wikis basics, tools and strategies
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Wikis Basics, Tools and Strategies. Meredith Farkas October 22, 2006 Internet Librarian. What you will learn. What a wiki is What wikis are good for, what they’re not so good for How libraries and other groups are successfully using wikis How to get started with wikis - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
WikisBasics, Tools and StrategiesMeredith FarkasOctober 22, 2006Internet Librarian
What you will learn
What a wiki is What wikis are good for, what
they’re not so good for How libraries and other groups are
successfully using wikis How to get started with wikis Tips on developing a successful wiki
What is a wiki?
Content management system Allows people to collaboratively
develop a Web site without any tech-savvy
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 Wikis in the library! Still often
controlled access. Organizations jump on the wiki
bandwagon
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
Pages community members can add to or edit (example)
Discussion area for each page List of all of the changes made to a
particular page (version control) List of all changes made to all
pages.
Wiki Syntax
Ways to format text, change color, create links, create tables, etc.
Wikipedia editor’s guide Not difficult to learn, but different 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 (with database wikis) Many free and open-source wikis Flexible and extensible
Knowledge management (KM)
All organizations want to make the best use of organizational knowledge
Most are really bad at it Wiki is a great KM tool
Wiki = quick
No editing in Dreamweaver, no FTP-ing into the server.
No waiting for the Webmaster to update your page.
Different people can be responsible for different content areas
Collaboration
Wikis are a great way to get patrons/colleagues to participate in building a Web space Resource guides Conference Book reviews Area guides
You can learn a lot from your patrons and colleagues!
Why not wiki?
Too open (trust issues) Concerns about ownership of content Disorganized Vandalism and spam
Wikis aren't for everyone. If control is a major issue with the site you're developing, then a wiki may not be right for your project.
Wikis in Practice
How libraries can use wikis with their patrons
Community wiki Subject guide wiki Wiki as courseware Wiki as Web site Wiki for capitalizing on the
collective intelligence
Community wikis
RocWiki (Rochester, NY) Davis Wiki (Davis, CA) Arbor Wiki (Ann Arbor, MI) PGHWiki (Pittsburgh, PA)
Wikis that build community
ICANN Wiki Tax Almanac Mandriva Club
Subject guides
Ohio University Library’s Biz Wiki St. Joseph County Public Library Sub
ject Guides
Wiki as Website and courseware
University of South Carolina Aiken Library Web site
Bull Run Library Bemidji State University eRhetoric
course wiki
Capitalizing on the collective intelligence
Resource guides and book reviews ProductWiki wikiXbox360 Princeton Public Library’s
Book Lovers Wiki Wyoming Authors Wiki
How librarians can use wikis
Staff Intranet Collaborative document editing Collaboratively-developed manual Conference wikis Knowledgebase Planning space for conferences
Wiki as Intranet for info sharing
Most are behind the firewall or are password protected
SUNY Stonybrook Health Science Library Wiki
University of Connecticut Library Norwich University Library Public Se
rvices Wiki
Collaborative document editing
ZohoWriter Writely
You could even just use something like PBWiki!
Collaboratively-developed manual
Print manuals are really hard to update!
Antioch University New England Library Staff Training and Support Wiki
Conference wikis
ALA 2005 Chicago Wiki ALA 2006 New Orleans Wiki CIL 2006 Wiki IL 2006 Wiki Wikimania 2006
Wiki as professional knowledgebase
Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki
Library Instruction Wiki Qwiki: Quantum Physics Wiki The New PR Wiki
Planning space for conferences
Hard to plan a conference with people from all over the place.
HigherEd BlogCon BarCamp PodCon
Wiki Tips
How to develop and maintain a successful wiki
Wiki Tips: Software
Popular options for wiki hosted on your server MediaWiki PmWiki Twiki SocialText ($$$) XWiki Confluence ($$$)
Wiki Tips: Software (cont’d)
Popular Options for wikis hosted by the software company PBWiki WetPaint SeedWiki
If you want control, no ads, etc., host the wiki on your server.
If you don’t have server space, need the wiki for a small time-limited project, or are scared of maintaining a new tech, go with a hosted wiki.
Check out the WikiMatrix when thinking about which software to use
Choosing software: What to consider
Programming language Ease of installation Security Permissioning Spam prevention Ease of use Cost Version control
What to consider (cont’d)
Syntax Ability to hold discussions RSS Ability to change look Extensions Trajectory of development/support
of development
Wiki Tips: Seeding the wiki
No one wants to add to an empty wiki
Also, people often don’t know what to add
Add some content to the major categories before going live
Creating an organizational scheme will prevent orphan links and chaos
Wiki Tips: Documentation
Wikis need lots of info for novice users What is a wiki What can you do with this wiki How to edit the wiki FAQ Whom to contact for more help
Prepare for lots of questions! Wikipedia has lots of good documentation
for MediaWiki users
Wiki Tips: Content development
Do lots of marketing Blogs E-mail lists and forums Publications (write an article on wikis!)
Partner with groups/people related to your mission
Give the wiki a grassroots feel, make it welcoming.
Wiki Tips: Management
Security Should you require registration?
Dealing with spam Install spam-killing plugins or blacklists
Bad Behavior plugin rocks! Monitor the wiki several times a day
Get to know and love RSS Find lots of dedicated helpers!!!
How to deal with posts you don’t like
Guidelines Limit to on-topic posts Take a note from the Wikipedia’s
policies and guidelines Get a committed group of
volunteers to patrol a public wiki If you need to delete something -
use discussion area to explain why things were deleted.
Questions? Comments?
Meredith Farkasmgfarkas at gmail dot comhttp://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/AIM: librarianmer