Editing in the Wiki

It’s easy to get started writing and editing articles for the FamilySearch Records Project! While there are a few tricks to it, most contributors find that using the wiki editor is much like using their favorite word processor. Through the “Editing in the Wiki” series, we’ll guide you through the ins and outs of creating content for the wiki.


First, the basics of a wiki: Wikis exist to serve the community at large. They are created to collect and display knowledge from a pool of people, whether among a smaller group, like a business, or the entire population of people who have access to the internet. According to the “Wiki” article on Wikipedia, a wiki is essentially a database for creating, browsing, and searching through information. A defining characteristic of a wiki is the ease with which pages can be created and updated. The essence of a Wiki is as follows:

•  A wiki invites all users to edit any page or to create new pages within the wiki Web site…
•  A wiki is not a carefully crafted site for casual visitors. Instead, it seeks to involve the visitor in an ongoing process of creation and collaboration that constantly changes the Web site.

(from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki#Editing_wiki_pages)

One important part of writing and editing in a wiki is to realize that everything created in a wiki article has the possibility of being edited by other users. This means that the article (or section of an article) you write may not remain as originally written. Staying slightly unattached to your work is important as is realizing that what you contribute is part of a larger whole. Look at working in a wiki as a “group project” instead of as individual work. In turn, this also means that you have the ability (and are invited!) to edit others’ work as necessary.


Finally, be confident in your ability to create, add content and edit articles in the wiki project. This is a community effort and you are part of that community. Your input is as valued as that of a long-time contributor. Even “small” contributions can spark larger ideas and research. So if you have some knowledge of a subject, put it in writing!


Stay tuned to this series as we give you more tips and tricks about writing and editing articles for the FamilySearch Records Project wiki.