1st ''Howto' on using the Wiki: Registering, creating pages and posting pictures

[Eisbein]

Hi there!

It is late and my internet access to this site was down for the weekend (Vodacom 3G grumble grumble grumble), but here is the 1st draft for using the wiki:

The official address is : http://route42.co.za/mediawiki


1 -  Registering as a user and setting preferences:

Click on 'Log in / create an account' in the top right hand corner.

At this window click on 'Create an account'


After you've filled in the appropriate details and logged in, click on 'preferences' (Also right hand top)
If you want to you can click the 'Edit pages on double click':




Click on save and then you are set to start.

In the left (navigation) pane you can choose any of the options - currently there is a subheading for Accommodation, Interesting routes and Mountain Passes:



If you double click the Accommodation page you are dropped in the editing view (or you can choose 'Edit' from the top menu)
It looks like this:


To add a page you do it as in the pic: == [[NewLink]] ==   (equal equal space double sqr bracket name double sqr bracket space equal equal)
The double = tells it to make it bigger and the [[]] tells the system you want the name to become a link to a page.

You then save the page and click on your newly created link (it will be red as there is no page behind it) - as soon as you click it it will drop you in the edit page, as the article behind the link doesn't exist and it assumes you will create it now.

The following page shows (in that edit view) two ways to add a picture:



The 1st way is the easiest - just add the direct link to the image - no image tag, no quotes, no nothing...
Just the link. The image needs to be hosted at something like photobucket.

The 2nd line gets inserted by clicking on the image icon (   )
You change the name of the pic to whatever the file name is and save the page.
It will then give you the link to the image also as red (nothing exist behind the link yet).
The top is online image displayed and the bottom (graaff.jpg) is the link you need to click to start the upload:


If you click on the Image:*** link it will give you this:


Browse to the image on your PC, but leave the destination filename as you chose it earlier:
If you've uploaded the image it will show you this:


At the bottom you can see where the page is that this photo is linked to and if you click on that it shows you the final page:


As you can see, it is very much easier to post and publish online photos and I like it that way as it will encourage people to use online hosting services and therefor keep the bandwidth usage from this site nice and low. It isn't a big issue though and (like before) if the difference between using online hosting and uploading means that you won't post a picture if you can't upload it, then please upload it. If it is too big I will edit it, make it smaller and repost...


Please consider this now in the final stage before becoming live (if there are any changes after this the content will not be deleted) and look upon the pages as live data.
Changes from now on will be mostly cosmetic.

Also start using it and shoot with any questions you have - I will either asnwer them or find out how to answer them.

I've added a 'playfield' on the left hand side for testing if you want to. Consider that as the learning grounds.

Ball is now in your court...


Varkkneukel oor en uit...

[Eisbein]

Ok - so niemand het nog 'n user create op die wiki site nie.

Nog nie gaan krap nie ?

Gaan kyk of dit werk nie ?

Gaan kyk of dit KAN werk of nie ?

Sal maar dan los tot ek kommentaar kry.

Is dalk nog bietjie vinnig.

[letsgofishing]

Hi there Eisbein,
Thank you for all the hours you've put into this!

[Eisbein]

Thanks.

I hope it will be usefull.

[Eisbein]

Hi there Eisbein,
Thank you for all the hours you've put into this!

I see you've started to play a little - please don't hesitate to ask if something is bothering you and need addressing or if you have a question.
Only way to know what's up with the stuff is to start playing with it.

edit: Also - there's nothing you can change/post/modify that can't be unchanged/unposted/unmidofied, so don't be scared to play around.

[Trailrider]

That's good to know!

Little busy today, but will try to post a topic sometime.

[tok-tokkie]

Thanks Eisbein.  I will be onto this thing in the next week or so.  Right now there is other stuff I have to do.  Want some open free time so i can get into it in a single uninterupted session.

[Eisbein]

Thanks Eisbein.  I will be onto this thing in the next week or so.  Right now there is other stuff I have to do.  Want some open free time so i can get into it in a single uninterupted session.

No sweat.

At least it is there and (for now) I've done my bit.

From here the process can take as long as it needs.

Just remember to make proper notes of what you need changed/modified/added.

You can come into this sub board (Wiki) and then create a new topic if there isn't one already about your question - that will make it easier to keep structure to the 'what needs to be done' part of it, as well as later searches on certain issues should be easier...

[letsgofishing]

Hi there Eisbein,
Thank you for all the hours you've put into this!

I see you've started to play a little - please don't hesitate to ask if something is bothering you and need addressing or if you have a question.
Only way to know what's up with the stuff is to start playing with it.

edit: Also - there's nothing you can change/post/modify that can't be unchanged/unposted/unmidofied, so don't be scared to play around.

Yeah, just wanted to see if I could do the basics right

Please feel free to scrap this, I will try to put up some "real" stuff later this week!

[Trailrider]

Hey LGF - I saw your Sedgefield post. Good going! Seems like we're ready to get our encyclopedia going. I'm a bit busy at the moment. We appointed a new girl today - hopefully in the long run this will free up some time.

I'll try and post something soon.

[tok-tokkie]

Eisbein.
HELP.
I tried to add Tesserlaarsdal to Destinations but ended up editing Sedgfield to become Tesserlaarsdal.
Very sorry about that LGF.

[Eisbein]

Ok - I can see what you've done...

Btw - it is a great post.

LGF's Sedgefield was just a photo - I'm sure he won't be too upset


I think what you have done was go into his page and edited that, or deleted the page from the 'main' page.

Next time you can edit the 'destinations' page and add another heading like the one that's there already and edit it.

Don't sweat it - next time you'll get it right 1st time.


I'll see if I can see what happened there.

Thanks for the 1st post.


Once you get your head around the concepts, is it easy enough to add content ?

[Eisbein]

Ok - I think I see what happened...

Did you click on the 'Edit' to the right of the word 'Sedgefield' ?

If then you edit the heading. The page behind it have stayed where it was though.

If you want to edit the 'main' page in Destinations it works better if you click on the 'Edit' in the tabs above - then you'll see the whole page and not just a section of it.

[tok-tokkie]

OK I am beginning to get the hang of it.
Recipe for creating a new entry:
1. On left select the heading you want to add to.  eg Mountain Passes
2. Click EDIT tab at the top.  Screen changes & all the listed passes appear like this ==[[Pass XYZ]]==
3. You are now able to add your pass to the list.  Just add it in ==[[New Pass]]== & scroll down & click Save Page button
4. New Pass will now be on the list but it will be red showing that it is an empty page.
5. Double click New Pass & you will be taken into the editing screen for the New Pass article.
6. I just copy what I have written in a trip report usually.  I write my trip reports in Word. The pictures I have already uploaded to Flikr & have the picture link in my Word article (plus a copy of the picture).  All that changes is I have to strip out the '['img]     ['/img]' from the Word article.
7. When finished scroll down to bottom.  Show Preview button to check then Save Page.

[tok-tokkie]

How to Edit an existing article:
1. On left select the Topic in the Navigation Menu
2. Click the item you want to edit.  This takes you to the article (Article tab at top will be to front).
3.Click the Edit tab.  You will be taken to the editing workscreen with the article loaded.
4. Make your changes.
5. Click Save Page button.
Maklik

[Eisbein]

Thanks !

I tend to leave steps out if I only look from my point of view.

But like with everything if only you start using it will you realize how it can be made better or how it works.

Thanks for feedback and tips.

[Eisbein]

I see once you start you build up momentum quite quickly.

[tok-tokkie]

What I don't see is the link to it from the home page.  I have to type in the separate address.

[Eisbein]

What I don't see is the link to it from the home page.  I have to type in the separate address.

Not following your question ?

[tok-tokkie]

There is no link to the Wiki from The Road Less Travelled that I can see.