Wikis for System Builders

One of the latest buzzwords is Web 2.0, which refers to online tools that invite two-way participation. Web 2.0 technologies include blogs, social networking sites, and wikis. In this Recipe I'll look at wikis, and their potential for small businesses, either as online mini-encyclopedias or as project-coordination resources. I'll also show how system builders can create a wiki quickly and at virtually no cost. The only investment, other than your existing computer gear, is your time, which you should be able to bill to your clients.

A wiki (from the Hawaiian word for "quick") can be thought of as an online encyclopedia that is created through group collaboration. The central feature of a wiki is the grouping of Web pages under a single title—the wiki. On each page is a search function that can perform a text-string search on all pages in a particular wiki. There will also be an editing function that visitors can use to modify the page or add new pages. Plus, a facility to track changes or store previous versions of the page.

On a wiki, hyperlinks can be used to cross-reference pages. Typically, there is also a directory page listing all the pages in the wiki, and perhaps an indexing feature. There is usually a way to subscribe to a page to get e-mail or RSS notification of any changes made, so changes can't be made to your entries behind your back.

To quickly set up a wiki, there are scores of sites called wiki farms that you can use. Some are free. Others insert ads on the screen or limit a user's storage. Some support WYSIWYG editing, while others require knowledge of HTML. Still others have their own tagging system. A few support file attachments. Apparently, all of them let you upload graphics for use on a page. A few supply custom domain names. Some are in foreign languages.

You can set up a wiki to be public, private (that is, password-protected), or a hybrid that contains both public and protected pages. Many wiki farms have features that let the creator of a wiki restrict access and control editing privileges. The ultimate example is the Wiki Foundation's Wikipedia, which has more than 1.6 million entries in English alone. All are written by volunteers, and anyone with Web access (and who is not currently banned by the organization for disruptive posting) can create or edit an entry.

Large IT vendors have discovered wikis. Examples include Novell Cool Solutions, Microsoft's Channel9 Wiki, and the Adobe Labs Wiki. The vendors are devoting serious resources to these wikis. For example, most of these wiki sites have full-time moderators.

A TALE OF TWO WIKIS

Enterprise wikis typically fall into one of two types: encyclopedias and cocktail parties.

Encyclopedia wikis are publicly-accessible reference works. They cover the products and development projects of a sponsor. Examples of encyclopedias include wikis run by Novell, IBM, and Adobe.

Basically, encyclopedic wikis are elaborate, searchable FAQ files. They are compiled from contributions submitted by subject experts within an organization, and they are edited and formatted for consistency. In these cases, the wiki environment amounts to a simple, easily launched Web-based content-management system. Major topics may also have an attached discussion forum, but that's about the only nod to the Web 2.0 philosophy of mass participation.

Cocktail-party wikis, on the other hand, are intended to support a specific project, with scheduling and background information needed by the participants. In contrast to encyclopedias, these cocktail party-style wikis invite mass participation.

Some wikis combine the two approaches. For example, Microsoft runs a wiki that combines both corporate and external contributions. There is an etiquette guide spelling out unacceptable behavior, such as deleting other people's contributions. There is a gentle warning that violators can be identified by their IP address, which implies there is ongoing monitoring.