Wikiing for the rest of us

 PART ONE: What is a wiki, anyway?

Welcome to the world of wikiing!

Many people are familiar with the concept, but to others its brand new – so let’s take it apart, piece by piece, get a firm grasp on what it is … and better yet, how to do it.

What is a wiki, anyway?

In the broadest possible terms, a wiki is a pool of shared knowledge in which a group of people participate. Everyone contributes what they know, and before long you have a repository of knowledge everyone can tap into.

Properly organized, this knowledge turns into an encyclopaedia … easy to access, fast to use, hugely informative, and of great benefit to the whole group.

How do I take part in a wiki?

You add your knowledge to the pool, and then let everyone you know in on the secret … that a fantastic resource is growing, and they too should become a part of it, help it to grow, and benefit from it.

So, how do I add to the wiki?

If the wiki were on paper, you’d add your sheets of printed information to a monstrous filing system, and then fill out the cardex (filing) cards which are kept in the library’s index cabinets…

Well, that’s one way of doing it! But in a world where it sometimes seems that everyone on the planet wants to access your information, the only way to dish up your pages is --

You guessed. Online. This means your information has to be uploaded. It also has to be sensibly organized, so that people can find what they want … and find it fast, so they don’t get bored and leave!

You mean I have to make webpages?!

No … and this is the best part of wikiing. The really good wikis are controlled by an “engine” which actually creates the pages for you. All you have to do is stuff your pages with your own content – and then index the pages.

This is the exact same thing you’d have to do in a wiki-on-paper (which we’d call a library). You’d take your materials in, put them on the shelves in the right place, and then make sure your file cards are correct, so people can find your info.

So, let the system – the “engine” make the pages for you. All you need to do is add the content and file yourself sensibly, so people can find you.

So endeth the first lesson!  This is the heart and soul of wikiing, in a nutshell. Shared information presented in a way everyone can find, and use. Now…

Let’s look at how you can add your own information to this particular wiki! Turn page...

Artwork for its own sake, to brighten up an otherwise drab-looking page.

(From Jade's Adventures in 3D)