20.109(S12):OWW in 20.109
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What is OpenWetWare?
OpenWetWare is a wiki (an application designed to make it easy to create, edit and organize webpages) for biological science and engineering. It provides a common space to share information about protocols, materials, research projects, meetings or anything else that might be of interest to users.
Also see OpenWetWare:About.
Why are we using OpenWetWare in 20.109?
Since 20.109 is a lab class, we think the students, TAs, and instructors benefit from having a shared space in which to discuss experimental protocols and results. The course material on the wiki can be updated and improved instantly by everyone (not just the instructors), and thus we hope it will grow more comprehensive and ultimately more useful as successive generations add their contributions.
For instance, one problem often encountered when teaching lab techniques to novices is that "experts" provide incomplete instructions. When a protocol becomes second nature, it's easy to forget to include some steps or even purposefully neglect to explain certain things that appear obvious in retrospect. This very lack of detail might then derail someone unfamiliar with the technique.
A second major benefit to using a wiki in 20.109 is the capability for immediate data sharing. We frequently repeat experimental modules with minor variations, ... Within a semester, you can look at other groups' results that may shed light on your own, and learn more from trends in class-wide data than you could from your individual experiment. Across semesters, you can use previous groups' results to aid hypothesis-driven design of your experiment. tkPRETTY UP
Also see Why join OpenWetWare?.
Why should I contribute?
You have the power to improve the course for others who come after you, and to do so with minimal effort given the ease of sharing information/pictures/ideas/etc. on a wiki. Moreover, editing OpenWetWare is like class participation, which can't help but make a favorable impression on your instructors.
What should I contribute?
tkREVISE TO BETTER MATCH WHAT WE REALLY DO
Feel free to contribute anything you want to OpenWetWare.
- Find a typo in one of the protocols? Fix it.
- Have a suggestion for clarifying a step in a protocol? Post it.
- Do you hate or love a particular experiment? Explain why on the talk page for that day.
- Have a question about a homework assignment? Ask it on the talk page for that assignment.
- Have some data or a gel image that you want to share? Upload it.
Basically use OpenWetWare however it might be useful to you. If you think OpenWetWare is a waste of time, you can write that too. (That's useful for us to know!)
How do I get an account?
Fill out the form at how to join to register for an account on OpenWetWare. You will be sent an email with your account information. Once you have an account, you can log in from any web browser by clicking the login link at the top right corner of the browser window.
Should my OpenWetWare password be the same as my Kerberos one?
No. OpenWetWare is not nearly as secure as Kerberos. We recommend that you use a different password from the one you use to log in to Athena. You can change your password once you are logged in, by clicking on the preferences link in the upper righthand corner of the page.
How do I contribute?
Once you have an account, the best way to learn how to edit the wiki is to look at existing pages. Click the "edit" tab at the top of a page to view the "source code" for the page. If you want to play around to see how things appear, you can do that in the Sandbox or even on your own user page.
If you have a question about how encode something in wiki markup language, try googling. There are lots of reference sources out there since OpenWetWare is based on the same software as Wikipedia. Other reference pages include
- The help page which shows up in the sidebar of every page.
- In particular, see Simple wiki editing examples for a quick how-to on wiki editing.
Since OpenWetWare is a wiki, anyone with an account can edit any page they want. And since the MediaWiki software keeps track of all the previous versions of a page, it is easy to roll back unwanted page edits. However, to keep things organized and to go easy on the TAs and instructors, there are a few guidelines for editing OpenWetWare (in the context of 20.109).
Use the "20.109(S11):" prefix for new pages
If you create a new page, start off the page name with "20.109(S11):." For instance, "20.109(S11):Helpful hints on doing Qiagen purifications" is a better name than "Helpful hints on doing Qiagen purifications." There are several reasons for this labeling scheme.
- It helps others involved in the class know to which pages to pay particular attention.
- It will tell people outside of the class to be respectful of that page, because it is for the 20.109 class.
- In MediaWiki software, every page must have a unique name, so by adding the prefix "20.109(S11):", we avoid inadvertently using common page names that might be in high demand.
Use the "Talk" page not the "Article" page
When in doubt about whether your comments/feedback/suggestions/clarifications/etc. is useful, add it. This is an introductory lab techniques class, so the more obvious and clear the course material is, the better. To keep the protocol pages short and easy to read, please add your comments to the "Talk" page for that protocol instead of to the protocol itself. At the top of every wiki page, you'll see a tab saying "Talk." It is a page automatically created for the purpose of discussing the contents of the associated page. By adding your comments there, the main protocol should remain easy for others to read and use. The exception to this rule is that if you find an error or typo in the protocol (and you are sure it is an error!), then by all means correct it. Use your judgment or if in doubt, ask an instructor or TA.
Sign your work
Sign your name to non-minor edits to the wiki. It makes it easier for others in the class to know who is saying what. If you are logged in as yourself, you can automatically sign with your name and a timestamp just by typing ~~~~. Try it in the Sandbox to see what happens.
Editing your userpage
To get started on OpenWetWare, try editing your userpage. Type User:YourUserName in the search box on the left hand side of this wiki page to go to your user page to begin editing. Write a sentence or two about yourself so that other OpenWetWare users can see who is making which edits. You can also add a link to your user page to the 20.109(S11):People page enabling others in the class to find you more easily.
Other
Follow the general etiquette guidelines for OpenWetWare.
