Wiki
Wiki
Overview
A Wiki is a website that uses collaborative software to create and edit documents with multiple users and allows for interlinked web pages without the need to download special software. A single page in a wiki website is referred to as a "wiki page", while the entire collection of pages, which are usually connected by hyperlinks, is "the wiki". A wiki is basically a database of user organized blocks of text for creating, browsing, and searching through information.
Strengths
Wikis are a simple and quick tool that allows multiple users to have a collaborative workspace. Because everything is stored online in a coherent manner, you don't have to store and organize each document and email locally. Rather than attaching documents in emails, users include the link to the document's location in the community repository. This eliminates delays and network congestion associated with large emails. Much less storage is required and less time is spent storing and finding items. Versioning problems are also eliminated, and all content is available to any member with internet access.
Weaknesses
As with any online collaborative tool for which multiple users can edit the document, there is always the possibility of users adding incorrect information.
Examples
Wikis are used for collaboration on meeting notes, brainstorming, and a quick way to post information. The Intermountain West Joint Venture (http://iwjv.org) uses the Wiki site Backpack (http://backpackit.com/) to communicate internally. Wikipedia is probably the largest and most collaborative of Wikis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
Tutorials
For instructions to create a new wiki using Wikia, follow this link: http://www.wikia.com/wiki/Help:Start_a_new_Wikia
The following link offers learning resources and more information on wikis: http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Wikipedia
Further reading
WikiMatrix website for comparing wikis: http://www.wikimatrix.org/
Mader, Stewart (2007-12-10). Wikipatterns. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0470223626
Leuf, Bo (2001-04-13). The Wiki Way: Quick Collaboration on the Web. Addison-Wesley. ISBN 020171499X
This publication is dynamic in that it will continue to be improved, updated, and expanded over time. Suggestions for improving the content, organization, and scope of this publication are encouraged and can be contributed here (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NP3Y772).