Technology Talk - Wikis
by Jennifer Bolton-Carls, Ed. D., NYSASBO President Elect
Wiki is another technology buzz word you may have heard recently. A Hawaiian word for fast or quick, wiki was first used in the technology world starting around 1995 and in 2007, was added to the Oxford English Dictionary. In simplest terms, a wiki is a type of website developed collaboratively so that it can easily be added to or edited by a group of users who are part of the wiki’s user community.
Most wikis serve a specific purpose and are often used to create collaborative websites, to power community websites, for note taking, and in organizations intranets. Because all users can edit any page or create new pages within the wiki website, they are not usually carefully crafted sites. Instead, wikis seek to involve the visitor in an ongoing process of creation and collaboration that constantly changes the website.
Critics of wikis argue that since information on these websites can be easily changed, people could intentionally tamper with the information and it runs a risk of vandalism which could go unnoticed for a period of time. Another philosophy is that wikis are protected by the community of users that catch this erroneous content and fix it. Most wiki users have found that editors are well-meaning and that the benefits of open wikis far out way the risks. Nevertheless, it never hurts to approach wikis with caution.
The most commonly known wiki is Wikipedia, an online free encyclopedia. If you have searched for anything online lately, you were likely directed to Wikipedia for information. This is a great example of a wiki that stays very professional with extensive information that is created by contributors who are random volunteers from around the world.
Many companies, universities and schools are using wiki software to create internal documents to connect their employees, stakeholders or students in order to share ideas. For example, Colorado State University maintains numerous Frequently Asked Questions for students using a wiki. If someone posts a problem, another person can easily post the solution. Some communities are using wikis to allow community stakeholders to add information to their websites such as new businesses, community events calendars and other advertisements.
NYSASBO has also been using a wiki to gather input from members. On the NYSASBO website there is an ongoing collaboration by members to define the future of our profession. If you sign on to www.nysasbo.org, one of the first highlighted areas says “Have a voice – NYSASBO’s Future of The Profession Project.” All you need to do is click on the words “More Information,” which will link you to a description of the project. (or click here) From there you will be able to start participating in our wiki. I would suggest that you read what other members have written, then you can either click the edit tab to make changes, or just leave a comment at the end of each section. Your input will be used to create a final document that will be presented to the membership at the NYSASBO Annual Conference in June and subsequently distributed to all members.
Go ahead, Give it a try!
