SlideShare uma empresa Scribd logo
1 de 23
Writing a book on a wiki
                           Wow, does that even work?




                               Atlassian User Group
                                            5 May 2012, Sydney

Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox             Slide 1
                                                                       1
Confluence, Tech Comm, Chocolate
   A wiki as platform extraordinaire for technical communication



    Wikis and technical documentation
    Agile environments
    Social media
    Crowd sourcing
    Driving wiki development
    And more


               wikitechcomm.onconfluence.com
Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox        Slide 2
                                                                  2
Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox   Slide 3
                                                             3
It‟s a team effort, right from conception




Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox   Slide 4
                                                             4
9 months‟ labour – the content phase

    15   3                                              3      31         15
    May Jun                                            Dec     Dec       Feb




   Submit                                                    Content    Production
  proposal                                                   deadline
               Writing




Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox                            Slide 5
                                                                                      5
9 months‟ labour – the content phase

    15   3           15                                 3      31         15
    May Jun         Jun                                Dec     Dec       Feb




   Submit                                                    Content    Production
  proposal                                                   deadline
               Writing



                         Admin and technical setup




Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox                            Slide 6
                                                                                      6
9 months‟ labour – the content phase

    15   3           15                             27  3                      31      15
    May Jun         Jun                            Nov Dec                     Dec    Feb




   Submit                                                                 Content    Production
  proposal                                                                deadline
               Writing



                         Admin and technical setup


                                                       Artwork and promotion




Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox                                         Slide 7
                                                                                                   7
9 months‟ labour – the content phase

    15   3           15                             27  3                        31      15
    May Jun         Jun                            Nov Dec                       Dec    Feb




   Submit                                                                   Content    Production
  proposal                                                                  deadline
               Writing



                         Admin and technical setup


                                                         Artwork and promotion


                                                       Technical review




Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox                                           Slide 8
                                                                                                     8
9 months‟ labour – the content phase

    15   3           15                             27  3                 22       31        15
    May Jun         Jun                            Nov Dec                Dec      Dec      Feb




   Submit                                                                       Content    Production
  proposal                                                                      deadline
               Writing



                         Admin and technical setup


                                                         Artwork and promotion


                                                       Technical review



                                                           Index, footnotes, etc


Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox                                               Slide 9
                                                                                                         9
9 months‟ labour – the production phase

    15   3           15                             27  3    22      31   7          5   15
    May Jun         Jun                            Nov Dec   Dec     Dec Jan        Feb Feb




   Submit                                                          Content                Production
  proposal                                                         deadline


                                                                              Copy edit


                                                                                   Final proofs



                                                                                             Printing




Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox                                              Slide 10
                                                                                                        10
Managing reviewers‟ and editors‟ feedback

   Permissions
   Sharing a page via email
   @mentions
   Watching a page or a space
   Notifications
   RSS feeds




Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox   Slide 11
                                                             11
Watching a space




                                           Choose “Browse” > “Advanced”
                                           > “Start watching this space”


Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox                       Slide 12
                                                                                 12
Setting your notification options



                                                       Choose the type of
                                                       content you want to
                                                       know about




                                                       Choose the format of
                                                       the notifications



Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox                     Slide 13
                                                                               13
Wiki plugins and add-ons




Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox   Slide 14
                                                             14
Gliffy for diagrams

                                                       www.gliffy.com




  Image copyright © Sarah Maddox 2012

Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox            Slide 15
                                                                      15
Cool, so now the book is on the wiki




Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox   Slide 16
                                                             16
How to get from wiki to production




Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox   Slide 17
                                                             17
Scroll Wiki DocBook Exporter
                                                       www.k15t.com




Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox           Slide 18
                                                                     18
It‟s not over „til the wiki sings




      http://wikitechcomm.onconfluence.com


Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox   Slide 19
                                                             19
Prize draw
 wikitechcomm.onconfluence.com


                                                       Winner!




Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox             Slide 20
                                                                       20
Getting hold of the book

   Wiki:
       https://wikitechcomm.onconfluence.com

   Amazon.com:
       http://www.amazon.com/Confluence-Tech-Chocolate-Sarah-Maddox/dp/1937434001

   Barnes & Noble:
       http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/confluence-tech-comm-chocolate-sarah-
            maddox/1108812996?ean=9781937434007

   XML Press:
       http://xmlpress.net/publications/chocolate/

   Drawings from the book are copyright © Ryan Maddox 2012
       http://ryanmaddoxart.wordpress.com/

Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox                           Slide 21
                                                                                     21
Contacting Sarah

   Email: sarah@atlassian.com
   Twitter: @sarahmaddox
       http://twitter.com/sarahmaddox

   LinkedIn: http://au.linkedin.com/in/sarahmaddox
   Blog: http://ffeathers.wordpress.com
   Other blog: http://travellingworm.wordpress.com/




Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox   Slide 22
                                                             22
Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox   Slide 23
                                                             23

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Mais de Sarah Maddox

A tech writer, a map, and an app
A tech writer, a map, and an appA tech writer, a map, and an app
A tech writer, a map, and an appSarah Maddox
 
Working with an Engineering Team
Working with an Engineering TeamWorking with an Engineering Team
Working with an Engineering TeamSarah Maddox
 
Bit Rot in the Docs
Bit Rot in the DocsBit Rot in the Docs
Bit Rot in the DocsSarah Maddox
 
API Technical Writing
API Technical WritingAPI Technical Writing
API Technical WritingSarah Maddox
 
Doc sprints: The ultimate in collaborative document development
Doc sprints: The ultimate in collaborative document developmentDoc sprints: The ultimate in collaborative document development
Doc sprints: The ultimate in collaborative document developmentSarah Maddox
 
Tekom tcworld 2012 - Engaging readers via social media
Tekom tcworld 2012 - Engaging readers via social mediaTekom tcworld 2012 - Engaging readers via social media
Tekom tcworld 2012 - Engaging readers via social mediaSarah Maddox
 
Building a developer documentation wiki
Building a developer documentation wikiBuilding a developer documentation wiki
Building a developer documentation wikiSarah Maddox
 
Summit2012 proposal-sarah maddox
Summit2012 proposal-sarah maddoxSummit2012 proposal-sarah maddox
Summit2012 proposal-sarah maddoxSarah Maddox
 
A little bird told me... about a good page in your user guide
A little bird told me... about a good page in your user guideA little bird told me... about a good page in your user guide
A little bird told me... about a good page in your user guideSarah Maddox
 

Mais de Sarah Maddox (10)

A tech writer, a map, and an app
A tech writer, a map, and an appA tech writer, a map, and an app
A tech writer, a map, and an app
 
Working with an Engineering Team
Working with an Engineering TeamWorking with an Engineering Team
Working with an Engineering Team
 
Bit Rot in the Docs
Bit Rot in the DocsBit Rot in the Docs
Bit Rot in the Docs
 
API Technical Writing
API Technical WritingAPI Technical Writing
API Technical Writing
 
Api types
Api typesApi types
Api types
 
Doc sprints: The ultimate in collaborative document development
Doc sprints: The ultimate in collaborative document developmentDoc sprints: The ultimate in collaborative document development
Doc sprints: The ultimate in collaborative document development
 
Tekom tcworld 2012 - Engaging readers via social media
Tekom tcworld 2012 - Engaging readers via social mediaTekom tcworld 2012 - Engaging readers via social media
Tekom tcworld 2012 - Engaging readers via social media
 
Building a developer documentation wiki
Building a developer documentation wikiBuilding a developer documentation wiki
Building a developer documentation wiki
 
Summit2012 proposal-sarah maddox
Summit2012 proposal-sarah maddoxSummit2012 proposal-sarah maddox
Summit2012 proposal-sarah maddox
 
A little bird told me... about a good page in your user guide
A little bird told me... about a good page in your user guideA little bird told me... about a good page in your user guide
A little bird told me... about a good page in your user guide
 

Último

Scanning the Internet for External Cloud Exposures via SSL Certs
Scanning the Internet for External Cloud Exposures via SSL CertsScanning the Internet for External Cloud Exposures via SSL Certs
Scanning the Internet for External Cloud Exposures via SSL CertsRizwan Syed
 
Gen AI in Business - Global Trends Report 2024.pdf
Gen AI in Business - Global Trends Report 2024.pdfGen AI in Business - Global Trends Report 2024.pdf
Gen AI in Business - Global Trends Report 2024.pdfAddepto
 
Tampa BSides - Chef's Tour of Microsoft Security Adoption Framework (SAF)
Tampa BSides - Chef's Tour of Microsoft Security Adoption Framework (SAF)Tampa BSides - Chef's Tour of Microsoft Security Adoption Framework (SAF)
Tampa BSides - Chef's Tour of Microsoft Security Adoption Framework (SAF)Mark Simos
 
The State of Passkeys with FIDO Alliance.pptx
The State of Passkeys with FIDO Alliance.pptxThe State of Passkeys with FIDO Alliance.pptx
The State of Passkeys with FIDO Alliance.pptxLoriGlavin3
 
Are Multi-Cloud and Serverless Good or Bad?
Are Multi-Cloud and Serverless Good or Bad?Are Multi-Cloud and Serverless Good or Bad?
Are Multi-Cloud and Serverless Good or Bad?Mattias Andersson
 
WordPress Websites for Engineers: Elevate Your Brand
WordPress Websites for Engineers: Elevate Your BrandWordPress Websites for Engineers: Elevate Your Brand
WordPress Websites for Engineers: Elevate Your Brandgvaughan
 
Use of FIDO in the Payments and Identity Landscape: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptx
Use of FIDO in the Payments and Identity Landscape: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptxUse of FIDO in the Payments and Identity Landscape: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptx
Use of FIDO in the Payments and Identity Landscape: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptxLoriGlavin3
 
TeamStation AI System Report LATAM IT Salaries 2024
TeamStation AI System Report LATAM IT Salaries 2024TeamStation AI System Report LATAM IT Salaries 2024
TeamStation AI System Report LATAM IT Salaries 2024Lonnie McRorey
 
TrustArc Webinar - How to Build Consumer Trust Through Data Privacy
TrustArc Webinar - How to Build Consumer Trust Through Data PrivacyTrustArc Webinar - How to Build Consumer Trust Through Data Privacy
TrustArc Webinar - How to Build Consumer Trust Through Data PrivacyTrustArc
 
New from BookNet Canada for 2024: Loan Stars - Tech Forum 2024
New from BookNet Canada for 2024: Loan Stars - Tech Forum 2024New from BookNet Canada for 2024: Loan Stars - Tech Forum 2024
New from BookNet Canada for 2024: Loan Stars - Tech Forum 2024BookNet Canada
 
Commit 2024 - Secret Management made easy
Commit 2024 - Secret Management made easyCommit 2024 - Secret Management made easy
Commit 2024 - Secret Management made easyAlfredo García Lavilla
 
DSPy a system for AI to Write Prompts and Do Fine Tuning
DSPy a system for AI to Write Prompts and Do Fine TuningDSPy a system for AI to Write Prompts and Do Fine Tuning
DSPy a system for AI to Write Prompts and Do Fine TuningLars Bell
 
Generative AI for Technical Writer or Information Developers
Generative AI for Technical Writer or Information DevelopersGenerative AI for Technical Writer or Information Developers
Generative AI for Technical Writer or Information DevelopersRaghuram Pandurangan
 
Developer Data Modeling Mistakes: From Postgres to NoSQL
Developer Data Modeling Mistakes: From Postgres to NoSQLDeveloper Data Modeling Mistakes: From Postgres to NoSQL
Developer Data Modeling Mistakes: From Postgres to NoSQLScyllaDB
 
Transcript: New from BookNet Canada for 2024: BNC CataList - Tech Forum 2024
Transcript: New from BookNet Canada for 2024: BNC CataList - Tech Forum 2024Transcript: New from BookNet Canada for 2024: BNC CataList - Tech Forum 2024
Transcript: New from BookNet Canada for 2024: BNC CataList - Tech Forum 2024BookNet Canada
 
What is DBT - The Ultimate Data Build Tool.pdf
What is DBT - The Ultimate Data Build Tool.pdfWhat is DBT - The Ultimate Data Build Tool.pdf
What is DBT - The Ultimate Data Build Tool.pdfMounikaPolabathina
 
Merck Moving Beyond Passwords: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptx
Merck Moving Beyond Passwords: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptxMerck Moving Beyond Passwords: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptx
Merck Moving Beyond Passwords: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptxLoriGlavin3
 
Dev Dives: Streamline document processing with UiPath Studio Web
Dev Dives: Streamline document processing with UiPath Studio WebDev Dives: Streamline document processing with UiPath Studio Web
Dev Dives: Streamline document processing with UiPath Studio WebUiPathCommunity
 
Unraveling Multimodality with Large Language Models.pdf
Unraveling Multimodality with Large Language Models.pdfUnraveling Multimodality with Large Language Models.pdf
Unraveling Multimodality with Large Language Models.pdfAlex Barbosa Coqueiro
 
"Debugging python applications inside k8s environment", Andrii Soldatenko
"Debugging python applications inside k8s environment", Andrii Soldatenko"Debugging python applications inside k8s environment", Andrii Soldatenko
"Debugging python applications inside k8s environment", Andrii SoldatenkoFwdays
 

Último (20)

Scanning the Internet for External Cloud Exposures via SSL Certs
Scanning the Internet for External Cloud Exposures via SSL CertsScanning the Internet for External Cloud Exposures via SSL Certs
Scanning the Internet for External Cloud Exposures via SSL Certs
 
Gen AI in Business - Global Trends Report 2024.pdf
Gen AI in Business - Global Trends Report 2024.pdfGen AI in Business - Global Trends Report 2024.pdf
Gen AI in Business - Global Trends Report 2024.pdf
 
Tampa BSides - Chef's Tour of Microsoft Security Adoption Framework (SAF)
Tampa BSides - Chef's Tour of Microsoft Security Adoption Framework (SAF)Tampa BSides - Chef's Tour of Microsoft Security Adoption Framework (SAF)
Tampa BSides - Chef's Tour of Microsoft Security Adoption Framework (SAF)
 
The State of Passkeys with FIDO Alliance.pptx
The State of Passkeys with FIDO Alliance.pptxThe State of Passkeys with FIDO Alliance.pptx
The State of Passkeys with FIDO Alliance.pptx
 
Are Multi-Cloud and Serverless Good or Bad?
Are Multi-Cloud and Serverless Good or Bad?Are Multi-Cloud and Serverless Good or Bad?
Are Multi-Cloud and Serverless Good or Bad?
 
WordPress Websites for Engineers: Elevate Your Brand
WordPress Websites for Engineers: Elevate Your BrandWordPress Websites for Engineers: Elevate Your Brand
WordPress Websites for Engineers: Elevate Your Brand
 
Use of FIDO in the Payments and Identity Landscape: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptx
Use of FIDO in the Payments and Identity Landscape: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptxUse of FIDO in the Payments and Identity Landscape: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptx
Use of FIDO in the Payments and Identity Landscape: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptx
 
TeamStation AI System Report LATAM IT Salaries 2024
TeamStation AI System Report LATAM IT Salaries 2024TeamStation AI System Report LATAM IT Salaries 2024
TeamStation AI System Report LATAM IT Salaries 2024
 
TrustArc Webinar - How to Build Consumer Trust Through Data Privacy
TrustArc Webinar - How to Build Consumer Trust Through Data PrivacyTrustArc Webinar - How to Build Consumer Trust Through Data Privacy
TrustArc Webinar - How to Build Consumer Trust Through Data Privacy
 
New from BookNet Canada for 2024: Loan Stars - Tech Forum 2024
New from BookNet Canada for 2024: Loan Stars - Tech Forum 2024New from BookNet Canada for 2024: Loan Stars - Tech Forum 2024
New from BookNet Canada for 2024: Loan Stars - Tech Forum 2024
 
Commit 2024 - Secret Management made easy
Commit 2024 - Secret Management made easyCommit 2024 - Secret Management made easy
Commit 2024 - Secret Management made easy
 
DSPy a system for AI to Write Prompts and Do Fine Tuning
DSPy a system for AI to Write Prompts and Do Fine TuningDSPy a system for AI to Write Prompts and Do Fine Tuning
DSPy a system for AI to Write Prompts and Do Fine Tuning
 
Generative AI for Technical Writer or Information Developers
Generative AI for Technical Writer or Information DevelopersGenerative AI for Technical Writer or Information Developers
Generative AI for Technical Writer or Information Developers
 
Developer Data Modeling Mistakes: From Postgres to NoSQL
Developer Data Modeling Mistakes: From Postgres to NoSQLDeveloper Data Modeling Mistakes: From Postgres to NoSQL
Developer Data Modeling Mistakes: From Postgres to NoSQL
 
Transcript: New from BookNet Canada for 2024: BNC CataList - Tech Forum 2024
Transcript: New from BookNet Canada for 2024: BNC CataList - Tech Forum 2024Transcript: New from BookNet Canada for 2024: BNC CataList - Tech Forum 2024
Transcript: New from BookNet Canada for 2024: BNC CataList - Tech Forum 2024
 
What is DBT - The Ultimate Data Build Tool.pdf
What is DBT - The Ultimate Data Build Tool.pdfWhat is DBT - The Ultimate Data Build Tool.pdf
What is DBT - The Ultimate Data Build Tool.pdf
 
Merck Moving Beyond Passwords: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptx
Merck Moving Beyond Passwords: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptxMerck Moving Beyond Passwords: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptx
Merck Moving Beyond Passwords: FIDO Paris Seminar.pptx
 
Dev Dives: Streamline document processing with UiPath Studio Web
Dev Dives: Streamline document processing with UiPath Studio WebDev Dives: Streamline document processing with UiPath Studio Web
Dev Dives: Streamline document processing with UiPath Studio Web
 
Unraveling Multimodality with Large Language Models.pdf
Unraveling Multimodality with Large Language Models.pdfUnraveling Multimodality with Large Language Models.pdf
Unraveling Multimodality with Large Language Models.pdf
 
"Debugging python applications inside k8s environment", Andrii Soldatenko
"Debugging python applications inside k8s environment", Andrii Soldatenko"Debugging python applications inside k8s environment", Andrii Soldatenko
"Debugging python applications inside k8s environment", Andrii Soldatenko
 

Writing a book on a wiki in 9 months

  • 1. Writing a book on a wiki Wow, does that even work? Atlassian User Group 5 May 2012, Sydney Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 1 1
  • 2. Confluence, Tech Comm, Chocolate A wiki as platform extraordinaire for technical communication Wikis and technical documentation Agile environments Social media Crowd sourcing Driving wiki development And more wikitechcomm.onconfluence.com Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 2 2
  • 3. Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 3 3
  • 4. It‟s a team effort, right from conception Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 4 4
  • 5. 9 months‟ labour – the content phase 15 3 3 31 15 May Jun Dec Dec Feb Submit Content Production proposal deadline Writing Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 5 5
  • 6. 9 months‟ labour – the content phase 15 3 15 3 31 15 May Jun Jun Dec Dec Feb Submit Content Production proposal deadline Writing Admin and technical setup Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 6 6
  • 7. 9 months‟ labour – the content phase 15 3 15 27 3 31 15 May Jun Jun Nov Dec Dec Feb Submit Content Production proposal deadline Writing Admin and technical setup Artwork and promotion Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 7 7
  • 8. 9 months‟ labour – the content phase 15 3 15 27 3 31 15 May Jun Jun Nov Dec Dec Feb Submit Content Production proposal deadline Writing Admin and technical setup Artwork and promotion Technical review Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 8 8
  • 9. 9 months‟ labour – the content phase 15 3 15 27 3 22 31 15 May Jun Jun Nov Dec Dec Dec Feb Submit Content Production proposal deadline Writing Admin and technical setup Artwork and promotion Technical review Index, footnotes, etc Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 9 9
  • 10. 9 months‟ labour – the production phase 15 3 15 27 3 22 31 7 5 15 May Jun Jun Nov Dec Dec Dec Jan Feb Feb Submit Content Production proposal deadline Copy edit Final proofs Printing Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 10 10
  • 11. Managing reviewers‟ and editors‟ feedback Permissions Sharing a page via email @mentions Watching a page or a space Notifications RSS feeds Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 11 11
  • 12. Watching a space Choose “Browse” > “Advanced” > “Start watching this space” Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 12 12
  • 13. Setting your notification options Choose the type of content you want to know about Choose the format of the notifications Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 13 13
  • 14. Wiki plugins and add-ons Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 14 14
  • 15. Gliffy for diagrams www.gliffy.com Image copyright © Sarah Maddox 2012 Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 15 15
  • 16. Cool, so now the book is on the wiki Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 16 16
  • 17. How to get from wiki to production Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 17 17
  • 18. Scroll Wiki DocBook Exporter www.k15t.com Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 18 18
  • 19. It‟s not over „til the wiki sings http://wikitechcomm.onconfluence.com Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 19 19
  • 20. Prize draw wikitechcomm.onconfluence.com Winner! Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 20 20
  • 21. Getting hold of the book Wiki: https://wikitechcomm.onconfluence.com Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Confluence-Tech-Chocolate-Sarah-Maddox/dp/1937434001 Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/confluence-tech-comm-chocolate-sarah- maddox/1108812996?ean=9781937434007 XML Press: http://xmlpress.net/publications/chocolate/ Drawings from the book are copyright © Ryan Maddox 2012 http://ryanmaddoxart.wordpress.com/ Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 21 21
  • 22. Contacting Sarah Email: sarah@atlassian.com Twitter: @sarahmaddox http://twitter.com/sarahmaddox LinkedIn: http://au.linkedin.com/in/sarahmaddox Blog: http://ffeathers.wordpress.com Other blog: http://travellingworm.wordpress.com/ Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 22 22
  • 23. Writing a book on a wiki – it works! by Sarah Maddox Slide 23 23

Notas do Editor

  1. Speaker’s notes: IntroductionHallo all, and thank you to Dhyana for inviting me to speak today. I’m Sarah Maddox, a technical writer at Atlassian. I’ve recently written a book on a wiki. The book is about writing technical documentation on a wiki. And I wrote it in a wiki. Dogfood for the win!
  2. There’s a book in everyone. The trouble is, it's hard to get it out of you.It's a lot like having a baby.Having the idea is the fun part…
  3. …Then the project grows and grows. It’s a team effort, right from conception.It’s all about the people and collaboration. You work with a loose team. People join at the appropriate time: Author Publisher Artist Technical reviewers Copy editor IndexerSo yes, producing a book is a lot like having a baby. In fact, my book took 9 months of hard labour…
  4. The content phaseAs the author, you submit your proposal to the publisher. Then you start writing.
  5. The content phasePretty soon, you and the publisher get involved in administration and technical setup.
  6. The content phaseThe illustrator comes on board, and you start promotional activities surprisingly early.
  7. The content phaseThings get really busy when the technical reviewers join you on the wiki. Comments fly thick and fast. Your book is no longer your own.
  8. The content phaseNext up are the index, footnotes and cross-references.
  9. The production phaseJust when you thought it was safe to take a breather, the copy editor starts updating your text. Then you check and re-check the final proofs and printer’s galleys. Then you send the book to the printer.Phew, at last, it’s out the door.
  10. Speaker’s notes: Wiki plugins and add-onsIn addition to the core Confluence functionality, we needed some extra smarts to produce the book.This is where Confluence plugins and add-ons come into it.Confluence is an extensible platform.Developers can build plugins or other add-ons that people can install into Confluence.These add-ons can significantly change the way people experience the wiki.This screenshot shows the Atlassian Plugin Exchange. The Plugin Exchange is a website where developers can make their plugins and add-ons available to customers. It’s also a place where customers can look for and download the add-ons they need.
  11. Speaker’s notes: Gliffy for diagramsThere are quite a few diagrams in the book. To produce them, I used the Gliffy plugin. The Gliffy team gave me a free licence for the plugin, which was very generous of them.It was a great experience drawing diagrams for the book.Gliffy is easy to use, and very familiar to anyone who has used desktop drawing tools.Pleasant styles and libraries of images.You can draw anywhere, anytime, because the Gliffy drawing canvas loads in the web page.Gliffy makes image files available that you can provide to the publisher for printing.
  12. Speaker’s notes: Scroll Wiki DocBook ExporterThis is where the Scroll Wiki DocBook Exporter comes into it. DocBook is a type of XML used frequently in the publishing world. The publisher of my book is Richard Hamilton at XML Press. He already had procedures set up, to produce his books via DocBook XML. He runs the DocBook through his custom XSLT processes, to produce a PDF file for the printers and also the ebook formats of the book.This is the first time anyone has written a book on Confluence and then used DocBook in the production processes.The Scroll Wiki DocBook Exporter is a plugin developed by K15t Software. The plugin already existed, but we needed additional functionality to support book production.The K15t team were kind enough to give me a free license for the plugin. Thanks guys!The publisher and I worked with K15t Software to extend the functionality of the plugin:IndexingImage captionsFootnotesThat was a very interesting and rewarding experience. It’s a great example of how we can use plugins and add-ons to bend the wiki to our will!And so now, if you use the Scroll Wiki DocBook Exporter plugin, you can have an index and footnotes in your documents too.
  13. It’s not over ‘til the wiki singsNew in the publishing world is the idea that a book does not end at printing. The conversation continues, amongst readers and authors and the whole wide world.You want to keep readers engaged, get their feedback on the book, and keep them interested with a view to future sales too.What better place to keep people engaged than the wiki?There’s a wiki associated with my book. A few readers have added pages and comments there already. I’m hoping that more will come, especially once I’ve had a chance to publicise it!http://wikitechcomm.onconfluence.com