Wiki: The Ultimate ToolFor Online Collaboration

Meredith FarkasNovember 15, 2006Michigan Library Consortium

What you will learn

What a wiki is What wikis are good for, what

they’re not so good for How libraries are successfully using

wikis Tips on developing a successful wiki

What is a wiki?

Allows people to collaboratively develop a Web site without any tech-savvy (no HTML required!)

Like a content management system Wiki = quick (in Hawaiian) All community members can add to

or edit the work of others

Wiki background

Ward Cunningham and the Portland Pattern Repository

Wikipedia Conference wikis, fan wikis, wiki

knowledgebases

Wiki Structure

All wikis start off as a single blank page

Pages are created and connected by hyperlinks

No ownership of pages; anyone can change the work of others

Wiki components

Discussion area for each page

All changes made to the page

List of changes made to all pages

Wiki Syntax

Ways to format text, change color, create links, create tables, etc.

Not difficult to learn, but different Example: ALA New Orleans Wiki Differences for each wiki WYSIWYG is the future

Wikis vs. Blogs

No one owns content

No specific organization (hyperlinks)

Anyone can edit other people’s work

A person owns their post

Organized in reverse chron. order

Only author can edit their own work (others can comment)

Wikis vs. Blogs

Perpetual work in progress

Good for collaborative group work

Posts are permanent

Good for disseminating info/starting a dialogue

Why wiki?

Easy to use Web-based Anyone can make changes Findability Many free and open-source wikis Flexible and extensible

Why not wiki?

Too open (trust issues) Concerns about ownership of

content Disorganized Vandalism and spam

Wikis in Practice

How libraries can use wikis with their patrons

Community wiki Subject guide wiki Wiki as courseware Wiki as Web site

Community wiki

http://daviswiki.org/

Subject guide wiki

http://www.library.ohiou.edu/subjects/bizwiki/

Wiki as courseware

http://biro.bemidjistate.edu/~morgan/e-rhetoric/wiki.php

Wiki as Web site

http://library.usca.edu/Main/HomePage

How librarians can use wikis

Staff Intranet Collaborative document editing Collaboratively-developed manual Guidebook Knowledgebase Planning space for conferences

Staff Intranet

Collaborative document editing

http://www.zohowriter.com/

Collaboratively-developed manual

http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/antioch_university_new_england_library_staff_training_and_support_wiki/

Guidebook

http://il2006.pbwiki.com/

Knowledgebase

http://www.libsuccess.org/

Planning space for conferences

http://wikimania2006.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

Wiki Tips

How to develop and maintain a successful wiki

Wiki Tips: Software

Do you want your wiki hosted? Wiki Farms Easier if you don’t have a server or don’t

know what you’re doing Examples: PBWiki, WetPaint, WikiSpaces

Do you want to install the software on your own server? More software options this way More control Maintenance burden is on you Examples: MediaWiki, PmWiki, Twiki

Things to consider

Programming language Ease of installation Security

Permissioning Spam prevention

Ease of use Cost

Things to consider (cont’d)

Syntax Version control Ability to hold discussions RSS Ability to change look

For help choosing software, check out the Wiki Matrix (http://www.wikimatrix.org/).

Wiki management

Seeding the wiki Documentation Policies Marketing Dealing with spam

Questions?

Just ask!

E-mail me: mfarkas@norwich.eduAIM me: librarianmerVisit my site: meredith.wolfwater.com