ISOGG Wiki:About
From ISOGG Wiki
The idea of an ISOGG Wiki was suggested on the ISOGG project administrators' mailing list by Debbie Kennett in June 2010. Tom Hutchison also thought it would be an excellent idea. He remembered that a Wiki was set up some time ago by the ISOGG Guidance Committee but it was never used. After a long conversation with Katherine Borges, Director of ISOGG, Tom volunteered to get the ISOGG Wiki back up and running for member use. Tom and Debbie worked together to get the basic framework in place. Debbie worked on the basic editorial structure and Tom did all the techie stuff like creating templates and infoboxes. The Wiki was opened up to members of the ISOGG admins' mailing list on 10th July 2010.
If you're not familiar with the concept of a Wiki we should just explain that it is a collaborative website. The software is very easy to use. If you can open and edit a Word file you will be able to edit the Wiki. You can go to any page, click on edit, type in your words, write a brief summary of what you've done in the summary box, and then click on save. The entire history of each page is stored. If you make a mistake you or someone else can go back and restore an earlier version of the page. There are extra formatting skills which can easily be picked up as you progress. It's very easy to copy the formatting of existing pages, and you will soon get the idea. If you are nervous of the idea of editing an article you can experiment in the sandbox.
Editing is currently restricted to ISOGG members. To edit the Wiki you will need to create an account. Once the account has been confirmed by e-mail you will be able to start editing. You will be asked to create a user name. Ideally, in order to take credit for your contributions and to retain the integrity of the Wiki, we would like everyone to be identified by a recognisable user name (eg, TomHutchison, DebbieKennett). We are also hoping that a few project admins might like to step forward and take on Wiki admin responsibilities. This is not as daunting as it might sound. It just means you have a few extra powers to do things like delete pages, protect pages and block troublesome users and spammers. If you are interested in becoming an admin do get in touch.
To get the ISOGG Wiki started we have imported a few basic articles from Wikipedia, all of which are covered by the Creative Commons Licence and can be reproduced elsewhere. We have condensed many of these articles and customised them for our own purposes so that we can develop them as we see fit. We've also created a basic framework of articles on DNA projects and DNA tests, and started to compile a few lists. All project admins are encouraged to create Wiki pages for their projects. To get an idea of what can be done look at some of the articles in the following categories:
ISOGG members are also encouraged to create their own user pages where they can list the projects they administer and the surnames they are researching. User pages can be found here:
One of the advantages of the Wiki is that it is very easy to upload pictures and screenshots. Care must be taken to ensure that we have copyright of any pictures unless of course they are in the public domain such as the pictures on Wikimedia Commons. As an example of what can be done, CeCe Moore has created a wonderful page for us on 23andMe's new Ancestry Finder tool. Debbie Kennett has created a page on How to join an FTDNA project.
There are endless possibilities and no doubt everyone will have their own ideas. There seems little point in duplicating extensively referenced articles on haplogroups and genetics which are already on Wikipedia. We should probably focus instead on more practical topics.
We hope you will all have a look and let us know what you think. The more people who contribute and collaborate the better the resource will be. All contributions will be most welcome.
