Wikis

The popularity of wikis has grown enormously as more and more users realize the great potential of Wikis to bring people together and get them to communicate. The most famous wiki of all, Wikipedia, is not the only wiki, but just one site that is harnessing wiki software in a large way. Wikis are actually software applications accessible online that allow multiple users to read articles about specific topics. The wiki also allows users to change and edit those articles, assuming they are given permission to do so. In Wikipedia, nearly everyone has permission to edit articles.

So what makes wikis so popular? First, they are fairly simple to set up and maintain. Second, they provide a very simple way to put information online that is easy to read, searchable, and fun for the user. Small or not-for-profit software companies will use wikis to put documentation online, such as articles that explain how the software works and how to fix potential problems. When multiple users of the software get together on a single wiki, they eventually produce many, useful articles that anyone can access and benefit from.

The current problem is that nobody has been able to figure out how to make wikis work in the business or marketing sector, though many have tried. Currently, users of wikis are mostly partial to wikis that are mostly knowledge-sharing like Wikipedia. However, this doesn’t mean that, in the future, a highly successful commercial-type wiki couldn’t come along and change the climate of wikis altogether.