What's a wiki and how can I use it?
What's a wiki?
A 'wiki' is a website which anyone can edit. It evolves entirely through contributions by its readers. No restrictions are placed on who can add their knowledge, and no limitations are imposed on the site’s growth.
A user will find the information that they’re looking for via a search engine, and will click from page to page, following the path that interests them. Where a wiki is different is that if you find a gap in the collective knowledge, and feel that you can help fill that gap, you can do so there and then.
Anyone can edit an article. If the content of the entry is false or malicious, someone else will come along a short while later, spot the inaccuracy, and roll the article back to the 'correct' one.
How can I use a wiki?
As these examples on the Wikispaces website show, if you'd like to share information, collaborate with friends or colleagues, or organise just about anything, you can use a wiki to help you.
Visit Wikispaces to set one up or find out more.
Ewan McIntosh, New Technologies Research Practitioner at LTS, talks about using wikis for learning and sharing in this Connected Magazine article.
Some wikis for you to explore
The best known and most populous wiki is Wikipedia - an encyclopedia created by its readers. Read the article about LTS on Wikipedia.
And LTS has developed ScotEdupedia, the encyclopaedia about Scottish education. Everyone involved in education in Scotland is encouraged to contrbute - so why not edit some information or add some of your own?
Isn't this system open to vandalism?
This freedom to modify content, which might initially appear to be an obvious weakness, is actually the wiki’s great strength. Lowering the barriers to contribution ensures the widest possible level of participation. Vandalism does take place, and inaccuracies (however well intentioned) are introduced, but the wider community can (and does) act swiftly to put things right. All successive iterations of a page are stored, so any modification can be easily undone.
Read more about writing style and language
Learn how to write effectively for the web. Includes information on using plain English and inclusive language.