Difference between revisions of "Contributing to CyborgAnthropology.com"

Latest revision as of 06:26, 13 December 2010

Site Goals

CyborgAnthropology.com aims to be a digital education resource and library for researchers and students. Any content or contributions that forward this goal are gladly accepted!

Requesting Access

Currently, actual edits access for CyborgAnthropology.com is limited while the site takes stable shape and form. If you'd like to contribute to the site, think about submitting work or ideas for entries first. If you'd still like edit access, contact case@cyborganthropology.com.

Submitting Work

If you have a piece of work, essay, article, paper, film or book you'd like to submit, please contact case@cyborganthropology.com and the submission, with credit, will be added to the site. All types of submissions are encouraged, not only those that deal with the study of cyborg anthropology, but those

Submitting Ideas or Entries

Submit any ideas and entries to case@cyborganthropology.com. They will be gladly received and responded to as quickly as possible in the order they were submitted. If approved, content and attribution will be added to the site within 1-2 weeks of submission.

Shape of the Site

The shape of this site evolves over time due to it's wiki nature. Unlike a blog, entries often appear and evolve out of chronological order. This allows for a more organic development more suited to the exploration of ideas and research.

What is a Wiki?

A wiki allows for contributions of ideas, text, resources and structure by many at once. As wiki creator Ward Cunningham says, a wiki, unlike a normal webpage, "turns error pages into opportunities". If you've read, used, or editied Wikipedia, you may already be familiar with the concept of wikis.

Unlike blogs, wiki entries can grow over time, becoming stronger, more accurate and more easily read. Part of this comes from the strength of a wiki is a function of the community editing and supporting it.

Wikis on the Web

Wiki's are prevalent and easily found on the web today. Most surround a certain subject of study or interest. For instance, the Muppet Wiki contains information related to Muppets and their universe. On the other hand, WikiTravel is a wiki that gathers travel tips and articles from individuals all over the world, serving as a guide for those visiting new places.

Types of Wikis

If you'd like to start your own wiki, there are a variety of options available. This site runs on MediaWiki, which is the same wiki format that Wikipedia runs on. You can download Ward Cunningham's original wiki and play with it, or if you'd like to start with a hosted wiki, try Wikia. Each type of wiki has it's own benefits and drawbacks. For instance, some are more extendible than others. I personally prefer MediaWiki for it's ability to be themed, and the wide library of extensions available for use. In addition, it makes it easy to look at Wikipedia source code to look at how entires are structured, templates are used, and images are credited.

Wiki "Language"

Wikis generally use wiki markup, but there are some that use markdown, which is easier for those new to wikis to learn. This wiki uses MediaWiki Markup. You can see how it looks by simply viewing the source of this page or by looking at the MediaWiki markup guide. Additionally, I've written a simple Help Page for editors new to CyborgAnthropology wiki. It's aim is to help with image formatting, article creation and sourcing.

Additional Questions

If you can't find what you need here, please feel free to contact case@cyborganthropology.com. I welcome all questions related to this wiki. Finally, thanks for stopping by! I hope something is of use here. It's one of my favorite past times!