Wiki Wiki WHAT?

The following report is an evaluation of wiki technology, Wikipedia and if they would be useful to implement in our library.

WHAT ARE WIKIS?
The year 1995 marks the dawn of wikis. Simply defined, “wikis are an open source server application that allows users to add, modify and create content in real time that is then editable by any (and all) other users. Essentially it is an online collaborative document database designed to allow “open editing”’. The term “open editing” means that several users have the ability to edit the content; therefore, the content is dynamic. Wikis are a tool that promotes collaboration. A page is called a wiki and wikis are connected through hyperlinks to other pages.

WHAT IS WIKIPEDIA?
“Wikipedia is defined as collaborative websites whose content can be
edited by anyone who has access to it. Most famous of these, which calls itself Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit” Wikipedia, created in 2001, is multilingual (available in over 200 languages) and uses wiki technology. It is an open source database that allows each and every user to edit or create content. Wikipedia is used as an online encyclopedia. It has been praised and criticized for various reasons.

WHY PRAISE WIKIPEDIA?
- Creates community
- It is a humble resource and open to changes
- Free resource
- Has limited users to only editing content, not creating new articles

WHAT ARE VIEWED AS DOWNFALLS OF WIKIPEDIA?
-“Lack of Authenticity
-Low Quality of Writing
-Systemic Biases
-Tedious Battles of Persistence
-Flame Wars are Reinforced by Design”

WHY ARE WIKIS WONDERFUL?
-The content is easier to keep current due to the fact that multiple users can edit the subject matter.
-Cuts the cost and cuts time of having one webmaster to edit or change anything on a website
-By clicking on the “recent changes” button, one is able to see what has been freshly edited and possibly by whom
-Wikis are great for the not-so-technologically-savvy. Similar to blogs, the user/editor does not have to know HTML
-The wiki can have privacy setting so that only authorized users can edit the content
-Wikis are not in a “set” format. One is able to set up a wiki page/s in a way that would benefit the individual, the organization or the government.

WHY DOES WIKIPEDIA MAKE PEOPLE WONDER?
Wikipedia has been criticized and question in relation to: “usefulness as a reference, anti-elitism as a weakness, systemic bias in coverage, systemic bias in perspective, difficulty of fact checking, use of dubious sources, exposure to vandals, privacy concerns, quality concerns, flame wars, fanatics, special interests and censorship”

WHAT CAN WIKIS BE USED FOR IN A LIBRARY:
-Creating agendas collaboratively
-Work in partnership to build presentations
-To update the library’s web (wiki) page in timely manner
-To create community. For example, there could be a wiki page (hyperlinked to the main library page) set up without a privacy setting so that patrons could update community events.
-Create databases that can be easily manipulated and edited by authorized users

SHOULD THE LIBRARY USE WIKI TECHNOLOGY AND INCORPORATE WIKIPEDIA INTO OUR COLLECTION?
Wiki technology promotes team work and creativity. It is a technology that allows the workload of keeping content up-to-date to be spread across the board. Moreover, this technology promotes fair use of information. In our library, we would benefit greatly by creating a staff community through peer reviews. Additionally, the option to only let authorized users update and add content would eliminate the concern of vandalism, and due to the fact that we are all mature and qualified individuals, we would also eliminate apprehension to this technology due to possible flame wars and quality control. Furthermore, I suggest that the library add Wikipedia to our collection of online electronic records with a disclaimer that states, “Evaluation of facts and references is suggested”. The pros of wiki vastly outweigh the cons.
Due to the fact that I can only supply a limited evaluation of wiki and Wikipedia, I suggest that the readers of this evaluation check out the useful and informative links below.


For more information:
How to start a wiki

Wiki resource for librarians

New user questions

Wikipedia in the news around the world:
New Zealand
Great Britain
Businessweek