Wikis and Blogs: When, Why, and How to Use Them Leslie O’Flahavan, E-WRITE Administrative Office of the US Courts Washington, DC September 4, 2008

Presentation overview What wikis and blogs are and how they work Why wikis and blogs are such a popular way to publish content online How a wiki or blog could help your agency How to manage some of the liabilities of wikis and blogs A little bit about social networking…if time allows

What wikis and blogs are and how they work

Why wikis and blogs are such a popular way to publish content online

How a wiki or blog could help your agency

How to manage some of the liabilities of wikis and blogs

A little bit about social networking…if time allows

Presentation schedule Start and 9 a.m. EST End at 1 p.m. Have a 15-minute break at about 11 a.m. Participate in activities throughout

Start and 9 a.m. EST

End at 1 p.m.

Have a 15-minute break at about 11 a.m.

Participate in activities throughout

Part 1: Not all wikis are encyclopedias

What is a wiki? “ A wiki’s just like a web site, only you can edit it.”

“ A wiki’s just like a web site, only you can edit it.”

What is a wiki? From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia “ A wiki is a website that allows visitors to add, remove, edit and change content, typically without the need for registration. It also allows for linking among any number of pages. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for mass collaborative authoring . The term wiki can also refer to the collaborative software itself ( wiki engine ) that facilitates the operation of such a site, or to certain specific wiki sites, including the computer science site (the original wiki) WikiWikiWeb and online encyclopedias such as Wikipedia .”

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“ A wiki is a website that allows visitors to add, remove, edit and change content, typically without the need for registration. It also allows for linking among any number of pages. This ease of interaction and operation makes a wiki an effective tool for mass collaborative authoring . The term wiki can also refer to the collaborative software itself ( wiki engine ) that facilitates the operation of such a site, or to certain specific wiki sites, including the computer science site (the original wiki) WikiWikiWeb and online encyclopedias such as Wikipedia .”

Wikipedia: the most familiar wiki example

Wikipedia Main Page

Wikipedia: C&O Canal page

C&O Canal Discussion page

C&O Canal Discussion page

C&O Canal Editing page

C&O Canal Revision History page

Common Craft: “Wikis in Plain English”

Discuss: How might a wiki solve your department’s own e-mail-related communication problem?

How do a wiki and web site differ?

National Park Service’s C&O Canal site

C&O Canal Association’s site

What kinds of wikis does this presentation cover? Federal, state, local Project or task wikis: Project Communication Application Support Research Product Planning Customer Service

Federal, state, local

Project or task wikis:

Project Communication

Application Support

Research

Product Planning

Customer Service

Some wiki samples …

Shrink and Grow: “This wiki acts as a design doc for the game…”

RocWiki.org – the People’s Guide to Rochester

wikiHow: “The How-to Manual Anyone Can Write Or Edit”

FLICC/Fedlink Environmental Scan wiki

NCI caBIG

National Alliance for Medical Image Computing wiki

US Court of Appeals – Seventh Circuit

Article on 7 th Circuit’s wiki

Argonne National Lab’s SEED Project Wiki

The AAA Wiki … “ Welcome to the AAA Wiki - created to coordinate the Assembly, Alignment and Annotation of the now 12 sequenced Drosophila genomes.”

“ Welcome to the AAA Wiki - created to coordinate the Assembly, Alignment and Annotation of the now 12 sequenced Drosophila genomes.”

Goochland County Public Schools

MassGIS Geospatial Web Services project wiki

“… caGrid provides the core enabling infrastructure necessary to compose the Grid of caBIG™”

Intellipedia

The “hall of mirrors” wiki: a presentation by Janel Brennan-Tillmann, UMD Coord. of Foreign Lang. Instructional Technology

Is it a wiki or a web page?

Why are wikis so popular? Anyone can write or edit Outside the normal permissions and approval process for web content Encourage interaction Easy to learn User-defined life span

Anyone can write or edit

Outside the normal permissions and approval process for web content

Encourage interaction

Easy to learn

User-defined life span

Wikis vs. Web sites Require permission to publish Mediated by experts Transactional Governed by workflow or publishing cycle Graphic design conveys content organization to user Staffed by professionals with a range of skills: designers, developers, content types Judged by outcomes Relevant Useful Correct Alive Updated regularly Read Authored collaboratively Little to no graphic design Foster dialogue or conversation Socially mediated Content author in charge of content over time Web Sites Shared Traits Wikis

Require permission to publish

Mediated by experts

Transactional

Governed by workflow or publishing cycle

Graphic design conveys content organization to user

Staffed by professionals with a range of skills: designers, developers, content types

Judged by outcomes

Relevant

Useful

Correct

Alive

Updated regularly

Read

Authored collaboratively

Little to no graphic design

Foster dialogue or conversation

Socially mediated

Content author in charge of content over time

Edit-before-publish vs. Edit-after-publish “ Something that’s 80% accurate, on time, and shareable is better than something that is too much, perfectly formatted, too late, and over-classified.” Chris Rasmussen, Knowledge Management Officer, Intellipedia, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense

“ Something that’s 80% accurate, on time, and shareable is better than something that is too much, perfectly formatted, too late, and over-classified.”

Chris Rasmussen, Knowledge Management Officer, Intellipedia, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense

Discuss What are the risks involved in launching a wiki for your department or court? What kinds of policies or guidelines would you need to have in place to offset the risks?

What are the risks involved in launching a wiki for your department or court?

What kinds of policies or guidelines would you need to have in place to offset the risks?

Why do you need wiki writing guidelines? Organic growth of content can cause many communication problems Producing valuable content of any type requires reviewing and editing Wiki users search vs. navigate , thus putting extra pressure on words

Organic growth of content can cause many communication problems

Producing valuable content of any type requires reviewing and editing

Wiki users search vs. navigate , thus putting extra pressure on words

What should the wiki writing guidelines cover? How to organize content How to make content easy to read How to write as a wiki citizen

How to organize content

How to make content easy to read

How to write as a wiki citizen

Guidelines on writing to organize How to name pages Use concrete descriptive words; use the most commonly searched terms: not ID but Social Security Number or Passport Strive for names you can use in a sentence: not hips – replacement surgery but hip replacement surgery Provide guidance on caps, numbers, special characters Give a name that will last over time: not Proposal – Final Version Avoid beginning with articles: not The Interagency Agreements Team Develop naming guidelines for different types of pages/articles How (or whether) to group pages

How to name pages

Use concrete descriptive words; use the most commonly searched terms: not ID but Social Security Number or Passport

Strive for names you can use in a sentence: not hips – replacement surgery but hip replacement surgery

Provide guidance on caps, numbers, special characters

Give a name that will last over time: not Proposal – Final Version

Avoid beginning with articles: not The Interagency Agreements Team

Develop naming guidelines for different types of pages/articles

How (or whether) to group pages

Clear naming at Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki

HRE Wiki: Naming Problem HREwiki Home Ready-to-use resources Resources in development Images New topics Projects Useful websites http://hrewiki.pbwiki.com/ Featured resources the Univeral Declaration of Human Rights Nepal death Penalty - teaching materials Discrimination Voices of people affected by human rights abuses Ideas for HRE Using this wiki Request a password Writing for this wiki Developing this wiki 'How to' Reporting problems Reproducing content Terms of Use Disclaimer About

HREwiki

Home

Ready-to-use resources

Resources in development

Images

New topics

Projects

Useful websites http://hrewiki.pbwiki.com/

Featured resources

the Univeral Declaration of Human Rights

Nepal

death Penalty - teaching materials

Discrimination

Voices of people affected by human rights abuses

Ideas for HRE

Using this wiki

Request a password

Writing for this wiki

Developing this wiki

'How to'

Reporting problems

Reproducing content

Terms of Use

Disclaimer

About

Debian wiki: organized by user

Guidelines on writing readable wiki content Headings Vertical lists Links (no click here ) Conciseness Tone Mechanical correctness Spelling Punctuation Grammar Abbreviations Dates

Headings

Vertical lists

Links (no click here )

Conciseness

Tone

Mechanical correctness

Spelling

Punctuation

Grammar

Abbreviations

Dates

Wiki wall of words …

Bulleted wiki article: Easy to scan or read?

Developing a wiki that contains few content types requires explicit writing guidance.

PolicyOptions Wiki: Lots of guidance about writing issue briefs

Guidelines on writing as a wiki citizen Use your real name Write objectively (?) Comment considerately Contribute original content Avoid slang Explain edits in “Comments” section

Use your real name

Write objectively (?)

Comment considerately

Contribute original content

Avoid slang

Explain edits in “Comments” section

Wiki software options MediaWiki – www.mediawiki.org Tikiwiki - www.tikiwiki.org PBwiki - http://pbwiki.com/ Wikipedia’s article “Comparison of wiki software” at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_wiki_software

MediaWiki – www.mediawiki.org

Tikiwiki - www.tikiwiki.org

PBwiki - http://pbwiki.com/

Wikipedia’s article “Comparison of wiki software” at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_wiki_software

Wiki writing guidelines ColabWiki: Wiki Style Guide IBM’s Redwiki Writing Guidelines and Etiquette wikiHow’s Writer’s Guide BattleMaster wiki Style Guide LinuxQuestions.org’s LQWiki:Manual of Style MuppetWiki Building a successful wiki community

ColabWiki: Wiki Style Guide

IBM’s Redwiki Writing Guidelines and Etiquette

wikiHow’s Writer’s Guide

BattleMaster wiki Style Guide

LinuxQuestions.org’s LQWiki:Manual of Style

MuppetWiki Building a successful wiki community

Wiki resources NIH Wiki Fair – February 28, 2007 Wiki Home Page at COLAB , the collaborative work environment: “Hosted by GSA Intergovernmental Solutions” “Which Wiki is Right for You?” in School Library Journal , May 1, 2007

NIH Wiki Fair – February 28, 2007

Wiki Home Page at COLAB , the collaborative work environment: “Hosted by GSA Intergovernmental Solutions”

“Which Wiki is Right for You?” in School Library Journal , May 1, 2007

Part 2: Blogs

What is a blog? “ A weblog, which is usually shortened to blog, is a website where regular entries are made (such as in a journal or diary) and presented in reverse chronological order. Blogs often offer commentary or news on a particular subject, such as technology, politics, or local news… A…blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic.

“ A weblog, which is usually shortened to blog, is a website where regular entries are made (such as in a journal or diary) and presented in reverse chronological order. Blogs often offer commentary or news on a particular subject, such as technology, politics, or local news… A…blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic.

How is a blog different from a website? Easy to set up to update to organize and archive Interactive Personal—Individual POV, not agency

Easy

to set up

to update

to organize and archive

Interactive

Personal—Individual POV, not agency

How do blogs work? How do you publish a blog? How do you read a blog?

How do you publish a blog?

How do you read a blog?

How do you publish a blog? Use off-the-shelf, user-friendly software (blogware) to Create new blog posts Organize, archive and retrieve information from old posts Create links from your posts Enable other bloggers to link back to a specific post on your blog (Permalinks) Let bloggers see who has viewed their posts and commented (TrackBack)

Use off-the-shelf, user-friendly software (blogware) to

Create new blog posts

Organize, archive and retrieve information from old posts

Create links from your posts

Enable other bloggers to link back to a specific post on your blog (Permalinks)

Let bloggers see who has viewed their posts and commented (TrackBack)

How do you read a blog? Subscribe to a blog with RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed Portal or browser based aggregators (GoogleReader) Web based aggregators (Bloglines, FeedReader) E-mail updates

Subscribe to a blog with

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed

Portal or browser based aggregators (GoogleReader)

Web based aggregators (Bloglines, FeedReader)

E-mail updates

Subscribe with RSS

Use a blog aggregator

Get blog posts by e-mail

Who blogs? “In April 2007, blog search and measurement firm Technorati was tracking over 70 million blogs and reported seeing about 120,000 new blogs created each day. That's 1.4 blogs every second.” (webcontent.gov)

“In April 2007, blog search and measurement firm Technorati was tracking over 70 million blogs and reported seeing about 120,000 new blogs created each day. That's 1.4 blogs every second.” (webcontent.gov)

Who blogs in the Federal government?

Why do Federal agencies blog? Communicate with the public Communicate internally Blogging “puts a human face on government [and] makes government more open.” --Bev Godwin, USA.gov

Communicate with the public

Communicate internally

Blogging “puts a human face on government [and] makes government more open.”

--Bev Godwin, USA.gov

Humanize your agency Create a dialogue Get feedback Keep public updated Improve visibility—search engine placement A new way to communicate with the public

Humanize your agency

Create a dialogue

Get feedback

Keep public updated

Improve visibility—search engine placement

Share information Create community agency-wide, nationwide or worldwide A new way to communicate within the agency

Share information

Create community agency-wide, nationwide or worldwide

Before starting a blog, consider What’s your purpose? Who will write the blog? Will you allow comments? What’s your approval process? What legal issues should you address?

What’s your purpose?

Who will write the blog?

Will you allow comments?

What’s your approval process?

What legal issues should you address?

Disseminate Information: DC Public Safety Blog

Support a project: The Big Read

Add Value: Eye Level

Customer interaction: TSA’s Evolution of Security

A 6-week special event blog: EPA

Personal Experience: Volunteer Journals

Discuss: How could a blog help your organization improve communication?

Who will write the blog? “They’ve got to be authentic. You must be the author of your post—not your staff, not your secretary or administrative staff, and certainly not your campaign manager or consultant.” -- Christopher Barger, IBM blogging consultant

“They’ve got to be authentic. You must be the author of your post—not your staff, not your secretary or administrative staff, and certainly not your campaign manager or consultant.”

-- Christopher Barger, IBM blogging consultant

Director, Corps of Engineers

Director, CBO

A team of employees

Front-line employees

Will you allow comments? Most federal agencies allow comments Will you moderate or edit the comments? Edit for grammar Edit for content Limit comments to specific issues What will you do with the comments—feedback?

Most federal agencies allow comments

Will you moderate or edit the comments?

Edit for grammar

Edit for content

Limit comments to specific issues

What will you do with the comments—feedback?

Will you allow comments? Without comments, a blog is “just a glorified press release.” -- Mike Cornfield, professor, George Washington University

Without comments, a blog is “just a glorified press release.”

-- Mike Cornfield, professor, George Washington University

No Comments

Enabling comments

The Corps-e-spondence comments policy

Evolution of Security comments policy

How will you use comments? Change policies or programs Get customer feedback Incorporate comments into your posts

Change policies or programs

Get customer feedback

Incorporate comments into your posts

Incorporate comments: Corps-e-spondence

The blog approval process? Outside formal clearance process Posts will need to be reviewed before they’re published Blogger + blog’s purpose + blog publication schedule

Outside formal clearance process

Posts will need to be reviewed before they’re published

Blogger + blog’s purpose + blog publication schedule

Legal issues Confidentiality Does your organization have confidentially guidelines for other types of communication? Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Copyright

Confidentiality

Does your organization have confidentially guidelines for other types of communication?

Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

Copyright

Establish and publish blog policies Incorporate your decisions on into a written blog policy Purpose Writers/contributors Comments policy Approvals process Legal Issues

Incorporate your decisions on into a written blog policy

Purpose

Writers/contributors

Comments policy

Approvals process

Legal Issues

Publish your blog policies: GSA GovGab

Resources Blogs from the U.S. Government http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Reference_Shelf/News/blog.shtml Blogs in Government , Bev Godwin, July, 2006 http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/documents/Blogs_in_Government_June_2006.pdf Webcontent.gov http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/technology/blogs.shtml

Blogs from the U.S. Government http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Reference_Shelf/News/blog.shtml

Blogs in Government , Bev Godwin, July, 2006 http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/documents/Blogs_in_Government_June_2006.pdf

Webcontent.gov http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/technology/blogs.shtml

Managing the liabilities of wikis and blogs Before publishing, identify the purpose of your wiki or blog and measure the risk against that purpose Remember that wikis and blogs are publishing tools; we CAN manage publishing Develop guidelines for publishers/contributors and for users/readers Limit access Learn from those who have gone before you!

Before publishing, identify the purpose of your wiki or blog and measure the risk against that purpose

Remember that wikis and blogs are publishing tools; we CAN manage publishing

Develop guidelines for publishers/contributors and for users/readers

Limit access

Learn from those who have gone before you!

Blog Scenario #1 Your agency director wants each division head to write an internal blog. The director wants to review each blog post by each division head before it’s posted. “We speak with one voice and that voice is the voice of the director.”

Your agency director wants each division head to write an internal blog.

The director wants to review each blog post by each division head before it’s posted.

“We speak with one voice and that voice is the voice of the director.”

Blog Scenario #2 Due to changes in legislation, a post from March 2008 contains incorrect information.

Due to changes in legislation, a post from March 2008 contains incorrect information.

Wiki scenario #1 You launch a wiki, tell the team about it, set up passwords for all contributors, and post information on the wiki yourself. No one else contributes content or refers to the wiki.

You launch a wiki, tell the team about it, set up passwords for all contributors, and post information on the wiki yourself.

No one else contributes content or refers to the wiki.

Wiki scenario #2 Your wiki is growing rapidly and some of the content is of “first draft” quality.

Your wiki is growing rapidly and some of the content is of “first draft” quality.

Wiki scenario #3: “Joe” writes an e-mail to “Sue.” His e-mail includes a well-written explanation of a complex process. Sue likes the e-mail so well that she publishes it to the department’s wiki without asking Joe’s permission.

“Joe” writes an e-mail to “Sue.” His e-mail includes a well-written explanation of a complex process.

Sue likes the e-mail so well that she publishes it to the department’s wiki without asking Joe’s permission.

Social Networking: Sharing, Rating, Connecting

Sharing: YouTube

Sharing: Slideshare

Rating or social bookmarking

Rating: Digg

Rating: StumbleUpon

Connecting: LinkedIn

LinkedIn: US Courts

Connecting: Facebook

Connecting: Ning

Connecting: Twitter

Questions or comments? Clare De Cleene Web Communications Manager Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts [email_address] 202-502-1182 (Direct Line) 202-502-2615 (Web Help Desk) Leslie O’Flahavan E-WRITE [email_address] 301-989-9583

Clare De Cleene

Web Communications Manager

Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

[email_address]

202-502-1182 (Direct Line)

202-502-2615 (Web Help Desk)

Leslie O’Flahavan

E-WRITE

[email_address]

301-989-9583