]

Keep safe. Never post your personal information or information about someone else. Keep things like ages, addresses, phone numbers, names of towns, or even places we work off the Internet. Remember that information on the internet, especially embarrassing information, may still be around after you've deleted it. Be careful not to post things that may come back to haunt you later. Check out http://www.ikeepsafe.org/iksc_kids/ for more information.

Be truthful. Write things you know to be correct using facts from research from reliable, credible sources.

Ask first, then give credit. Ask an artist's permission to post their photos, pictures or pieces of writing. Never use first and last names of people that could identify them in a photo or video. You must also ask permission when using an idea from a friend, a family member, or even from an acquaintance. After you have his/her permission, then you must ask if you can post his/her name to give him/her credit. If you know anyone who is breaking any part of this rule, it is very important to tell someone who can help immediately.

Be nice. The most important thing to remember is sarcasm hurts. It is most often misunderstood when typed in a message which is then posted on the Internet. You may think you're funny when you write something rude or silly, but it can be extremely hurtful to read. Negative words hurt worse when said by someone you thought was your friend. So, be overly friendly and be positive. Remember ... treat others as you would like to be treated.

Some folks are not terribly good at thinking and writing at the same time, and what they say ends up sounding not so good. If you think they were deliberately nasty or highly critical, don't agonize over it or respond in kind. The best way to change what people do is to reward good behaviour and to ignore bad behaviour.

Proofread your work. Use spell check and even ask a friend to read your work.

Information please. The Internet is a great source of information but information is only useful when it is accurate. Before referencing a website, ask and answer a few simple questions:

• Who is the author or sponsor and what are the author's qualifications or credentials?
• What type of information is provided?
• When was the information created? last updated or revised?
• Where is the information coming from? Is the company, organization, or institution credible and reliable?
• Why is the information posted: to educate, to inform, to present unbiased views, to entertain, to sell or entice?

Be brief, to the point and logical. Use breaks in your text and formatting elements to make the page easy to read and understand.

Follow Directions. Be sure to follow the directions that are given for the assignment — be creative, but within the parameters set forth on the page.

Do not delete the work of others deliberately, unless it is part of the editing process.

Keep it on topic — classroom oriented. This isn't the place to discuss afterschool plans.

Stealing Locks.  If someone else is already editing a page, take a 5 minute break before "stealing" the lock. Once the wiki indicates that the page has not been edited for 5 minutes, you can steal it. It's best to look around the computer lab and see if the person who is editing the page is in the room; ask before you steal.

Comment or Edit? Comments are used for discussion, questions or comments on the information. If your comment is facts or information of relevance for the topic of the page, you should EDIT the page and put the information there.

Open external links in a new window. If you link to a page outside the wiki it's a good idea to open the link in a new window. This way users don't have to leave the wiki when following the link. When you insert a link and choose Link Type: URL there will appear a new tab in the window called Target. Click this tab and choose Target: New window.

Special note for parents: We welcome your comments and contributions as well! If you would like to be added to the wiki, contact Mr. Parker with your email address. Feel free to participate in whatever way you like, but please respect the students' work. Keep in mind the purpose of this wiki is student collaboration and learning, so the most appropriate way to contribute will usually be through comments rather than by directly editing their projects.