Did you know that you can post content for Lync on the TechNet Wiki anytime you have an interesting scenario to share or want input from other knowledgeable folks on an issue you encountered?

And you don’t have to be Ernest Hemingway, because wikis are informal, rapid delivery, anyone-can-play communication and collaboration channels. Almost anything goes, as long as there is a clear purpose for your wiki page and you remain engaged with your page’s developing content and audience.

Author: Susan S. Bradley, Microsoft Senior Content Project Manager

Publication date: March 14, 2012

Lync Server and Lync Online Wikis

To enable these conversations, we have established TechNet Wikis for both Lync Server and Lync Online. These are YOUR channels, and we hope you will use them.

A Few Simple Wiki Guidelines to Get You Started

The purpose of a wiki is to collaborate with others to solve a technical problem or understand an issue. Although you can post on just about any relevant Lync topic, your wiki page is more likely to engage and assist others if you follow these guidelines:

  • Establish a clear and singular purpose for each of your wiki pages. Don’t group different types of information on a single page.
  • Make sure the information you plan to present isn’t readily available elsewhere. Check the Lync Technical Library and NextHop blog for starters (links under Resources below).
  • Make sure your knowledge on the topic you are proposing is of sufficient breadth and depth that you can lead the ensuing discussion and collaboration.
  • Before you launch your wiki page, check out your proposed topic with a couple of Lync colleagues and get their commitment to join you in at least the initial round of public dialogue and content creation.
  • Make sure the content you post is technically accurate. Get another Lync expert to review your content before posting. Regularly review the content added by others and make corrections as necessary.
  • If you must post content that you are unsure is technically accurate, be sure to indicate that boldly with a disclaimer, such as: This content has not been validated and may not be accurate. Do not use in a production environment.
  • Establish an initial (perhaps loose) structure for the content on your wiki page and provide at least some content under each heading. Readers are more likely to jump in with additional content if there is a structure.
  • Establish a more formal structure as the wiki page develops, so that readers can easily consume the information and readily contribute.
  • Stay engaged with your wiki page. Pose and answer questions, continue to grow the content.
  • Let your blog, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn followers know about your wiki and ask for participation. Ask other Lync bloggers to evangelize your wiki. Repeatedly encourage participation and dialogue.
  • Have fun!

Getting Revved

Before you rev up the wiki engine, watch this interesting video on the launch of the TechNet Wiki platform titled, Building Community Based Content, One Year Later, by Yuri Diogenes, Microsoft Senior Technical Writer with Windows iX – IT Pro Security.

Getting Started

It’s really very simple. Just follow the processes outlined in these helpful TechNet topics:

Feedback

We want it! Tell us how your experience is going with the Lync wikis. And let us know how we can improve the experience. Just leave a comment here or email us at nexthop@microsoft.com.

Additional Resources

Lync Server Resources

We Want to Hear from You