Wikis09_Text_Version

** The Wonderful World of Wikis ** ** What is a Wiki? ** A Wiki:  When using a Wiki, documents can be shared and collaborated on without special software or training. Members can browse and modify a wiki using a web browser, making it very easy to add, modify or delete material.
 *  is a web page or website
 *  is a collection of web pages interconnected with each other through internal links
 * can be viewed by anybody with a web browser and access to the internet
 * is a flexible tool to develop content-specific web sites
 * is a database created by a group
 * is easy to use

** The History of Wikis ** The first wiki was created in 1995 by Ward Cunningham to allow scientists and engineers to create dynamic knowledge bases. ( [|How Stuff Works] ). The word ‘wiki’ originated from the Hawaiian word wiki or wiki-wiki which means ‘quick’. ( [|Educause - All about wikis] )

** Advantages of Wikis: **  Wikis are a tool that allow people to collaborate and share their knowledge. The ability to share information results in synergy that could not be achieved using a paper based format. People can work on the same Wiki page, or have their own pages that can be linked to each other or to a home page. Using an online environment makes accessing and recording information accessible to anyone, anywhere at anytime in the world at anytime. You will have experienced this for yourself in Task 8 and will appreciate that using a wiki has many advantages over alternatives such as e-mail.
 * the wiki lives on the web
 * it can be accessed and edited at any time and any place where there is an internet connection
 * the editing of a Wiki can be controlled by its organiser and can be restricted to Wiki members or anyone who views the Wiki
 * Wikis are free to use and educators can get a free Wiki that doesn't have any advertising
 * a wide range of different media can be embedded into the Wiki

Wikis allow content such as videos, podcasts, images, sound files, blogs and glogs to be embedded making very them content rich. Because wikis can be joined by anyone it is possible to involve people from the local community or from others parts of New Zealand or the world gaining access to a wide-range of expertise and knowledge sharing.

Many Wiki hosting sites offer a range of templates that can give your page a very professional look without having to know how to write any code or be a web designer. Having chosen a template, the Wiki can then be future customised to include your own colour scheme, logos and there is the choice of using the default navigation system or creating your own customised navigation.

As well has having your own wiki, you can also become a member of other Wikis and receive RSS feeds on what is happening. Within your own Wiki, you can also monitor each page and receive e-mail updates of all changes and review the history of each page.

** The following diagram illustrates how easy it is to use a Wiki: ** ** Important tips when using a Wiki: ** · keep an index · keep it messy, but not too messy · don’t be scared to use synonyms · make context-dependent notes · always back-up · never upgrade wiki software halfway through your project.

** Source ** : [|O'Reilly]

** Educational links: ** · [|Wikis in plain English]

** External links with information on wikis: ** 
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">[|Educause: 7 Things You Should Know About Wikis]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">[|How Stuff Works: Wiki]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">[|Oreilly net: What is a wiki]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">[|Wikipedia: History of wikis]