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| knowledge sharing – the wiki |
knowledge sharing – the wiki
Howard G. “Ward” Cunningham, pioneer of the wiki, began programming the WikiWikiWeb software in 1994 and installed it on the web site of his software consultancy in 1995. Back then he described a wiki as “The simplest online database that could possibly work.” 13 years later this is probably still the most accurate description.
Howard G. “Ward” Cunningham, pioneer of the wiki, began programming the WikiWikiWeb software in 1994 and installed it on the web site of his software consultancy in 1995. Back then he described a wiki as “The simplest online database that could possibly work.” 13 years later this is probably still the most accurate description.
Essentially, a wiki is a piece of software which users can create and edit online, using simple mark-up language via a web browser. They support hyperlinks and have a simple text syntax for creating new pages and links between internal pages. In its most basic form, a wiki is a web site that supports user collaboration through a variety of functions.
There are numerous types of wiki software available that share the following characteristics:
Create and update documents: Wiki users have the ability to create and update documents easily.
Review versions: Most wikis store each version of a document. This functionality makes it easy for users to view the various modifications that a document has undergone over time.
Community-oriented tools: Most wikis provide users with an ability to engage in some form of discussion about the documents on which they are collaborating.
Wikis can be open to all, such as Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) and Wikitravel (www.wikitravel.org); they can be open to or aimed at certain communities only, such as Geek Dinner attendees (geekdinner.pbwiki.com); or they can be private and open only to individuals within an organisation. Internal wikis are exceptionally useful for creating knowledge bases within organisations and companies.
There are numerous types of wiki software available that share the following characteristics:
Create and update documents: Wiki users have the ability to create and update documents easily.
Review versions: Most wikis store each version of a document. This functionality makes it easy for users to view the various modifications that a document has undergone over time.
Community-oriented tools: Most wikis provide users with an ability to engage in some form of discussion about the documents on which they are collaborating.
Wikis can be open to all, such as Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) and Wikitravel (www.wikitravel.org); they can be open to or aimed at certain communities only, such as Geek Dinner attendees (geekdinner.pbwiki.com); or they can be private and open only to individuals within an organisation. Internal wikis are exceptionally useful for creating knowledge bases within organisations and companies.
Wikipedia: the most famous wiki of all
Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) is a free, web-based, content encyclopaedia that is rated one of the top ten visited sites in the world. Originally created in 2001 by James Wales and Larry Sanger, this online encyclopaedia has received both praise and criticism. Roughly 15 times the size of Encyclopaedia Britannica, with more than 9 million articles in over 250 languages, this encyclopaedia is increasing in size at an exponential level (Wikipedia: About). However, with the increased adoption of this tool, criticism has also increased as to the validity of the definitions.
All definitions seen on Wikipedia are written by a collaborative team of volunteers from around the world. Anyone can submit a definition and these can then be edited by anyone who has access to the Internet. This combination of contributors leads to a democratic way of including the most up to date information. Since definitions are reviewed frequently, it should decrease the amount of bias and inaccuracy, while building a unique social network with people of similar interests contributing.
All Wikipedia definitions should also be referenced externally. Although anyone can contribute to Wikipedia, there is a permission ranking system which has been instituted to maintain the level of credibility that is associated with Wikipedia. Further measures include a discussion tab on most articles where academics can question the validity of the sources and its content.
Wikipedia articles tend to rank highly in the SERPs, so the allure of a link to your web site from a relevant article is tempting indeed. Wikipedia has instituted a policy that all external links are “no follow” links so as to combat spam.
Wikipedia is a useful research tool. With so much information on the Internet, many users are starting to look at a human edited (as opposed to search engine algorithm distilled) way to embark on research. For a company to be reachable via a link from this research base can very traffic and reputation worthy.
Companies should also take note of what is being written about them on Wikipedia, and make transparent efforts to correct information.
Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) is a free, web-based, content encyclopaedia that is rated one of the top ten visited sites in the world. Originally created in 2001 by James Wales and Larry Sanger, this online encyclopaedia has received both praise and criticism. Roughly 15 times the size of Encyclopaedia Britannica, with more than 9 million articles in over 250 languages, this encyclopaedia is increasing in size at an exponential level (Wikipedia: About). However, with the increased adoption of this tool, criticism has also increased as to the validity of the definitions.
All definitions seen on Wikipedia are written by a collaborative team of volunteers from around the world. Anyone can submit a definition and these can then be edited by anyone who has access to the Internet. This combination of contributors leads to a democratic way of including the most up to date information. Since definitions are reviewed frequently, it should decrease the amount of bias and inaccuracy, while building a unique social network with people of similar interests contributing.
All Wikipedia definitions should also be referenced externally. Although anyone can contribute to Wikipedia, there is a permission ranking system which has been instituted to maintain the level of credibility that is associated with Wikipedia. Further measures include a discussion tab on most articles where academics can question the validity of the sources and its content.
Wikipedia articles tend to rank highly in the SERPs, so the allure of a link to your web site from a relevant article is tempting indeed. Wikipedia has instituted a policy that all external links are “no follow” links so as to combat spam.
Wikipedia is a useful research tool. With so much information on the Internet, many users are starting to look at a human edited (as opposed to search engine algorithm distilled) way to embark on research. For a company to be reachable via a link from this research base can very traffic and reputation worthy.
Companies should also take note of what is being written about them on Wikipedia, and make transparent efforts to correct information.
