From reminders about using classroom AV systems, to tips on connecting to Exchange when traveling – all of us in the COB can use some quick tech reminders from time-to-time. Over the past few months members of our technology team have created a wiki resource base to answer just those sorts of questions for faculty and staff.

Now you still might be wondering “What exactly is a wiki?” A wiki is software that allows users to create collaborative websites where people can create, edit, and link web pages easily. The most famous wiki is probably Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In their book “The Wiki Way: quick collaboration on the web” Ward Cunningham, and co-author Bo Leuf, described the basics:

  • A wiki invites all users to edit any page or to create new pages within the wiki Web site, using only a plain-vanilla Web browser without any extra add-ons.
  • Wiki promotes meaningful topic associations between different pages by making page link creation almost intuitively easy and showing whether an intended target page exists or not.
  • A wiki is not a carefully crafted site for casual visitors. Instead it seeks to involve the visitor in an ongoing process of creation and collaboration that constantly changes the Web site landscape.

Here is a quick preview of the information currently available. As a wiki, each of these can be swiftly updated as needed:

  • How to connect to Exchange from home
  • Connecting Laptops to Public Network Jacks
  • Wireless Settings–Vista Wireless Settings – XP
  • Classroom AV Systems – Common Problems and Solutions
  • RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
  • Mapping your network drives from home MS Office 2007 licenses for home
  • The U Drive
  • Self Service Copy Center – Xerox
  • TurningPoint Clickers Lab
  • Classrooms – Controlling Student Workstations
  • The Q Drive Microsoft Expression Web
  • Microsoft Office 2007 – the basics Ten Tips from the Pros
  • Printing in the Lab Classrooms
  • Phone Voicemail System Helpful Links

This resource site is also available through Outlook’s RSS reader.

Interested in learning more about creating a wiki? Contact Peter Juvinall at psjuvin@ilstu.edu