WikiHow to Code

Referring to Wikipedia is the first step in the process of proving anyone wrong. Such a resource at the tap of a finger is a convenient utility that most modern humans take for granted. Speaking of human, there is a human side to this resource that is often overlooked or rarely considered. Wikipedia is "governed" by a horde of humans who write, source, cite, correct, and edit these information pages on a daily basis, usually without pay. This amount of work is not small, and these individuals do this to ensure the world has access to good, correct information.

Creating a WikiHow page is the layman's entree into the world of coding, as well as the work that goes into informing people. In today's tech-centered world, learning to code is a skill that is now often taught in public schools. Mitch Resnick, a teacher, author, and inventor of Scratch, a website that teaches coding to school-age children, argues that not only is the ability to code a valuable skill, but a form of literacy and communication. In his opinion, coding is a way to express oneself in another language; individuals can create programs, websites, apps, and even art in this way.

In order to get started in creating a Wiki, it helps to know what exactly a Wiki is. IBM has a comprehensive explanation of Wikis on their website, and describe Wikis as "a collection of editable pages about a specific subject and is used by a team to collaborate on content about the subject." A page administrator first settles on their Wiki topic, creates the page and the URL, and, if necessary, names other administrators that can operate on the page. Users can then add pages and information, make edits, et cetera. 

In writing a WikiHow article, there are many steps that can be used to successfully communicate a step-by-step instructional process. It is important to have clear directives, otherwise the steps can get confusing or hard to follow. It helps having another individual go over a draft of the steps in order to clarify things the writer may not have noticed as hard to understand or too vague. It helps when the writer writes about what they know. If the process is something the writer is unfamiliar with, writing it down can often get lost on the writer. Further, the steps must be a usable process. An abstract concept can get lost in subjectivity, and may not be feasible in a utilitarian sense. Photos aid in the explanatory nature of Wikis, especially WikiHow articles. No matter how well someone may explain something, sometimes the visual representation of the step is what allows the instruction to "click;" individuals absorb information differently, and it helps to be conscious of the audience when writing anything, especially when the article is used to instruct. Recipes lend themselves to communicating steps very well. 

Learning to teach others is a valuable skill. Teaching is a difficult and multi-faceted form of communication that can be utilized in any aspect of an individual's day to day life. Learning to teach oneself is a skill that can be coupled with the aforementioned. Sometimes, it can seem easy to get lost in the daily instructions that abound. Sometimes, however, all it takes is a heading to Google or WikiHow to get the information that others may not be able to give us.