AFS Wiki FAQ

From AFSWiki

Frequently Asked Questions This page details some frequently asked questions (FAQ) and their corresponding responses.

Contents 1 HELP Information... 2 About the AFS Wiki 2.1 What is the AFS Wiki? 3 Access / Login 3.1 Which types of pages require a username and password for access? 3.2 How do I get a username and password? 3.3 Once I have a username and password, how do I log in? 4 Background / Historical 4.1 How does Wiki technology differ from a normal website? 4.2 Advantages of the Wiki versus AFS Online 4.3 Why is it ok to allow volunteers to edit the manual? 4.3.1 How Wikis avoid total chaos 4.4 How do I embody the Spirit of the AFS Wiki?

HELP Information...

Please Note: An online tutorial can be found at: Accessing Information on AFS Wiki Further help on Navigating & Editing can be found at: Help

About the AFS Wiki

What is the AFS Wiki?

The AFS Wiki is an online manual accessible and editable by all AFS volunteers. A description or slogan for the ideal AFS Wiki might be, "Everything AFS-USA Volunteers Need To Do Their Job."

Access / Login

Which types of pages require a username and password for access?

Reference: AFSWiki Access Policy.

How do I get a username and password?

Reference: AFSWiki Request New User Process.

Once I have a username and password, how do I log in?

Navigate to the login screen at www.afswiki.org.

Once you first log in, please navigate to the Preferences link in the top right corner. There, you should change your password to something personal. Please create your own password that is easy to remember, but secure and known only to you. You must change your password soon, because for security reasons, we will suspend accounts that have not changed the temporary password.

Background / Historical

How does Wiki technology differ from a normal website?

Typical web pages can only can be changed by their author, however Wiki pages can be changed by any volunteer with a password. There are a few exceptions to this "Any Volunteer Can Edit" policy: sensitive documents, such as application forms or lists of government regulations, can only be changed by a group of specially trained users.

Advantages of the Wiki versus AFS Online

Static information from the AFS Online Library was moved to AFS Wiki, and AFS-USA's live database was replaced by Global Link. The advantages of the Wiki versus the AFS Online library include:

1. The AFS Wiki is editable by all volunteers, so it's easily to kept up-to-date.
2. It allows us to search for any word or phrase within the system.
3. Information can be organized in whatever way we like. The same information can be organized and referenced in multiple ways through creation of links.

None of these features were present in AFS Online.

In addition, the underlying software which runs the AFS Wiki, Mediawiki, is freely available, and widely deployed and tested software. AFS can focus on content, and the wiki "just works" (with a little help from the sysadmins).

Why is it ok to allow volunteers to edit the manual?

AFS is a volunteer-based organization, and we believe that much of the best advice for volunteers comes from other volunteers. As a conference invitee, you're a leader and have information that's worth making available to fellow volunteers.

How Wikis avoid total chaos

Wiki is based on the principle of read first, then correct and contribute. Authors are conservative in their approach, looking to improve, rather than change or control information. Like many things, the honor system and a few established rules of thumb can achieve a lot when volunteers come together.

Even in totally anonymous wikis, people don't typically make changes unless they can improve on the original. Note that "improvement" is the goal, not "perfection:" we want you to make changes even if you know that the resulting document won't be perfect.

Additionally, we're somewhat protected because only AFS volunteers can view content and make changes. Also the history of a page is retained indefinitely, allowing us to recover past versions if necessary, and allowing any curious person to see who has made what changes.

How do I embody the Spirit of the AFS Wiki?

Next time you have a question about being a volunteer, try to answer it by consulting the AFS Wiki. If the answer is missing, first find the answer through other means. Then update AFS Wiki to serve the next person with your same question .

Next time someone else asks you a question, do NOT answer it directly. Instead, you will make sure the AFS Wiki provides the answer, updating it if necessary. Then you will refer your questioner to the appropriate page of the Wiki.

Once you have embodied these principles, you will have achieved the True Wiki Spirit.