Wikis Basics, Tools and Strategies Meredith Farkas October 28, 2007 Internet Librarian

Meredith Farkas

October 28, 2007

Internet Librarian

What you will learn What a wiki is What wikis are good for, what they’re not so good for How libraries and other groups are successfully using wikis How to get started with wikis Tips on developing a successful wiki

What a wiki is

What wikis are good for, what they’re not so good for

How libraries and other groups are successfully using wikis

How to get started with wikis

Tips on developing a successful wiki

Who am I? Meredith Farkas Distance Learning Librarian at Norwich University (VT). Author - Social Software in Libraries . Columnist – “Technology in Practice” column in American Libraries . Blogger - Information Wants to be Free Wiki manager - Library Success , ALA 2005 and 2006 , etc.

Meredith Farkas

Distance Learning Librarian at Norwich University (VT).

Author - Social Software in Libraries .

Columnist – “Technology in Practice” column in American Libraries .

Blogger - Information Wants to be Free

Wiki manager - Library Success , ALA 2005 and 2006 , etc.

My experience with wikis Looking for a way to collect knowledge for ALA Annual 2005. A Website would only collect my knowledge ALA Chicago 2005 Wiki Amazing community formed around the wiki!

Looking for a way to collect knowledge for ALA Annual 2005.

A Website would only collect my knowledge

ALA Chicago 2005 Wiki

Amazing community formed around the wiki!

Library Success Wiki Where does a new librarian go to get ideas and learn from other people's successes? Library Success Wiki: Designed to collect best practices, good ideas, useful articles and links, etc. Site has developed a diverse community of individuals who add content in their areas of interest.

Where does a new librarian go to get ideas and learn from other people's successes?

Library Success Wiki: Designed to collect best practices, good ideas, useful articles and links, etc.

Site has developed a diverse community of individuals who add content in their areas of interest.

Other wikis I’ve created ALA 2006 New Orleans Wiki CIL 2006 Wiki IL 2006 Wiki KM World 2006 Wiki Buying and Selling eContent Wiki IL 2007 Wiki Many other personal wikis for planning, internal wiki at work, etc.

ALA 2006 New Orleans Wiki

CIL 2006 Wiki

IL 2006 Wiki

KM World 2006 Wiki

Buying and Selling eContent Wiki

IL 2007 Wiki

Many other personal wikis for planning, internal wiki at work, etc.

What is a wiki? Content management system Allows people to collaboratively develop a Web site without any tech-savvy Wiki = quick (in Hawaiian) All community members can add to or edit the work of others

Content management system

Allows people to collaboratively develop a Web site without any tech-savvy

Wiki = quick (in Hawaiian)

All community members can add to or edit the work of others

Wiki background Ward Cunningham and the Portland Pattern Repository Wikipedia Conference wikis, fan wikis, wiki knowledgebases Wikis in the library! Still often controlled access. Organizations jump on the wiki bandwagon

Ward Cunningham and the Portland Pattern Repository

Wikipedia

Conference wikis, fan wikis, wiki knowledgebases

Wikis in the library! Still often controlled access.

Organizations jump on the wiki bandwagon

Wiki Structure All wikis start off as a single blank page Pages are created and connected by hyperlinks No ownership of pages; anyone can change the work of others

All wikis start off as a single blank page

Pages are created and connected by hyperlinks

No ownership of pages; anyone can change the work of others

Wiki Components Pages community members can add to or edit ( example ) Discussion area for each page List of all of the changes made to a particular page (version control) List of all changes made to all pages.

Pages community members can add to or edit ( example )

Discussion area for each page

List of all of the changes made to a particular page (version control)

List of all changes made to all pages.

Wiki Syntax Ways to format text, change color, create links, create tables, etc. Wikipedia editor’s guide Not difficult to learn, but different Differences for each wiki WYSIWYG is the future

Ways to format text, change color, create links, create tables, etc.

Wikipedia editor’s guide

Not difficult to learn, but different

Differences for each wiki

WYSIWYG is the future

Wikis vs. Blogs No one owns content No specific organization (hyperlinks) Anyone can edit other people’s work A person owns their post Organized in reverse chron. order Only author can edit their own work (others can comment)

No one owns content

No specific organization (hyperlinks)

Anyone can edit other people’s work

A person owns their post

Organized in reverse chron. order

Only author can edit their own work (others can comment)

Wikis vs. Blogs Perpetual work in progress Good for collaborative group work Posts are permanent Good for disseminating info/starting a dialogue

Perpetual work in progress

Good for collaborative group work

Posts are permanent

Good for disseminating info/starting a dialogue

Why wiki? Easy to use Web-based Anyone can make changes Version control Findability Many free and open-source wikis Flexible and extensible

Easy to use

Web-based

Anyone can make changes

Version control

Findability

Many free and open-source wikis

Flexible and extensible

Knowledge management (KM) All organizations want to make the best use of organizational knowledge Most are really bad at it Wiki is a great KM tool

All organizations want to make the best use of organizational knowledge

Most are really bad at it

Wiki is a great KM tool

Wiki = quick No editing in Dreamweaver, no FTP-ing into the server. No waiting for the Webmaster to update your page. Different people can be responsible for different content areas

No editing in Dreamweaver, no FTP-ing into the server.

No waiting for the Webmaster to update your page.

Different people can be responsible for different content areas

Collaboration Wikis are a great way to get patrons/colleagues to participate in building a Web space Resource guides Conference Book reviews Area guides You can learn a lot from your patrons and colleagues!

Wikis are a great way to get patrons/colleagues to participate in building a Web space

Resource guides

Conference

Book reviews

Area guides

You can learn a lot from your patrons and colleagues!

Why not wiki? Too open (trust issues) Concerns about ownership of content Disorganized Vandalism and spam Wikis aren't for everyone. If control is a major issue with the site you're developing, then a wiki may not be right for your project.

Too open (trust issues)

Concerns about ownership of content

Disorganized

Vandalism and spam

Wikis aren't for everyone. If control is a major issue with the site you're developing, then a wiki may not be right for your project.

Questions?

Wikis in Practice

How libraries can use wikis with their patrons Community wiki Subject guide wiki Wiki as courseware Wiki as Web site Wiki for capitalizing on the collective intelligence

Community wiki

Subject guide wiki

Wiki as courseware

Wiki as Web site

Wiki for capitalizing on the collective intelligence

Community wikis RocWiki (Rochester, NY) Davis Wiki (Davis, CA) Arbor Wiki (Ann Arbor, MI) PGHWiki (Pittsburgh, PA)

RocWiki (Rochester, NY)

Davis Wiki (Davis, CA)

Arbor Wiki (Ann Arbor, MI)

PGHWiki (Pittsburgh, PA)

Wikis that build community Tax Almanac Mandriva Club

Tax Almanac

Mandriva Club

Subject guides Ohio University Library’s Biz Wiki St. Joseph County Public Library Subject Guides Florida State University Subject Guides

Ohio University Library’s Biz Wiki

St. Joseph County Public Library Subject Guides

Florida State University Subject Guides

Wiki as Website and courseware University of South Carolina Aiken Library Web site Bemidji State University eRhetoric course wiki

University of South Carolina Aiken Library Web site

Bemidji State University eRhetoric course wiki

Capitalizing on the collective intelligence Resource guides and book reviews ProductWiki wikiXbox360 Princeton Public Library’s Book Lovers Wiki Wyoming Authors Wiki

Resource guides and book reviews

ProductWiki

wikiXbox360

Princeton Public Library’s Book Lovers Wiki

Wyoming Authors Wiki

How librarians can use wikis Staff Intranet Collaborative document editing Collaboratively-developed manual Conference wikis Knowledgebase Planning space for conferences

Staff Intranet

Collaborative document editing

Collaboratively-developed manual

Conference wikis

Knowledgebase

Planning space for conferences

Wiki as Intranet for info sharing Most are behind the firewall or are password protected.

Most are behind the firewall or are password protected.

Collaborative document editing ZohoWriter Google Docs and Spreadsheets You could even just use something like PBWiki !

ZohoWriter

Google Docs and Spreadsheets

You could even just use something like PBWiki !

Collaboratively-developed manual Print manuals are really hard to update! Antioch University New England Library Staff Training and Support Wiki

Print manuals are really hard to update!

Antioch University New England Library Staff Training and Support Wiki

Conference wikis ALA 2005 Chicago Wiki ALA 2006 New Orleans Wiki IL 2007 Wiki Wikimania 2006

ALA 2005 Chicago Wiki

ALA 2006 New Orleans Wiki

IL 2007 Wiki

Wikimania 2006

Wiki as professional knowledgebase Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki Library Instruction Wiki Qwiki : Quantum Physics Wiki The New PR Wiki

Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki

Library Instruction Wiki

Qwiki : Quantum Physics Wiki

The New PR Wiki

Planning space for conferences Hard to plan a conference with people from all over the place. Five Weeks to a Social Library BarCamp PodCon

Hard to plan a conference with people from all over the place.

Five Weeks to a Social Library

BarCamp

PodCon

Wiki Tips How to develop and maintain a successful wiki

How to develop and maintain a successful wiki

Wiki Tips: Software Popular options for wiki hosted on your server MediaWiki PmWiki Twiki MoinMoin XWiki

Popular options for wiki hosted on your server

MediaWiki

PmWiki

Twiki

MoinMoin

XWiki

Wiki Tips: Software (cont’d) Popular Options for wikis hosted by the software company PBWiki WetPaint SeedWiki If you want control, no ads, etc., host the wiki on your server. If you don’t have server space, need the wiki for a small time-limited project, or are scared of maintaining a new tech, go with a hosted wiki. Check out the WikiMatrix when thinking about which software to use

Popular Options for wikis hosted by the software company

PBWiki

WetPaint

SeedWiki

If you want control, no ads, etc., host the wiki on your server.

If you don’t have server space, need the wiki for a small time-limited project, or are scared of maintaining a new tech, go with a hosted wiki.

Check out the WikiMatrix when thinking about which software to use

Choosing software: What to consider Programming language Ease of installation Security Permissioning Spam prevention Ease of use Cost Version control

Programming language

Ease of installation

Security

Permissioning

Spam prevention

Ease of use

Cost

Version control

What to consider (cont’d) Syntax/WYSIWYG Ability to hold discussions RSS Ability to change look Extensions Trajectory of development/support of development

Syntax/WYSIWYG

Ability to hold discussions

RSS

Ability to change look

Extensions

Trajectory of development/support of development

Wiki Tips: Seeding the wiki No one wants to add to an empty wiki Also, people often don’t know what to add Add some content to the major categories before going live Creating an organizational scheme will prevent orphan links and chaos

No one wants to add to an empty wiki

Also, people often don’t know what to add

Add some content to the major categories before going live

Creating an organizational scheme will prevent orphan links and chaos

Wiki Tips: Education Wikis need lots of info for novice users What is a wiki What can you do with this wiki How to edit the wiki FAQ Whom to contact for more help Training is important

Wikis need lots of info for novice users

What is a wiki

What can you do with this wiki

How to edit the wiki

FAQ

Whom to contact for more help

Training is important

Wiki Tips: Content development Do lots of marketing If possible, offer trainings Partner with groups/people related to your mission Don’t do it all yourself! Give the wiki a grassroots feel, make it welcoming.

Do lots of marketing

If possible, offer trainings

Partner with groups/people related to your mission

Don’t do it all yourself!

Give the wiki a grassroots feel, make it welcoming.

Wiki Tips: Management Security Should you require registration? Dealing with spam Install spam-killing plugins or blacklists Bad Behavior plugin. Monitor the wiki several times a day Get to know and love RSS Find lots of dedicated helpers!!!

Security

Should you require registration?

Dealing with spam

Install spam-killing plugins or blacklists

Bad Behavior plugin.

Monitor the wiki several times a day

Get to know and love RSS

Find lots of dedicated helpers!!!

How to deal with posts you don’t like Guidelines Limit to on-topic posts Take a note from the Wikipedia’s policies and guidelines Get a committed group of volunteers to patrol a public wiki If you need to delete something - use discussion area to explain why things were deleted.

Guidelines

Limit to on-topic posts

Take a note from the Wikipedia’s policies and guidelines

Get a committed group of volunteers to patrol a public wiki

If you need to delete something - use discussion area to explain why things were deleted.

Questions? Comments? Meredith Farkas mgfarkas at gmail dot com http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/ AIM: librarianmer Links and more resources at http://meredithfarkas.wetpaint.com/

Meredith Farkas

mgfarkas at gmail dot com

http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/

AIM: librarianmer

Links and more resources at http://meredithfarkas.wetpaint.com/