Information current as of October 2009

(words to be hyperlinked are in plum and the links are in parentheses next to those words – all yellow highlighted text to be deleted before going live online)

Wikis

Wikipedia ()

Wikispaces ()

Knol (Google) ()

(Franji, when you lay this out online, put the following in a sidebar)

At a glance…

  • A wiki is a collection of interlinked web pages edited by multiple users.
  • Wikis have a variety of uses, but they are frequently used as encyclopedias.
  • Wikis exist for virtually every subject possible.
  • Wikipedia is by far the most popular publicly-available wiki.

What is it?

Wikis are websites that are essentially simple databases. They house a collection of interlinked web pages that can serve a variety of purposes, including a workplace forum, a corporate intranet, or an information storage system. Most wikis are good examples of online encyclopedias, where multiple users collaborate on the creation, editing, and maintenance of information. They are for the most part light on graphics and each is usually dedicated to only one purpose. For example, a simple web search can uncover a Star Wars wiki or a baseball wiki.

Creating and Contributing

A wiki in its purest form is a collaborative community. Each user who registers will be able to edit and add to the information collection at will. As you can imagine, this process leaves wikis open to abuse.

Wikipedia, the most popular wiki on the Internet, recently created controversy by enacting a new policy allowing only experienced volunteers to approve changes to articles about living people.

This decision dismayed some purists by dissolving the equality all the members previously had, but will likely improve the quality of information. Some critics of wikis contend that it is too easy to obtain false information. However, popular wikis have a self-policing method of combating vandalism: active users monitor subject areas they are interested in and guard against bad editing and malicious mischief. Wikis are not a perfect representation of accuracy, but they may not be as inaccurate as one would assume.

Contribution rules vary from wiki to wiki. Wikis can be open to public viewing and editing, open for viewing only, or privately viewed by a select group of people. Web users can create their own wikis at a variety of websites, but they will be owned by the wiki provider. If the wiki platform dies, all the information will disappear with it. Alternatively, users can acquire software and have full control over every aspect of their wiki, but the costs to host the wiki must come out of their own resources.

Usefulness

Convenience. Keeping track of many difference pieces of information is a challenge. Acronyms, groups, committees, programs, agencies, and people can all be cataloged in a wiki––a collaborative, comprehensive record that can be accessed at any time.

Internal collaboration. Wikis put the power of teamwork into digital form. Paper drafts require editing through chains, but wikis can be accessed by every team member simultaneously. Answers to questions that previously required email forwards and games of phone tag can be posted in the wiki and saved for future reference. The one-time job of creating a wiki entry prevents others from completing the same task over and over.

External accessibility. Wikis are attractive, user-friendly alternatives to enormous collections of web pages. Wikis could replace large sections of a website, possibly incorporating contact information, biographies, and health information into one place. The sky is the limit because the organization and design of wikis are at the whim of their authors.

Groups can use wikis for a variety of purposes, including as:

  • An employee manual for internal use.
  • A collection of informative articles for public use.
  • Sets of collaboratively-authored documents associated with a particular project.
  • A simple “website” for those who don’t have one but need to make information accessible by the public.

Notables

Wikipedia(

Wikipedia is the most popular wiki on the Internet. It supports nearly 250 active languages and has more than 3 million entries covering some of the most notable persons, places, and things on the planet. Wikipedia is used by people from all walks of life for professional reports, newspaper articles, and homework assignments.

In addition to its encyclopedia services, Wikipedia offers other tools in wiki form to users and visitors alike, including “Wiktionary,” a free dictionary; Wikinews, a database of submitted news materials; Wikibook, a source for wiki-styled reference books (cookbooks, textbooks, etc.); and Wikipedia Commons, a source for free media (photos, sound files, etc.)

Wikipedia has historically emphasized an “everyone is included” community, stating that anyone –– registered or not –– can edit articles. Other than changes to so-called “protected” pages that have been identified as prime targets for vandalism, edits to articles are immediate and can be accepted or rejected by other users. While users who surf anonymously can read and edit pages in the same way that registered users can, registering for an account grants certain benefits, including customizing how the website appears to you, the ability to use special editing tools, and the option to send email to other users. Registered users can also maintain a “watchlist” of entries that interest them and monitor them for changes to the content or new discussions on the entries’ “discussion” pages.

Each entry is modeled like one in a paper encyclopedia, although littered throughout the article there are hyperlinkslink to glossary.doc> that point to other related information. Sidebars may house quick reference information, and some entries may have audio files and additional photographs available for viewing and download.

Facts that are attributed to outside sources are closed by an endnote hyperlink with a number enclosed in brackets. Clicking on the number will take you to the endnotes list at the bottom of each article, where readers can follow the links and examine the sources themselves. These sources are from a variety of media types, including books, films, articles, and other outside-of-Wikipedia web pages.

Each Wikipedia entry has a public face and a technical face. Behind every entry page there are the following links:

The “discussion” page is a forumlink to glossary.doc> where the page’s editors collaborate on display strategies, what changes to accept or reject, and disputes over content and research. The following is an example of the back-and-forth that has occurred behind the scenes on the site’s “H1N1” entry:

The “view source” page lets you see the coding behind the page’s presentation and the history page is a chronological record of updates to the page and the users attached to them. There are millions of pages and thousands of editors. Each page truly does have its own culture and group of collaborators. Editing different Wikipedia pages can be a unique experience in diplomacy, problem solving, and negotiation. The reward for your efforts is a polished, accurate page that can convey information to the public.

Wikipedia has established help files to assist new users in learning the editing language used and its protocol for creating your first page ( Unlike other social media websites, getting integrated into Wikipedia culture is time-consuming. There is a learning curve to understanding the community rules and acclimating to Wikipedia’s computer language that is used for editing articles.

The following are some simple rules to remember when creating your first Wikipedia page:

  • Don’t start creating and editing without doing some research. Browse some other entries to pick up on the styles and expectation of Wikipedia and its users.
  • Don’t assume copying and pasting text is acceptable. Entries are deleted if they don’t cite sources.
  • Don’t self-advertise. Entries are meant to be informational and somewhat noteworthy to be considered eligible to remain in the collection. Instead, build your organization’s reputation by editingor contributing to relevant articles.

Wikispaces(

Wikipedia and other popular wiki sites are owned and run by businesses. Even if you contribute to and edit entries, those businesses effectively own your work and can use it for whatever they wish. Sometimes, these wikis can no longer keep running and shut down, wiping away a lot of effort and research. Wiki hosting services offer their products to those preferring more control over their wiki activities or their own environment in which they can cultivate a large collection of information.

Wikispaces is one of the leading wiki hosting services <link to glossary.doc>. Wiki hosting services offer you a stand-alone wiki environment that you can customize as you wish –– usually hosted on the company’s servers but it’s possible to host it on your own. Different pricing levels provide different options. There are plans for every budget, although free accounts will be lacking controls that most administrators would like to have. Wikispaces hosts your wiki on their servers by default, so there’s no need to worry about having the proper technology.

The following image is an example of a free profile one 4-H group created on Wikispaces:

The format is similar to that of Wikipedia –– complete with side navigation and subpages that record discussions, changes, and a page with options for being notified by email and RSS feedlink to glossary of updates to the wiki. A new member who chooses a free account can choose whether to create a wiki right away or after the new account is confirmed. New wiki owners can set varying levels of privacy, but total privacy requires a paid account.

The first choice a new member makes is what the domain namelink to glossary for his new wiki will be and what the security level will be. For a wiki designed to be available to the public, it is best to choose the second option: viewable by everyone by only able to be edited by wiki members.

The company offers free and paid accounts, but the free accounts are more limited in function and capacity. Selecting the “Private” permission option will only grant you 30 days of privacy before being billed. A good rule of thumb when starting a wiki is starting free. If circumstances bring about a need for more robust options and greater control, it is always possible to upgrade later.

A tutorial on getting started with a newly-created wiki is available by default immediately after creation. Spend some time reading the tutorial and any associated help files.

Knol (

Knol is Google’s entry into the world of wikis. Opened to the public in 2008, it originally focused on hosting articles on topics in the science and medical fields. Today, Knol has a wider variety of categories to choose from and a tidier, more visually dynamic design. Its interface supports eight languages, but allows users to write an article (called a “knol” in any language they wish.

Although Knol and Wikipedia share some characteristics, Knol is less an interlinked encyclopedia and more of a collection of articles, linked together by user profiles, category listings, ratings, and reviews.

Users can browse through specific categories, read through the most popular materials and authors, and randomly select from a list of new posts. Links to related articles appear on every page, and a record of the user’s stats and activity is available on their profile pages. All that is required to participate is a Google account. One Google account gives you access to every section of the Google network.

The primary difference between Knol and Wikipedia is Knol’s emphasis on social impact. Wikipedia seeks to create a uniform user experience: the page design is uniform, no self promotion is allowed, and discussion is buried on separate pages. Knol pushes the social aspect of knowledge management to the forefront. Page outlines look similar but the design of the article is up to the writer. Knol provides personal profiles (see illustration below) and effectively encourages self-promotion as experts are encouraged to display credentials to indicate their trustworthiness. Each article has a discussion section at the conclusion which lets readers indicate their approval or criticism.

Users can respond to articles they’ve read (see above illustration) and start discussions with other users.

If commenting isn’t enough, users can rate each article with a five-star system:

Knol is still in beta mode <link to glossary.doc>, so features currently offered will likely change or be modified in the future. Although not as wide in scope or as numerous in users as Wikipedia, Knol is regarded as the most serious threat to Wikipedia’s dominance of knowledge sharing on the Internet due to Google’s growing involvement and experimentation in all things related to Internet culture.

An organization could benefit from using Knol by increasing public exposure via their profile and by having another place to post articles they’ve written. This is an ideal site for health-related information, as the subject was originally one of the site’s only categories.

Time Requirements

The time necessary to create a page is determined by the subject matter and the attention to research and detail it demands. If your page is a static one that doesn’t require frequent updating, you won’t need to give an extraordinary amount of time. If your pages are popular and attract a certain audience, more time will be needed to update them, track discussion topics, and make changes. Try your hand at creating a few low-activity pages and gauge the time spent doing so and the time needed for maintenance. Slow, steady expansion is the goal.

The following are key characteristics of the three Wiki examples we’ve discussed:

Wikipedia is:

  • The largest and most well-known wiki on the Internet.
  • It has the most users and the most regulation.
  • There is a learning curve to editing and creating Wikipedia entries.

Wikispaces is:

  • A popular source for creating and/or hosting your own private or public wiki.
  • One of many such services offering free and paid plans.
  • As the wiki is yours, there are no regulations.

Knol is:

  • Google’s take on wikis: not quite traditional and more socially inclined.
  • Rules are more relaxed and emphasis is on self-promotion.
  • Still growing and considered a possible future rival to Wikipedia.

Best Practices:

  • Check your free wiki accounts and its articles/entries frequently to monitor activity.
  • Create articles and entries that are useful and informative.
  • Watch for user discussions and press release pages to be aware of trends and practices.
  • Write for an audience. Don’t rely on copying and pasting to create pages.
  • Don’t neglect your homework. Ensure every source you cite is a legitimate one.

Need

Wikis are incredibly effective tools for publishing and sharing information. Instead of surfing vast amounts of internet space to gather as much information as possible, a wiki page can incorporate many sources into one entry. Teams of users can combine to write entries, check for errors, and debate the merits of adding or subtracting from the established text.

Some organizations are very large –– serving many patrons and processing large amounts of information. In these cases, wikis would be invaluable tools to manage that information and display it to the public effectively. Other organizations may serve a smaller community or have no need to set up a wiki for external communication.

Determine what your group’s communication needs are to decide if wikis fit into that strategy. If wikis don’t fit into your outreach plans, they could still be useful as internal collaboration tools. If creating your own wiki is not feasible, consider joining one and help moderate and edit new entries. Or join several wikis and create new entries for programs, agencies, and people that users will find useful and informative.

Please see the wiki video tutoriallink to tutorial for detailed information on how to use this social media tool.