wikiHow
wikiHow is a website with the highest quality of how-to-manuals. The webiste is a free resource that helps millions of people by offering solutions to everyday life problems. The site can easily be read in different languages depending on the user.
I researched SQL on the wikiHow site and got a how-to-manual on it. It explained what SQL is and gave the basic steps of how to get data out or how to filter data. For someone who needs a reminder of how to use SQL, this would be a good resource for them. For someone who has never used it before, this how-to-manual may still be over the top.
SQL isn’t an everyday task but balancing a checkbook is a task that some people were never taught how to do. There is a very descriptive how-to-manual on balancing a checkbook. It shows images that explain what needs to be written where on the check register.
I believe the website overall is a useful tool for someone who wants to learn how to do an everyday task.
www.wikihow.com
Meeting 2: Picking Software
We managed to squeeze in a little discussion of wikis and other apps. Notes on what we said:
- Michael likes Drupal and DokuWiki. (Michael may also convert me to Ubuntu… if he can show me it connects to the beamer more quickly.) Some developers swear by Joomla. How do you choose?
- Sometimes easy solutions are right in front of you. Before class, Tommy suggested we could create a course site like this just as easily with Facebook. The DSU football players have a Facebook group that keeps them connected. This relates (really!) to what Alan said at the beginning of class about the iPhone app that lets strangers play tag using the GPS capability: you may think certain software or hardware is just for recreation or personal use, but if you have a group of motivated and creative users, you may be able to put new tech to surprising and practical uses. (O.K., tag may not be practical… but get creative!)
We didn’t have a lot of time to discuss more details of the “Working in Wiki” article or the associated questions. I know, you’re knocking yourselves out writing your reaction papers, but feel free to test out your ideas here in the Comments!