How to create a wiki

using pbwiki 2.0

Step 1: Go to the website

http://pbwiki.com/

Step 2: Using pbwiki sign up to create an account, log in ifyou have an account, or create a wiki. Consider who will be administering these wikis.

In your account the wikis you have created will be listed.

Step 3: From this page you can access any of those listed or scroll down to create a new wiki.

Step 4: Create a wiki thinking carefully about the URL you will create. We use “tclibrary” as a preface to provide an identity and an umbrella of association. i.e. http://tclibrary-vcebiology.pbwiki.com

Select “education” from the menu if appropriate.

Step 5: Here is where you set the wiki to private or public and read the Terms of Service.

Step 6: You will be offered the option to upgrade your wiki or to just continue on with a free wiki.

Step 7: Now you can begin to create your wiki space to your

requirements.

Step 8: Go into “settings” to rename your wiki. You can also add a logo here. (perhaps your school logo) Save your changes then go back to Home.

Step 9: Invite others to join your wiki and here you can choose whether they can write to the wiki, just read the wiki, edit, etc.

Step 10: Choose a colour template. But note that at present this setting only lasts for 3 hours unless you upgrade.

Step 11: Now edit your front page. I like to use this page as a title page, but you can really do whatever you want.

Step 12: Start by deleting all of the default text in the box, then start adding the information you require. I like to use a table especially when using images as this provides structure that is otherwise not there. You can then import an image and type in some text, resizing the table as you go.

Step 13: Now you can create more pages and the links to them in the Sidebar.

Step 14: Now you will need to create the page for each item.Make sure you link to the page via the Sidebar.

Step 15: Now you can add content to your pages. For example, on the “Useful links” page you might like to add websites that are relevant to the wiki. Type in the text, then choose Link. Now choose the “Link Type” as URL then copy and paste the URL of the website into the box, OK

The “Useful links” page created will now look like this with live links:

Step 16: To add a video that will play automatically.Edit a page then “Insert Plugin”, click on “Video”.

Step 17: Locate the video you want to include from YouTube and copy and past the text from the embed text box on YouTube into the insert Plugin.

Save the page. The video will display like this. You can do this with other video formats also.

Step 18: Want to add some blogs or other RSS that will automatically upload whenever you open the page? This is done via Google gadgets.Open the page where you want to display the RSS, then click edit page, then Insert Plugin. This time choose the “Productivity” option and “Any Google Gadget”. Now click on “here” to go to the Google Gadget directory.

Step 19: To find a gadget for blogs (or RSS) type RSS into the search box and search. A few options will appear and you can decide which one is best for you.

Step 20: Click “Add to your webpage” and then fill in the form with the appropriate details. You will need to find the RSS feed URL from the blog you want to add to your wiki.

Step 21: Then click “get the code” and this will be displayed in a box beneath.

Step 22: Copy and paste this text into the wiki gadget plugin box, then click next and Save.

In your wiki the blog with RSS feed will be displayed like this

and will be refreshed each time the page is visited.

Step 23: You can add a gallery of images that will be presented as a moving slideshow. To do this you will need to make an account with either BubbleShare or Slide.com, and then upload the photos you wish to display. In pbwiki open the page you wish to do this in, edit page, and click on Insert plugins. This time choose Photos and either the BubbleShare or Slide.com option. Copy and paste the album code from the URL into the Insert Plugin box.

Step 24: Click next, finish and save. Your album of images will scroll along automatically.

Step 25: Sharing the wiki. Type an email address in the box and click on Add. Choose the user setting you require.

Step 26: On your library or school website create a webpage where the

links to these wikis can be easily accessed.

There are lots of other plugins and functions such as: calendars, maps, spreadsheets, planners, visitor counters, chat rooms, and more, that can be added to your pbwiki. Experiment and see what works for you.

This presentation created by

Susan Bentley ©2008