Wikis and Wikibooks
by Marla Kimmel
Historical Background
“This was a tiny little thing that I did and I could tell when I first did it that it just felt right.” (Kerner, 2006) This is a quote from Ward Cunningham, the innovative programmer credited with inventing the wiki. Little did Cunningham know that this “tiny little thing” would eventually become the foundation for Wikipedia, the collaborative Web encyclopedia with 7.8 million articles in 253 languages (Wikipedia, 2007). Nor could he have predicted that twelve years after he launched WikiWikiWeb (the first wiki website), his invention would produce an entirely new way for people to work collaboratively.
On March 25, 1995, Cunningham installed his newly developed wiki software on the Internet domain c2.com. The name WikiWikiWeb was inspired by the nickname of a shuttle bus line (“Wiki Wiki”) that runs between the terminals at the Honolulu International Airport. Wiki Wiki is a reduplication of the Hawaiian word for “fast.” The reason this is an appropriate name for this type of collaborative technology is that every visitor to a wiki can edit the site's content in “real-time.” Compared with editing static web pages using HTML and then uploading changes to the server, wikis are "wiki wiki" indeed.
Every wiki page has two versions, the one displayed to those who just want to read its content, and the one displayed to those who want to become editors of the page’s content. These versions can be referred to as “read” and “edit.” (Konieczny, 2007) The “read” version looks like a typical webpage, displaying text, images or other media. When an authorized user clicks on the “edit” button, a text editor appears, and the user is allowed to make changes to the content of the wiki. Saving these changes is typically done by clicking the “save” button. The changes to the “read” version appear immediately.
Wikis are built on the theory that “collective knowledge is more powerful and authoritative than individual knowledge.” (Rogoway, 2005). In this way, wikis run counter to the idea that the “professional” knows best. Instead, they assume that everyone knows something, and given the opportunity to share that knowledge—without restriction, without qualification—our knowledge base will increase. In fact, wikis have no special features that enhance collaborative writing; they simply get out of the way and allow it to happen. (Kerner, 2006) As it turns out, this is a fairly dramatic change from the status quo, where software is increasingly made less permissive, not more.
As it turns out, this permissiveness is both their greatest strength and their most profound weakness. Those who like wikis argue that they enable people who would not otherwise see themselves as contributors to contribute. Using wikis, people can offer insights from their own perspectives, without having to take responsibility for the entire project. Given the opportunity to contribute in this manner, without the pressure of having to know everything or have the best credentials, means that more people are going to feel empowered to participate.
Those who dislike wikis often argue that the absence of a parental control figure makes wikis fundamentally untrustworthy. (Lamb, 2004) Wikis lack any of the protection or review mechanisms that protect them from abuse by unprincipled users. In fact, a single user could fabricate anything and post it with fictional "sources" and the wiki would do nothing to stop them. This happened to John Seigenthaler, where a fictional biography of him in Wikipedia remained online for 132 days. (Seigenthaler, 2005)
One aspect of wikis that makes them so useful for collaborative work is their simplicity. In fact, one of Cunningham's best known quotes is the question, “What’s the simplest thing that could possibly work?” (Venners, 2003) The process of using a wiki reflects this philosophy: text is created and loaded on a webserver, individuals then access the page through ordinary web browsers, easily editing the page to make additions and corrections. Pages can be added or deleted effortlessly. Pictures and weblinks can be incorporated in a simple and intuitive manner. "Simplicity" is integral to the wiki experience: users need not know HTML and can easily change and add information using a text interface. (Kimmel, Cecil & Caballero, 2006)
Thanks largely to the growth and popularity of Wikipedia, this "wiki philosophy" has become an influential part of today's Web culture. In fact, it has led to new expectations for collaboration, and has even sparked debates about the trustworthiness of human beings. Ward Cunningham states, “I'll tell you what I find most interesting is that in the last year or two, people are starting to refer to the word wiki as a style of interaction or an expectation of responsibility more than referring to a particular Web technology. I think that's what I'm most proud of.” (Kerner, 2006)
Relevance to education
Educators and students have found wikis to be useful in increasing involvement and interest in the classroom subject (Educause, 2005). In the classroom, wikis have many potential applications. They offer students and teachers a user-friendly platform that is appropriate for class reference materials, lists of resources, group problem-solving, online texts and especially for collaborative projects. (Ferris & Wilder, 2006) While the wiki itself simply acts as a receptacle—holding whatever text or media its editors put into it—it also has many features that distinguish it for use in an educational setting:
Wikis are free for teachers. At a time when school budgets are being stretched to the limit, and free technological resources are increasingly scarce, sites like Wikispaces (http://wikispaces.com) and Peanut Butter Wiki (http://pbwiki.com) offer teachers access to free wiki pages for educational use. These wikis are accessed through ordinary web browsers, so they are not dependent upon a particular operating system or hardware configuration (Educause, 2005). Additionally, they can be read and edited from any computer with internet access, even “public access” computers at the local library.
The “read” version of a wiki is read like any other web site, so wikis can be used to create simple websites for a class (Mader, 2006). Wikis are especially good for this purpose, since they make it easy to add new pages to the site, and they require no knowledge of HTML syntax in order to edit the site’s content. Additionally, a web page created using a wiki more easily allows for mistakes to be corrected, and updates can be made without having to upload a new version of the page to the server.
As a knowledge management (KM) tool (Gonzalez-Reinhart, 2005), a wiki is an excellent way for a group to collect data on a specific subject. Using wikis for knowledge management essentially creates and organizes lists of available resources for a community. A wiki page can be made into a classroom database, with everyone contributing their knowledge on the subject. For example, chapter outlines, glossaries, bibliographies and links to helpful web sites can easily be compiled and annotated using a wiki.
The collaborative nature of wikis makes them a good choice for group problem-solving activities (Ferris & Wilder, 2006). Examples of this use of a wiki include: planning class outings and projects, taking notes on the best way to accomplish tasks, brainstorming, and contributing to classroom policies and procedures. This use for wikis is not limited to student problems, either, but is equally effective when used by teachers and administrators. The ease with which editors can change the content or offer solutions to problems facilitates the process, even for larger groups of participants.
The most common use of wikis in the classroom is as a platform for group projects (Ferris & Wilder, 2006). Using wikis for this purpose has a number of advantages over traditional methods of collaboration. First, with wikis, group members can participate asynchronously—each at their own pace—in many cases eliminating the need for organizational meetings. Second, any group member can easily correct mistakes or modify the content submitted by any other member, making revision an ongoing group activity. Third, students are able to include hyperlinks, images and other media directly into the wiki. This varies with the type of wiki used, but many wikis now have support for uploaded media. And fourth, wikis allow the teacher to give ongoing support and feedback to the group in the form of comments, or on a page reserved for this purpose.
Wikis can also be used for larger collaborative writing projects, namely, the group authoring of online texts. While this may seem like an enormous project, using a wiki simplifies it significantly. Because the wiki is in a constant state of revision, ideas from various editors can be incrementally assimilated into it. People with similar interests can seamlessly build upon each others’ works. Stub pages can be added for sections that have yet to be written. And when anyone visits the wiki, whether they are an editor or a reader, they are immediately presented with the most recent version of the text (Mader, 2006).
Teachers have the ability to control access to the “edit” versions of wikis via user authentication. In many wiki software packages, editing privileges can be issued on an individual basis, so that every student is not able to edit every wiki hosted for the class. In addition to avoiding the problem of having groups editing (or even vandalizing) one another’s work, this also allows teachers to track the contributions of the individual editors.
Additionally, each wiki page maintains its own revision history, tracking every change that was made to the wiki since its creation. By limiting access to wiki pages through user authentication, and by reviewing the revision history, both the teacher and the students can see what each editor has contributed to every project. This makes it impossible for students who do nothing to hide behind the work of their peers. This transparency also means that teachers can point out examples of excellent work on the wikis, thus making their expectations and assessments more concrete to the students.
Wikis can help students learn to collaborate effectively and practice social responsibility. Since all the editors of a wiki are collectively responsible for its content, and since every editor can change anything on the page, it is imperative that no group members abuse their privileges. If someone displays destructive or immature behavior, it falls upon the other group members to fix the problem and restore the content (Cannon-Brooks, 2006). And since user authentication and the stored revision history document every change on the wiki, group members will not be able to conceal any of their actions (Arreguin, 2004). By eliminating the option for participants to remain anonymous or deny responsibility, wikis give students a unique opportunity to maintain order or organize tasks within a social unit.
The examples above, by no means exhaust the potential of wikis in education. Wikis are a blank slate, and as such are limited primarily by the user’s imagination. However, there are projects that are well-suited to the wiki format, and others that are not. Generally, any project in which students are expected to produce some unique individualized expression, or where they expect to take full credit, individually, for the end result, is not a good use for a wiki. Wikis by their nature produce results that blur the lines separating the contributions of individual editors. The best choices for wiki projects are collaborative enterprises that allow editors to build upon each other’s work, and where the end result does not depend upon seeing the unique “fingerprint” of any contributor.
Glossary of Terms
The following terms are commonly used when discussing wikis, specifically Wikipedia (Wikipedia: Glossary, 2007).
Blanking - Removing all content from a page. Newcomers often do this accidentally. On the other hand, if blanking an article is done in bad faith, it is vandalism. {{Delete}} should be added to the blanked page to draw attention to it, rather than just blanking it. Newcomers often mistake blanking for deletion (Wikipedia: Glossary, 2007).
CamelCase - text without spaces and mixed capitalization (James, 2006).
Cleanup - The process of repairing articles that contain errors of grammar, are poorly formatted, or contain irrelevant material (Wikipedia: Glossary, 2007).
CMS - Stands for Content Management System, a software system designed to manage access to information. Content management systems are often used to manage content by multiple contributors (Content Management System, 2007).
Copyedit - A change to an article that only affects formatting, grammar, and other presentational aspects (Wikipedia: Glossary, 2007).
CSS - Stands for Cascading Style Sheets, a stylesheet language primarily used to define the output and appearance of webpages written in HTML (Cascading Style Sheets, 2007).
Edit Conflict - Appears if an edit is made to the page between when one opens it for editing and completes the edit. The later edit doesn't take effect, but the editor is prompted to merge their edit with the earlier one (Wikipedia: Glossary, 2007).
History - All previous versions of an article, from its creation to its current state. Also called page history (Wikipedia: Glossary, 2007).
HTML - Stands for Hypertext Markup Language, it is the primary markup language used in the creation of webpages (HTML, 2007).
Personal Wiki - Also called a "Desktop Wiki", a personal wiki is an application run on a desktop or mobile computer that links and organizes information in a wiki-like fashion (Personal Wiki, 2007)
Protected Page - This term indicates a page that cannot be edited except by administrators, or in some cases, established users (Wikipedia: Glossary, 2007).
Recent Changes - A dynamically generated page that lists all edits in descending chronological order (Wikipedia: Glossary, 2007).
Revert - An edit that reverses edits made by someone else, thus restoring the prior version (Wikipedia: Glossary, 2007).
Stub - A stub is a short, incomplete article in need of expansion (Wikijunior, 2007).
Tag - In addition to its usual HTML meanings, a tag can simply mean a category or a template that will assign an article to a category (most often a stub template). "To tag an article" means to either add a category or a stub template (Wikipedia: Glossary, 2007).
Troll - A user who incites or engages in disruptive behavior (trolling). There are some people who enjoy causing conflict, and there are those who make a hobby of it. However, these are few in number and one should always assume good faith in other editors (Wikipedia: Glossary, 2007).
Wiki Farm - A wiki farm is a server or group of servers that hosts wikis for users. Wiki farms provide the easiest option for those interested in creating a wiki (Schneider, 2006).
Wikibooks - A wiki designed for the creation of free content books. Formerly known as Wikimedia Free Textbook Project and Wikimedia-Textbooks (Wikibooks, 2007).
WikiWord - A CamelCase word that links to the page it names (James 2006).
Start-up Costs
As already mentioned, sites like Wikispaces (http://wikispaces.com) and Peanut Butter Wiki (http://pbwiki.com) offer free wiki services for teachers. Free services typically lack more advanced services, but may be adequate for many users. To gain access to additional services, a fee must be paid. The cost will vary, depending upon the provider, the desired services, and the amount of space needed. For example, the cost at Peanut Butter Wiki ranges from free for their basic service to almost $1,000 per year for their “Platinum” package. WikiSpaces, which also provides free basic service, similarly costs $1,000 per year for their “Private Label” service.
So far as wiki software is concerned, there are several free open source options available, including PMWiki, ErfurtWiki, MoinMoin and MediaWiki (the wiki software that powers Wikipedia), for those interested in hosting their own wikis. (Wiki software, 2007) This solution dramatically increases the amount of technical knowledge required to set up the wiki, but has the potential to eliminate most of the hosting costs. For example, even the $100/month service at Wikispaces is limited to 40 gigabytes of storage, but for less than $6/month, a wiki could be hosted at SiteGround, with 500 gigabytes of web space. An increasing number of host providers are providing wiki hosting options, including automated installation services. But services vary from provider to provider, and it may be the case that hosting a wiki would violate a provider’s terms of service agreement. Lastly, it might be the case that a wiki could be hosted on a school's server and cost nothing.
Other helpful links and information:
Great article listing pros and cons of various wiki hosting services:
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/ca6438167.html
Site providing comparisons of virtually every wiki option:
http://www.wikimatrix.org/
Key-players, gurus, experts
Ward Cunningham is credited with the creation of the wiki. While originally designed for computer programmers to use as a collaboration tool, the wiki is now used in all aspects of business and education.
Vicki A. Davis is a self-described “techie” and the author of Cool Cat Teacher Blog, a leading edublog. She started using wikis in 2005 and considers wikis to be the hub of her classroom. Her class wikis have won many awards and media recognition. She encourages her students to not only use the wikis, but to immerse themselves in all things Web 2.0.
Stewart Mader is a noted wiki/social software researcher, author, blogger and speaker and has worked with several universities and organizations to introduce wikis and increase wiki collaboration across teams, departments, and projects. In 2007 he created Wikipatterns.com, a community-built, wiki-based resource for people to share information and strategies for increasing wiki collaboration. In October 2006, he published Using Wiki in Education, which was developed and published using a wiki and was the first book to focus specifically on educational benefits of wikis.
South Africa is leading the way in establishing a curriculum wiki. They have stepped forward and begun to present their national high school curriculum on a wiki. This will virtually eliminate the expense of printed textbooks and will allow teachers to edit content immediately. The curriculum developers hope that teachers will add explanations and lesson plans to the wiki. The curriculum can be viewed at http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/South_African_Curriculum
The K12 Online Conference is for teachers, administrators and educators around the world interested in the use of Web 2.0 tools in classrooms and professional practice. This online conference provides both asynchronous events as well as live/synchronous events. The 2006 conference was an overwhelming success and provided educators with a wealth of information and ideas. The 2007 conference is expected to be even better.
Wikipedia is inarguably the largest and most referenced wiki in the world. The success of Wikipedia and its wealth of information has made the term "wiki" a household word.
Lesson Plans and Ideas
Wiki in a K-12 classroom - Wikis have different applications in the K-12 classroom; they are used for pedagogical, administrative and social goals. The following sites provide examples of the uses of wikis and links to popular wikis and readings about those uses.
http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Wiki_in_a_K-12_classroom
http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/wikiideas1.cfm
Wikis are being used in many educational settings to improve upon the traditional textbook. Following is a link to a wikibook that was created by graduate students at Old Dominion University. The section on Wiki Text Development and the Forward provide wonderful insights into the development of this program. This project could easily be adapted for middle school and high school students.
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Social_and_Cultural_Foundations_of_American_Education
Examples of educational wikis:
http://educationalwikis.wikispaces.com/Examples+of+educational+wikis
Tutorial
Creating the Wiki
At sites like Peanut Butter Wiki, creating a new wiki is as easy as giving it a name. When a user enters the site, they are invited to type the name of the wiki they want to make. Once that is done (and assuming the name is not duplicated on the system), the wiki is automatically created.
When creating a wiki, it is important to know who will have access to the wiki's "edit" version. This is done through user authentication. At Peanut Butter Wiki, a password is set to control user access. The wiki's creator then enters the email addresses of the authorized users of the wiki. Peanut Butter Wiki then sends invitations to these people, and gives them their login information. If no password is set to control access, then anyone who visits the wiki is authorized to edit its content.
Editing the Wiki
In order to use a wiki, there are three simple steps to remember:
1. Click on the "edit" button.
2. Make changes to the wiki page.
3. Click on the "save" button.
Most problems with wikis occur because users forget step number three.
When using wikis with a more advanced WYSIWYG editor, making changes to the wiki is similar to using a word processor to edit the page. While WYSIWYG editors are becoming standard, some wikis still format the content by using special characters inserted in the text. Consult the "help" section of your wiki to determine which type of editor it uses. In an educational setting, using a wiki with a WYSIWYG editor is strongly recommended.
Problems can occur if two users have the wiki editor open at the same time, so it is recommended that users make use of a text editor or word processor when typing longer blocks of text. Then that text can be cut and pasted into the wiki's editor. Users must always remember to reload the "view" version of the wiki after making any changes, to see that they were saved correctly.
Creating New Pages
When wikis were new, creating new pages was done by entering a "CamelCase" word. A CamelCase word is one which has a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters, so that the capital letters resemble the humps on a camel. "CamelCase," "PowerPoint," and "WikiWiki" are examples of CamelCase words. When one of these words was typed into the wiki's editor, a new page by that name was automatically created.
With WYSIWYG editors, creating new pages is even easier and more flexible than using CamelCase. By highlighting the word or words that will link to the new page, then clicking the “link” button at the top of the edit screen, a new page is created. The new page is given a name and the edits to the present page must be saved. Once this is done, clicking on the linked words on the present page will open the new page. The options for the new page are to use a blank document or to apply a template to the new page. Information is added to the new page in the same way that it was added to the other wiki pages.
Uploading Images or Videos to the Wiki
While different wiki hosting services have different features and ways to utilize those features, the procedure for uploading an image is similar, regardless of the service. While in edit mode, an icon to “insert images” can be found in the toolbar. Clicking that icon will open a dialog box, allowing the user to browse for an image. Once the image has been located, clicking on “OK” or “Save” will insert the image.
Uploading Videos to a wiki can be more of a challenge. In some wikis, it is as easy as clicking the “insert video” icon. However, in other wikis, it may require more complex instructions. Fortunately, nearly all wiki hosting services provide excellent tutorial services and FAQs pages. If inserting the video is not as easy as clicking an icon, reviewing the wiki's tutorial section or user's forum should give an adequate description of the process.
Checking the Wiki's Revision History
The wiki's revision history is one of the best features of the wiki. Every change that has been done to the wiki since its creation is automatically recorded and saved. To access this history, users should scan around the page for a link to the history. Sometimes it is at the bottom, but it can also be a tab at the top of the page, depending on the wiki service. Once the history is located, it displays the date of each change and the name of the person who makes the change. Often, there is an option that allows users to compare one history with another. If the wiki has been vandalized, it is possible to replace the current page with one taken from the history.
Closing the Wiki
Sometimes it will be necessary to "close" the wiki so its content can no longer be edited (for example, if a wiki assignment is due at a specific date and time). The creator of the wiki can do this simply by changing the password, thus "locking out" the users from the wiki editor. People will still be able to view the wiki's content as visitors, even after the wiki's password has been changed.
Other Helpful Links and Information:
How wikis work:
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/wiki.htm
A Wikipedia article that gives background and how-to information on wikis:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki
An excellent video tutorial introducing the wiki concept and basic features:
http://www.commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english
A list of links on practically everything about wikis:
http://www.shambles.net/pages/learning/ict/wiki/
Sources
Arreguin, C. (2004). Wikis. Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. Retrieved July 20, 2007, from http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/wikis/start.htm Cannon-Brooks, M. (2006, October 24). Forward. In S. Mader (Ed.),Using Wiki in Education. Retrieved July 20, 2007, from http://www.wikiineducation.com
Cascading Style Sheets. (2007, August 3). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 5, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cascading_Style_Sheets&oldid=148984401
Content management system. (2007, August 4). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 5, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Content_management_system&oldid=149213370
Educause (2005, July). 7 things you should know about… wikis. Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved July 20, 2007 from http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7004.pdf
Ferris, S., and H. Wilder. (2006, June/July). Uses and Potentials of Wikis in the Classroom. Innovate 2 (5). Retrieved July 20, 2007 from http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=258
Gonzalez-Reinhart, J. (2005, February). Wiki and the wiki way: Beyond a knowledge management solution. Retrieved July 20, 2007 from http://www.uhisrc.com/FTB/Wiki/wiki_way_brief%5B1%5D-Jennifer%2005.pdf
HTML. (2007, August 3). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 5, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=HTML&oldid=148948308
James, Heather (2006, September 1). Wiklossary: A simple concise glossary of wiki terms and practices, for the new wiki user. Retrieved August 4, 2007 from http://wiklossary.nearlythere.com/cgi-bin/wiki.cgi/Start
Kerner, S. M. (2006, December 8). Ward Cunningham, Wiki creator. Retrieved July 14, 2007, from http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3648131
Kimmel, M., Cecil, J. & Caballero, J. (2006). The wiki solution: Using wikis for asynchronous group work. Retrieved, July 15, 2007 from http://edtc6320.pbwiki.com/
Konieczny, P. (2007, January). Wikis and Wikipedia as a teaching tool. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 4 (1). Retrieved July 16, 2007 from http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_07/article02.htm
Lamb, B. (September/October 2004). Wide open spaces: Wikis, ready or not. EDUCAUSE Review, 39 (5), 36-48. Retrieved July 15, 2007 from http://www.educause.edu/pub/er/erm04/erm0452.asp
Mader, S., (2006, October 24). Ways to use wiki in education. Using Wiki in Education. Retrieved July 20, 2007 from http://www.wikiineducation.com
Personal wiki. (2007, August 4). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 5, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Personal_wiki&oldid=149169101
Rogoway, M. (2005, December 19). The Monday profile: The web’s wizard of working together. The Oregonian. Retrieved July 14, 2007 from http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1182281129304520.xml&coll=7
Seigenthaler, J. (2005, November 29). A false Wikipedia 'biography.' USA Today. Retrieved July 18, 2007 from http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-11-29-wikipedia-edit_x.htm
Schneider, D. (2006, May 26). Wiki - EduTech wiki. Retrieved August 5, 2007, from http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Wiki
South African Teachers, (2007). South African Curriculum The National Curriculum of South Africa. Retrieved August 3, 2007, from South African Curriculum Web site: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/South_African_Curriculum
Venners, B. (2003, October 20). Exploring the wiki: A conversation with Ward Cunningham, part 1. Artima Developer. Retrieved July 14, 2007 from
Wikibooks. (2007, July 12). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 5, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikibooks&oldid=144226732
Wikijunior (2007). Retrieved August 1, 2007 from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikijunior
Wikipedia. (2007, July 15). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved, July 16, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia&oldid=144800632
Wiki Software. (2007, July 20). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 21, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wiki_software&oldid=145802587
Comments (9)
Anonymous said
at 6:27 am on Jul 16, 2007
I never knew the connection of Wiki with the Hawaiian word for “fast.” It’s a good match. The theory you mention sounds like it would be empowering to people. I agree that everyone does have something to contribute to an area where they are somewhat experts through experience or knowledge.
When you mention the premise behind the wiki, I wonder if you should mention that it doesn’t take installing any special program - at least that I’m aware of so far in my experience. Prior to this class, I would have assumed that I would need to have something special installed in order to add to a wiki.
Anonymous said
at 7:53 pm on Jul 17, 2007
Wow I had know idea how long wiki technology has been around. It is interesting to find out where the word comes from and how it came about. I agree that wikis can be somewhat misleading if they are abused. Have there been any major abuse instances worth mentioning? You also might want to mention the ease of use with wikis and how easy they are to set up. How many free only wiki's are available now? Too many to count?
Anonymous said
at 11:44 am on Jul 18, 2007
Kelly, thanks for the good questions. I've included the Seigenthaler Wikipedia incident, but will likely not include other instances of vandalism by wiki users, mostly because the problem is not with wikis, but with people who have unrealistic expectations for them. Avoiding using a wiki because it has the potential to be abused is like avoiding buying a wooden home because there is the potential for an arsonist to set it on fire. In my opinion, if the latter idea seems ridiculous, then the former should, as well.
Anonymous said
at 6:29 pm on Jul 18, 2007
You are allowed to add your opinion to these pages - indicating that you are the "speaker" - and I think your philosophy and analogy would be valuable insight for those against big bad wikis and those investigating wikis and looking for pro-arguments in support of their interest.
Anonymous said
at 9:23 am on Jul 31, 2007
All the information is very good and new to me. I did not know how long wikis have been around. This is the first time hear and learn about wikis. Your information has been real helpful to me.
Anonymous said
at 1:53 pm on Jul 31, 2007
Great information. There are a couple of other terms I would like to see: source code or HTML. Also, is there a link or site that has helpful "How to use a wiki" tips? Or tips on formatting in a wiki environment? I know that has been one of my frustrations.
Anonymous said
at 7:36 pm on Aug 3, 2007
I added the South African curriculum wiki to the key-players area, but am not sure that is where it belongs. I was seeing them as a leader in that they are one of the first to do this.
Anonymous said
at 3:52 pm on Aug 5, 2007
Your wiki on wikis has really great information. I am new to Wikis and after looking over what you have posted I feel much more informed. I loved the video tutorial.
Anonymous said
at 7:11 pm on Aug 9, 2007
Wiki sounds really weird when you start to see a lot. I bet the Ewoks had Ewikis in Return of the Jedi. What great information. You have helped me to decide to use wikis for my classes to share software tips and for my writing class. I think with the formatting issues, it is totally dependent on the browser. I have stuff that looks beautiful in Safari and Firefox but looks like poo in Internet Explorer. I don't know if there really is a solution to it.
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