In order to get started using wikis, we first need to understand what exactly a wiki is. In What is a Wiki?, I explain that a wiki is the simplest possible collaborative content management system. That's a really fancy way of saying that a wiki allows multiple people to work on the same document.
That is where the true power of wikis comes to bear. Because multiple people can work on the same document, the article becomes the sum of all of their knowledge. This turns wikis into an excellent source of information.
What Wikis Can Do For You
Now that we know what a wiki is, the question becomes why should anyone use them? What are the benefits?
The biggest and most obvious benefit is that wikis are a great source of free information. While not every wiki is free to use, most of the ones found on the web do not charge any money. And, because they are the collaborative work of many different people, they often contain a lot of good information. In many ways, the rise of the wiki has turned the Internet into an easy-to-use library of reference material.
Wiki topics range from general reference, like Wikipedia or Wiktionary, to very specific subjects, like the CookbookWiki or Fitness Wikia. So, whether you are in need of something like an encyclopedia or dictionary, or looking for specific information about a subject like cooking or sports or video games, you can find the information in a wiki.
And the best part is that you don't need to worry about late fees.
Finding the Right Wiki
The most popular wiki is Wikipedia. This online collaborative encyclopedia project is one of the most visited websites in the world. But Wikipedia is just one part to a bigger puzzle. The Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, also hosts several other reference sites like Wiktionary and Wikiquotes.
These reference sites are among the most useful websites in the world, but sometimes you need more information than is available in a general reference wiki. Just as you wouldn't look for information on the treatment of fleas for your dog by looking up dog in an encyclopedia, you won't find extremely specific information in a general reference wiki like Wikipedia.
This is where the individual wiki comes into play. Individual wikis, or wikis that cover a single subject, can go into much more detail than larger more general-oriented wikis. It's like looking up the treatment for fleas in a dog manual where you probably would find the information.
The difficult part is actually finding a wiki that covers the specific topic. The Comprehensive Guide to Wikis can help you find the wiki you are looking for, and if it comes up short, a wiki farm might help in the search.
Wiki Farms
A wiki farm is a host of wikis all gathered under the same website. Usually, they have a single login for all the wikis, and a global search facility. Among the most popular wiki farms are Wikia and Wetpaint. By using the global search on a wiki farm, you are able to scan through the different individual wikis to find the specific information you are interested in obtaining.
Wiki farms are also a great place to get started in wiki culture. Each wiki has its own community that can be divided into readers, writers, and editors. Everyone falls into at least one of these categories, and some people fall into all three categories. If you are interested in getting started writing for a wiki, a wiki farm is a great place to begin.
Wiki in the Workplace
Along with being a great source of information on the Internet, wikis are also making their way into the workplace. The business wiki can provide companies with many different advantages such as project documentation and global communication. Because of their collaborative nature, wikis can be used as a virtual meeting in the workplace.
In fact, IBM did that very thing in 2006 with a three-day meeting with over 100,000 people from more than 160 countries participating.
So, when thinking about how wikis can benefit us, we can also think about how wikis can benefit our company.