Instructions

The concept of the wiki-format is to facilitate group collaboration on a document, in this case the Afton Comprehensive Plan. 

 

All participants will have the ability to comment on sections of the plan to offer changes and suggest such things as implementation strategies.  Some participants, starting with CPAC members and potentially expanding from that group, will have the ability to directly edit the document.

 

Navigating

This site is set up to be easy to navigate through the sections of the plan.  The menu at the left will allow a participant to link to sections of the plan where the text and supporting documentation will be displayed.  Links throughout the document provide supplementary information that will be part of the appendix of the plan.

 

Commenting

All registered participants may provide comments on the plan.  Once registered, a commenter will see an “Add Comment” button at the bottom of the page.  Click this button and a screen will appear where a comment can be provided.  Once saved, this comment will show up and be visible to everyone on the page where the comment was made.

 

Some tips for commenting:

• Place comments on the page/section where it is most appropriate.  This will help other participants to understand what you are commenting on.
• You can copy text from the plan before you press the "Add Comment" and then paste it into your comment if you wish to provide specific word change suggestions.
• You can provide links to additional information by entering the web address into your comment.
• Make sure that comments are respectful and appropriate for all audiences.  You are not anonymous on this site.  Comments that are disrespectful, threatening or inappropriate will be removed and the commenter blocked from further participation on this site.

You can register to participate and provide comments by clicking here.

 

Editing

The ability to edit the document is going to initially be restricted to CPAC members, which were appointed by the City Council to oversee the preparation of the plan.  Those with this level of access may use the menu on the right side of the document to edit individual pages.

 

Editing a collaborative document involves a tremendous amount of trust amongst participants.  One editor has the ability to completely replace the writing of a previous editor, who can then come back and do likewise (previous versions are always saved).  For participants to function as editors, the following rules must be observed:

• Treating your fellow community members respectfully is crucial for a creating a healthy collaborative environment.
• Don’t get into revert and edit battles. Discuss disagreements in the comments area. Ask and answer questions.  If there is a policy disagreement, that should be brought to the CPAC meeting.
• Remember that people are proud of the work they contribute to the plan. If you see good work, let that person know.
• Keep the tone of the discussion collaborative. If your work is being edited don’t be too sensitive. Discuss issues or concerns you may have in the “comment” section. Be open to another person’s point-of-view.
• This is a public space. Don't post anything you don't want the world to see.

If someone wants to have the ability to edit the document but is not a member of the CPAC, a request may be made to Charles Marohn at marohn@communitygrowth.net.  Editors will be asked to attend CPAC meetings where discussions on plan content and direction are ongoing.