First off all, the email list and the wiki are different things.
Just to explain : An email list is basically it's just a list of email addresses, all supplied by their owners when they signed up.
Now when anyone sends an email to cube_orchestra at microplex.cubecinema.com everyone on the list gets a copy, so you don't have to remember or know the 40 or so people's address individually . . . simple . . . that's the email list!
Now the wiki . . .
A 'wiki' is simply a name for a website that is built and run and updated by it's enthusiastic users - ( a little bit like The Cube, if it was a website rather than a cinema! Hmmm forget that, I'm just confusing things - just remember a 'wiki' is a website, a website that anyone can add to. )
The most famous is 'wiki', is an amazing online encyclopaedia called 'wikipedia'. This website is contributed by experts from all over the world, and is guaranteed always the most up to date encyclopaedia you could get hold of. You can find you can see this 'wikipedia' website here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.
You might be thinking "hang on, if *anyone* can contribute, it might seem to be 'up-to-date" but won't it just fill up with all sorts of rubbish?"
Surprisingly, not. Most people who contribute do so because they want to and have something worthwhile to say. Also all is checked for abuse and accuracy, by 'moderators', but also everyone who uses it, who can change anything - that's the beauty of it, and it really can work!
You might be thinking "Hmmm - yesssss, but be to be honest it still sounds a bit confusing and unfamiliar. And anyway, what about the Cube Orchestra "wiki" / website thing?"
Ok, the Cube Orchestra Website. ( I'll just use the word 'website' from now on rather than 'wiki' now we've established that that's all a 'wiki' is. )
Well if you do want to contribute to the Cube Orchestra Website, I think you'll find it's surprisingly easy ... if you've comfortable sending and receiving email, then it will be no trouble to learn, honestly, just follow these steps ...
First of all go to http://www.orchestra.cubecinema.com/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?MemberArea
Once you are logged in you will see the content of the website - at the moment a list of Cube Orchestra Members, with some text about themselves, by themselves. If you would like to add your own text, about yourself . . . you can!
Here's how. Scroll to the very bottom of the page and you will see something like this
( this is just a picture! ( I hope I'm not adding more confusion! )). The real thing doesn't have my red scrawl, but the "edit this page" is the important bit . . . click the 'edit this page' link on the real page and you will arrive at a box with all the text in it.
Looks something like this . . .
again just a picture!
On the real page scroll down to the bottom of this text box, and you can add your own text to it. If you are worried about spelling etc, you could write it in your email program or word or whatever and spell-check it first then copy and paste your text in.
There are some special moves you can make - such as include pictures etc, but I'll leave all that for now. Just to give you an idea though, have a look at other people's entries - you may notice that the headings ( "Cube Orchestra Members", and each name ) appear bigger and bolder on the website. If you look in the edit box you can see how this is done, and you can use it for your own entry - each name has == ( 2 equals signs on each end ) like this
== Ale Fernandez ==If you do the same thing with your name it will be big and bold too on the website! Have a go! And if you're feeling really adventurous examine Marcus' entry to work out how to add a picture.
Once your happy with your entry you can press the "save" button to send it to the website for all to see.
Or ...
more likely, if you're cautious simply press the "preview" button to check how it will look first, then if you're happy you can then press "save" to send it up for all to see ( or carry on tweaking it and previewing until you are happy to 'save' (think 'send' in terms of email ! ) )
Well I hope that helps. As I said at the beginning, if it still feels beyond you, but you want to contribute, you can always just email your words and pictures to Marcus ( marcus at irational.org ).
David
More advanced formatting rules are at the [original wiki site]
Ale