Naming Schemes
When creating new objects on PBworks, whether they be workspaces, a network, a page, a file, or a folder, naming schemes should be descriptive, informative, and brief.
Workspace
When using a PBworks workspace, naming a workspace is one of the first steps towards getting started. Use a workspace name that describes the use of the workspace but isn't too long. For example "BWCT09.pbworks.com" is more memorable (and easier to type!) than "boundrywaterscanoetripsummer2009.pbworks.com". Try using acronyms if possible - more detail can be provided with the workspace title and description.
Network
When using the PBworks Project Edition, an important consideration is the network name. While most users will use the Network to navigate directly to network workspaces, some users will want to go directly to the workspace URL. The structure for networked workspaces URL's is NETWORKNAME-WORKSPACENAME.pbworks.com. It's a good idea to keep the network name as short as possible (network names have a minimum of 4 characters) to keep direct navigation simple.
Files
Files can quickly get out of control and become hard to find. Use folders to organize workspace files and then give files relevant names to be quickly found once again. Try not to upload files with generic names like Photo1.jpg, because they can be easily replaced by another user uploading that same file name. Unique, identifiable names will ensure success on document collaboration.
Pages
Much like files, pages can also quickly get out of control. A workspace being used for meeting agendas could have a folder called "Meeting Notes". Each page would have its own page; "Meeting Notes 06092009", "Meeting Notes 06102009", etc. Users will be able to see at a glance what this page is about and when the meeting took place.
Folders
As mentioned above, folders can be used to organize the pages and files on your workspace. Keep them neat and small in order to make searching for information easy on users. The user manual "Screenshots" folder is unwieldy at 200 files, so it can be broken into multiple folders - "Screenshots-PBworks Account", "Screenshots-Editing", etc. By keeping the high level topic (Screenshots) at the front of the folder name, the folders will be easily organized and searchable in the Pages & Files Interface.
Creating new workspaces
Users of our Campus and Project editions have the ability to create multiple upgraded workspaces under their premium accounts. Free users can also create multiple basic-level workspaces - so using multiple workspaces to organize projects, plan events, or share information with different groups of users is a great way to work.
For Project Edition
Project edition users should create new workspaces for each project they take on. This allows you to add outside guest users to collaborate, without revealing any other projects to those users.
For Campus Edition
Campus edition users should give each classroom or student group their own workspace. This gives the teacher or other administrator control over who has access to content, and it also makes it very easy to set page and folder level security within a workspace.
For Free Users
Use different workspaces to organize different aspects of your life, and the people that belong to it! Have a book club workspace, a household chores list workspace, and a personal goals workspace. Add different groups of users to the different workspaces, and manage access to them all through my.pbworks.com.
Adding new pages
Long pages can be tedious - users will need to scroll and scroll to get to the bottom of a page and leave a comment. Content-rich pages can also take a long time for your Internet browser to load. Instead, structure a workspace much like this user manual - use the FrontPage as an index, and slowly branch your information out into topics and sub-topics. Your users will be able to more easily find content.
Comments
Comments have a limit of 2,000 characters, so if you find your users regularly want to write longer comments, encourage them to create a separate workspace page. This will allow them to write as much as they want, supplement it with pictures and links, and allow other users to comment on the page.
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