OpenWetWare:Getting started

Thanks for using OpenWetWare. Here are a few tips on getting started.

1. The most important thing to know is that every change is tracked and easily reverted. Because of this, you should feel free to edit as much as possible. One good way to start editing is by looking at the code of any page, like this one (remember to log in). Click on the help link on the navigation bar to your left to get more info on editing options. You can also look at the history of any page, by clicking on the history tab above. This will show every edit that every user made.
2. The wiki is a great place to put a public lab homepage. For example, the Endy lab webpage (http://web.mit.edu/endy) points directly to a page on openwetware. Information about the lab, such as the research page, can be posted and edited by everybody in the lab. The navigation bar, such as the one on the Endy research page, is useful for traversing through webpages within the site.
3. Labs can also uses the wiki for a number of lab internal functions. In the Endy internal site, they post information on their lab meetings, retreats, lab chores, ordering, etc.
4. Sharing the same wiki between multiple labs enables community pages, such as those listed in the Shared Technical Resources section of the Main Page. Check out the equipment and protocols.
   • In particular, the plate reader is a good example. It includes useful information about plate variation, lamp energy, and absorbance levels.
   • Each lab has their own way of doing particular protocols. Typically a lab will have a list of lab-specific protocols. However, we are also collecting protocols from multiple labs in the shared protocols area. A good example is DNA Ligation which provides links to the Endy and Knight lab protocols.