WikiThe Ultimate Tool for Online CollaborationMeredith FarkasSeptember 25, 2006ALA Headquarters

What you will learn

What a wiki is What wikis are good for, what

they’re not so good for How libraries, organizations and

conference organizers are successfully using 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 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

Why not wiki?

Too open (trust issues) Concerns about ownership of

content Disorganized Vandalism and spam

Wikis in Practice

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 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

Wiki as professional knowledgebase

Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki

Library Instruction Wiki Qwiki: Quantum Physics Wiki The New PR Wiki

Wikis for conference planning behind the scenes

HigherEd BlogCon Five Weeks to a Social Library BarCamp PodCon

For ALA

Wiki intranet for ALA (knowledgebase)

Wiki for planning specific events, conferences, etc.

Wikis for specific groups (Web design team, Distance Learning section of ACRL, American Libraries staff, etc.)

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

Wiki as Web site

Antioch University New England Library Staff Training and Support Wiki

University of South Carolina Aiken Library Web site

Bull Run Library St. Joseph County Public Library Sub

ject Guides

For ALA

Wiki Web site for certain divisions that don’t have enough Web design support

Wiki for pages that are updated frequently and get out-of-date quickly Example: PLA TechNotes

When you want to hear from your users…

Wikis are a great way to get patrons/clients to participate in building your Web space Resource guides Feedback spaces Book reviews Area guides

You can learn a lot from your members or clients, and they will feel like you care about what they think

Resource guides and book reviews

ProductWiki Ohio University Library’s Biz Wiki wikiXbox360 Princeton Public Library’s

Book Lovers Wiki Wyoming Authors Wiki

Area guides

RocWiki (Rochester, NY) Davis Wiki (Davis, CA) Arbor Wiki (Ann Arbor, MI) PGHWiki (Pittsburgh, PA)

For ALA

A Booklist book review wiki A RUSA Great Reference Resources

wiki A LITA wiki that collects reviews of

Integrated Library Systems, Link Resolvers, Federated Search software, etc.

Resource guides in any subject area Area guides for conferences

Wikis that build community

ICANN Wiki Tax Almanac Mandriva Club

Why not an ALA Wiki? With areas for each ALA event where people can share info. Also could include resource guides, info about ALA governance for members, etc.

Conference Wikis

Library Conference Wikis ALA 2005 Chicago Wiki ALA 2006 New Orleans Wiki CIL 2006 Wiki IL 2006 Wiki ASIS&T 2005 Wiki MLA 2005 Wiki

Conference Wiki Successes

ALA Chicago 2005 Wiki Wikimania 2006

What can we learn from them? Grassroots feel makes for a better-used

wiki Need dedicated wiki managers, but also

need dedicated wiki contributors

Conference wiki elements

Conference information Listing of all programs

Example: Wikimania Example: KM World and Intranets ‘05

Tips Calendar of events (official and

informal) Example: eBay DevCon

Information about local area

Conference wiki elements (cont’d)

Social elements Profiles

Example: Agile 2006, IL2006 Opportunity to ask questions of

speakers on wiki Attendee Blogs (off or on-site?) Conference tag (ALA07 or ALA2007) Forums Chat (on wiki or IRC)

Conference wiki elements (cont’d)

For during the conference Announcements area Speakers post their notes/slides Attendees and speakers can continue

discussions on the wiki Attendees post reports or link to

external blog posts Example: Yale A2K Conference Example: Agile 2006

Conference wiki elements (cont’d)

Post conference Get feedback from attendees about

conference Get feedback from attendees about

wiki Continued dialogue among attendees

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

Customizing MediaWiki

Extensions Calendar WYSIWYG Functionality (for those

running PHP5 or higher) – WYSIWYG will soon be in the MediaWiki release!!!

User blogs Permissioning Forums (from TaxAlmanac) and many more!

Customizing MediaWiki

Skins Security

Bad Behavior Plugin E-mail authentication before editing (if

you require people to register)

Wiki Tips: Seeding

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 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 Monitor the wiki several times a day

Dealing with trolls/flamers Deleting things that are inappropriate

vs. deleting things that you don’t like Find lots of dedicated helpers!!!

Questions? Comments?

Meredith Farkasmgfarkas at gmail dot comhttp://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/AIM: librarianmer