IMPORTANT - This page is for the old groups.io Wiki and the new DocuWiki is DIFFERENT. This page will be updated to reflect DokuWiki. This is only a place-holder now.

Starting update - Work In Progress

This information is for a Coot that is familiar with a water access point, like a boat launch ramp, and wants to add this to the Coots' Wiki data base. What you are doing is adding a page to the Wiki. As soon as you finish the page, it is available to be read by anyone. And any Coot, signed up for this groups.io group, can make changes. The process of adding and editing a page is available to anyone registered with coots.org. All that registration does is to check that the email is valid.

Create a new page

Reading this page means that you have accessed the wiki. You are free to read any page, and they are listed in the sidebar for PC users and in-line for phone users. If you want to add a new page, describing a different location than is currently show, do a search for the new site. Here, as an example, we will follow through with adding a real access site, the Port of Toledo launch ramp on the Yaquina River. This is step-by-step and too much detail for experienced users, but available if it is useful. The search should be done in a special way, needed because your search phrase will become the file name of a wiki page. So, the search should be several words separated by an underscore. Use no capital letters. Avoid long names as that helps fitting into a file browser display. For our example, we choose toledo_yaquina_ramp. Ramp is not normally needed, but Toledo also has a paddle park, and the word ramp distinguishes the two. After we enter this into a search window and hit Enter, we see the following:

If this tells us that the page exists, we need to either edit that page, or create a new name. More likely, we will be told that the page is not found, and get the option, “If you didn't find what you were looking for, you can create or edit the page,” followed by our page name as a link. To start our new page, just click on the link as shown next:

We should immediately be presented with an edit window. If that is the case, skip the rest of this paragraph. If somehow, you do not get to the edit window, that will be shown below, on any page, go to the top and click on “Sitemap,” as shown below, and and then clicking on toledo_yaquina_ramp. You will see either an empty page, or a page with anything that has been added to our new page. Next, look for a gray pencil in the upper-right edge of the wiki page. Clicking that opens the wiki editor. One last hint is that if you do not see the gray pencil, you probably are not registered.

So, we now are shown the edit window, with the empty Toledo Ramp wiki page written in a mark-up language. That referenced guide is helpful to look at, but many of your editing tasks can be carried out with copy-and-paste from existing material. Straight text is easy; you just type it in. A new paragraph does not require any special character; it only needs two “Enter”'s.

To get started with our new page, I opened a new browser tab with the Coots' water access template. Copying that entire page and pasting it into the new edit window gives a good start. The blank page that comes up will accept your typing as new material. All the usual features, such as copy-and-paste or insert an image are available, many of these through the small icons above the edit window. Here is an example with a few entries:

At this point we encounter one of the tricky issues. You must give this page a title and save it, or no matter how much you have added, it is all lost. Adding the title is done in the text line at the top, and we will use the name of the access point, say, “Daisyville Launch Ramp.” To make it easier to follow at the initial save, I suggest you add a line of text. So, in the example, we add a title line, “Daisyville Launch Ramp” at the top. To save the page, go to the bottom left and click on “Save Edit.” There will be a verify dialog box and you must click on the green “Yes.” If all is correct you will now see your new Wiki Page, but in the standard view presentation (not editable).

To continue editing, go back to the same ellipsis that started the new page, but this time, click on “Edit Page.” The edit box should appear as you left it before the save. See “Saving a Page,” below for more help.

To see some features, and to add emphasis to our page, we increase the type size from the default 16 pt to 24 pt. This is done by the ellipsis at the top left of the edit window, with the second option being the type size. For more emphasis, we make the type bold by using the mouse to highlight the title and click on the letter 'B'.

Basic Outline of Contents - Each water access site is different and so the descriptions will vary. But, to make finding information easier, we should try to follow a common outline to the extent that is reasonable. The following section headings, shown in bold face, are a guide to follow. For clarity here, there is an asterisk ahead of each item, but the asterisks should be removed for the wiki page.

* Introduction - A brief description along with any special comments about the location. This is a good place to indicate the ownership of the facility and

* Location - This needs enough detail so that a first-time visitor can easily find the access point. If the local roads are complicated a map can be useful. For most locations the big picture can be described in words, otherwise another map can be added. If it might be useful, including the latitude and longitude of the ramp is fine. Include information on parking, parking fees and if appropriate, parking security.

* Ramp - If there is a boat ramp we really need a picture of it. Often, a single picture can show the ramp, associated sidewalks and dock(s). If multiple pictures show it better, use them. Any information about the depths of water at the ramp is a great addition. Tell them about hazards such as fast or shallow water. Very valuable is a measured slope of the ramp. See the section below for doing that measurement. Any restrictions on boat size and type should be included.

* Launch Area - If there is not a trailer ramp, but there is a place that (usually) small boats can be put in the water, here is the spot. Pictures are important. Also, what type of boats can use this?

* Local Water - It is good to give a short description of water within. It is easy to get dragged into writing a travelog and that is a different wiki! Try to just link other web material here rather than duplicating items.

Measuring Boat Ramp Slope - We'll try here to describe an almost non-mathematical way to find ramp slope. TBD soon…

Adding a picture - This is an area that can cause problems. There must be many ways to add pictures (images), but I will try to describe just one that seems to be reliable.

1 - Place your entry cursor where you want the picture to go and then go to the top bar and click the “Insert Image” icon.

2 - If your picture is not shown in the “Image Library” and has thus not been uploaded, click on the “Add New” button.

3 - Upload by dropping a file icon from a file browser into the “drop” area.

4 - Click on the “Add” button (not “Insert,” at the bottom of the dialog). You will see a wiki page without a title. Do not try to edit that page. Instead, hit the web browser “go back” arrow at the top left. This should bring back an edit-open wiki page, right where you used to be, but without your new picture!

5 - Once again, click the “Insert Image” icon button. Your new picture should be at the bottom of the “Image Library,” so click on it. Next, click on the “Insert” button and after a download delay it will appear at the cursor location.

6 - For safety, do a “Save Edit.”

This add picture process works with my Firefox web browser. If it does not operate correctly with your browser, please report here the differences needed to make this work.

Anytime, while editing, your picture is already in the “Image Library,” just highlight it with a click and then place your edit entry cursor where you want it. Next click on the “Insert” button.

Moving a picture

Before moving a picture, create a blank line at the position you want to move to. Then go back to the picture, highlight it and drag the small image to the blank line you created. Then, make sure nothing is highlighted and save the page.

Saving a page

Save your work often. This greatly reduces the bad feelings when something gets lost!

Go to the bottom of the edit window and click on“Save Edit.”

Be aware that saving your wiki page results in the wiki edit being closed. Also, there is a confirmation box. Be sure to confirm, but do not (usually) Notify Members. After you save a page you will see the page as it is presented in the wiki. To continue editing, go up to the three dot ellipsis button at the top and select “Edit Page.”

A hint is, before saving a page, to make a habit of clicking somewhere in text to create a text cursor and, importantly, to remove any highlighting. This helps greatly with accidental loss of material.

Not loosing work

Tests of this Wiki editor have included loosing pictures and text. It seems like one problem is having either a picture or text highlighted when doing a global operation such as saving a page. But, this is not consistently a problem. Mysteries in this area continue.