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Suggest Edits

Module by: Mark Husband

Summary: Instructions for using the Suggest Edits function to recommend changes in a module and how to apply or reject those changes.

The Suggest Edit function in Connexions allows anyone with a Connexions account to suggest changes to the maintainers of a module. The maintainers are the persons whose names appear in the "Maintained By" line at the end of the module. Permission to change the content is not necessary because Suggest Edits only recommends the changes to the maintainers of the module. It does not actually change the content. And the person suggesting the changes does not have to know the maintainers. All the maintainers receive notice of the suggested edits and have the option to incorporate them into the content or to ignore them. This document describes how a Connexions user can suggest edits and what the maintainers' options are for dealing with those changes.
note: You cannot use Suggest Edit on modules on which you have the maintainer role. You already have the ability to edit this content.

Suggesting Edits to Maintainers

The Suggest Edits function is a form of collaboration. It allows you to participate in the content of a module. Your edits could be as simple as correcting a spelling error, adding a link, and changing a keyword, or they could be as substantial as the addition of new material to expand the the module topic.
To suggest edits for a module in connections, use the following steps:
  1. Check out the module into a workspace.
  2. Access the module in the module editor and make the necessary changes. These edits can be changes to the text, images, links, roles, or metadata.
  3. (Optional) Click the Changes link under the View heading in the "Status" sidebar to display a summary of your changes to the module.
  4. Click the Suggest Edit link under the "Actions" heading in the "Status" sidebar. The "Suggest Edits" screen appears.
  5. Type an explanation of your changes in the "Description of Edits" text box. This should be a general description and your reason for suggesting the changes. It will be forwarded to the maintainers.
  6. Click Send Edits. The "Manage Files" screen reappears with the message that the edits were submitted to the maintainers. They have the option to use or ignore your suggestions. When they act on the suggestion, they must enter a description of their action that will be available to you when you check the status of your submission.
If you try to publish the module after you have edited it, the "Publish module" page displays a note that you do not have permission to publish a new version of this module. The page lists two options available to you: Suggest your edits to the module's maintainers or Create a new module of your own based on this one. If you choose the "Suggest your changes" option, the same "Suggest Edits" screen in step 3 above appears. If you choose the "Create your own module" option, the Derive a Copy screen appears.

Accepting or Rejecting the Suggested Edits

The Suggest Edit function can be a tool for collecting changes and suggestions from many different sources for your content. No longer will content suggestions arrive in the form of a cryptic e-mail. You can view a summary of exactly what the changes are and where they go. When someone submits a suggested edit for one of your modules, you are notified the next time you log into Connexions. The Pending sidebar in the upper right of the Connexions home page displays a Suggested Edit link. You can view the changes from this link. Since these are suggested edits, you do have the option to use them or reject them.
SuggestEditPending.png
Figure 1: Pending Sidebar with one Suggested Edit

Reviewing Suggested Edits

To review the suggested edits for your content, use the following steps:
  1. Click the Suggested Edit link in the "Pending" sidebar. The "Suggested Edits" screen displays. This screen identifies all the current suggested edits for your modules and any suggested edits that you have submitted. For your modules, this screen lists who submitted the edit, the date and time, the submitter's message, and the status of the submission.
  2. Click View in the "Edit" column to review the suggested edit. A detail of the edits displays on the screen. This display contains the same information as the previous screen, plus the details of the changes to the files, metadata, roles, and links.
    SuggestedEditDetails.png
    Figure 2: Details of a suggested edit to a module
    The details identify any files in the module that were changed, removed, or added.
  3. Click the filename link to view the contents of the file. Any deleted lines are marked with a "-" on the left. Any new lines are marked with a "+" on the left. The lines of text that were changed are shown twice. The first line is marked with a "-" on the left and contains the original text. The second line is marked with a "+" on the left and contains the changes.
  4. Decide if you want to use the suggested edits or to ignore them. If you want to use the edits, go to Applying Suggested Edits. If you want to ignore the edits, go to Rejecting Suggested Edits.

Applying Suggested Edits

To apply the suggested edits to your content, use the following steps:
  1. Select the radio button for the workspace in which you want the changes applied. The Workspaces table lists the locations where the module already exists. You can select "Other" and specify a different workspace and Connexions will check out the module to that workspace.
  2. Click Apply In. The "Accept Suggested Edits" screen displays.
  3. Type a message about accepting the edits in the "Comments" text box and click Update. The submitter will see this message the next time he or she displays the "Suggested Edits" screen. The module edit screen displays a message that the suggested edits were applied.
  4. Publish the module.
note: You must publish the module to make the changes visible to all.

Rejecting Suggested Edits

To reject the suggested edits for your content, use the following steps:
  1. Click Reject. The "Reject Suggested Edits" screen displays.
  2. Type a message about rejecting the edits in the "Comments" text box and click Update. The submitter will see this message the next time he or she displays the "Suggested Edits" screen. The module edit screen displays a message that the suggested edits were rejected.

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