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Why Use a Wiki?by Joan Vinall-Cox, PhDJNthWEBmark.jpg
email me at joanvc@jnthweb.ca

Does your organization need -
  • web pages that can be created without technical expertise or HTML knowledge?
  • a place where people can find and/or contribute to agendas for upcoming meetings?
  • a screen where a number of contributors can create a document together, even if they are in different locations?
  • a site where inventory can be immediately updated from more than one location?
  • an easy-to-update organization FAQ page?
  • an online company-procedures manual which is easy to update?
  • an online training manual where the trainees can answer polls or quizzes, and can add material or ideas?
  • pages for organizations projects where progress and/or suggestions can be recorded?
or any other creative use of the web?

If your organization needs any of these,
you want a wiki!
What's a Wiki?
A wiki is a website. That's all. A space on the web with a web address, a URL, that is, a "Universal Resource Locator".

Sometimes a wiki is set up to collect information - another wiki member might add details or other sources or an anecdote. It all depends on how the wiki is structured. Here are some links with information on the uses of wikis:
The purpose of the wiki determines its appearance and its structure

  • Because it can be searched, it is an excellent repository for information, especially information that needs to be updated on a regular basis.
  • If a company wants to support and enhance training with a wiki, the social possibilities mean groups can take responsibility for certain topics or areas and keep them up-to-date.
  • Small contests can be set up to get people to work with the information or processes they are learning to implement.
  • A page can be set up for stories about when an innovation worked, or when it was problematic.

These are just a few of the ways wikis can be structured.

Who can see and edit a wiki?
The site administrator can control who sees the wiki and who can edit it. Wikis can be set up so there are no anonymous posters; everybody is identified. Wikis can be on the open web, or part of an intranet. Wikis can have members, and they can be limited to just seeing or allowed to see and edit the wiki. Usage statistics are available so those with access can see how the wiki is being used.

What makes a wiki special is that anyone can create content on it in a way similar to using a word-processor. You don't need to learn HTML code or have special technical knowledge. You do have to learn a few steps, but you can start creating with very basic knowledge.

Most of you know the most famous wiki, Wikipedia. You might have heard that there's a lot of controversy about it, and that's because of a wiki's most famous attribute; anyone can edit it! s mentioned before, wikis can do more than regular websites; they can be set up so
  • anybody can edit them,
  • or just a few specific people,
  • or even only one person.
The controversy about Wikipedia is based on the fact that anyone could edit it, and many people felt that meant it was untrustworthy. There are ways of protecting Wikipedia from mistaken or malicious entries, but that's another story. The point of your using a wiki is that anybody you designate will be able to edit it, and it will make collaborating easier.
Extra Information
This is background information that you don't need to check out, but you can.

Is Wikipedia Credible?

What Happens when there's a Malicious Editing of Wikipedia?


More Explanations of What a Wiki Is and Does Often you can find information about and help in using various web applications by searching using Google. Here are some online explanations and tutorials.
A Visual on Collaboration: Using Email vs. Using a Wiki external image 20080330-q65ddfscbty4j3erc7ac1g4te5.jpg
from http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2008/03/26/wiki-collaboration-leads-to-happiness


Wikis in Plain English
Why to use a wiki, explained in under four minutes, from Common Craft



A PowerPoint about Wikis
SlideShare | View | Upload your own

For more information about how your organization could use wikis, email Joan of JNthWEB Consulting at joan DOT vinallcox AT gmail.com





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