WIKIS

Create, edit, and revise documents collaboratively

Reduce inbox clutter and simplify document archiving
Promote collaboration and information sharing

A wiki is a website that allows multiple authors to add, remove,

and edit content. This collaborative feature makes wikis highly
effective for document creation and editing.

For example, a strategic plan could be posted on a divisional

workgroup’s wiki. The members of this division can add & edit
content of the strategic plan without having to send a mass of e-
mails back and forth, without having to track changes between
documents, and without having to back up different versions of the document.

To simplify the editing process, most wikis have a revision history that saves a new version
each time content is changed. You can also compare different versions and the wiki
software will highlight the differences for you to see. Moderators can also be alerted each
time modifications are made, verifying the validity of content changes before they are
made.

To learn more about wikis, view the video at http://commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-

english or check out the FAQ sections of the sites below.

Potential City Uses:

• Internal policy development

• Public consultation on white papers
• Knowledge sharing and management

Wiki Examples:

Wikipedia http://www.wikipedia.org/
New Zealand Digital Strategy http://wiki.digitalstrategy.govt.nz
Future Melbourne http://www.futuremelbourne.com.au

Popular Wiki tools:

http://www.mediawiki.org http://www.screwturn.eu

http://www.socialtext.com

Note: Some of the tools & links discussed in these fact sheets are not accessible through the City’s network.
However, we encourage you to explore these tools on your personal time to learn more about each topic area.

Part of the Web 2.0 Fact Sheet Series – supporting the Web 2.0 Seminars

web2.0seminars@ottawa.ca | 2008