Wikis Eugene Bin, Katherine Dickson, Dev Doshi, Nick Ferla, Alexandra Lecompte

Introduction What is a Wiki? A wiki is a community-created website consisting of interlinked pages that have to do with the subject of the wiki. These pages are designed to be collaboratively editable by any member of the community. The interlinked structure of wikis allow users to start at any level of depth in a given topic and move among subtopics and parent topics with ease. Allows discussion of topics and modifications to ensure usable and appropriate content

Introduction (cont’d) How do Wikis work? Rely on the branching structure of categories. This method of indexing allows quick navigation via links or quick searching If a page is missing, it can be created and others users will modify and expand it. Flawed pages are flagged according to their specific flaw(s) and fixed by bots or moderators Priority is generally given to edits by reputable sources Sources must be cited to verify information

Examples of Wikis Individual online wikis are nodes in Wikiland The Wikimedia Foundation hosts many wikis Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Wikiquote, a collection of quotes Wiktionary, a free dictionary etc. WikiHow Allows users to post how-tos on nearly any topic Generally have a specific area of interest, but are virtually unlimited in scope within this area. Wikis in intranets meant to provide a knowledge base for the relevant user base. Generally have a smaller scope than online wikis

Technical Overview Wikis rely on relational databases to manage information Data is stored in tables and represented via their location in a table Often use ‘tags’ to link related topics For example, an article on cheese will be tagged as having to do with: dairy, food, etc. Store backlinks to easily display what pages link to a given page Allows the use of multiple languages for the same overall content

Technical Overview (cont’d) Wikis use a simplified markup language called wikitext in conjunction with HTML Creates a consistent look-and-feel Makes it easy for authors to add, edit, and link to other articles without worrying about technical details behind their input Can run as standalone applications or as an application server across multiple hardware platforms

Hypertext and the Beginnings of Wikis 1945: Vannevar Bush develops Memex, the first microfilm hypertext system 1972: Allen Newell (of CMU!) develops ZOG hypertext system, which grows into Donald McCracken and Robert Akscyn’s Knowledge Management System 1987: Apple HyperCard allows editing and linking between virtual cards 1995: Ward Cunningham installs his WikiWikiWeb on the internet “Wiki” comes from the Hawaiian “wiki,” or “quick”

Wikis and the WorldWideWeb 2000’s: Wikis begin to be used in business as collaborative software At first popular only among free software developers 2001: Wikipedia brings wikis to the attention of the general public 2004: Wikia (Wikicities) launches – free web hosting site for wikis Wiki sites and engines (softwares) grow exponentially post-2000

Positive Aspects of Wikis Public Large community of collaborators Opportunity to share large amounts of information Private Integration of wikis in enterprises Lower cost of publication

Positive Aspects of Wikis Education Improvement in Research Communication between different educational institutions Improvement of established teaching methods through collaboration

Criticisms Since the public can edit wikis, the systems can be easily tampered with Allowing anyone to edit content doesn’t mean everyone is well-meaning In larger wikis (those run by the Wikimedia Foundation), vandalism can go unnoticed for long periods of time Lars Aronsson, data systems specialist: “It sounds like offering free spray cans next to a grey concrete wall.”

Criticisms Accuracy of information Lack of authority Quality of writing frequently lower than in other publications Anonymity of editors Bias in the articles, despite attempts to keep an unbiased view

Opinions Opinions are more solid for younger students: - They heavily use Wikipedia for their works - Thus they take Wikipedia as a very useful and viable source Opinions for high school students: - Wikipedia for more high school students become a secondary source - Wikipedia still considered a good source

Opinions pt 2 People older than of high school age: - Discourage the use of Wikipedia due to its unreliable edited information *Opinions change as age increases because the older students can find better outside sources than younger students*