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Other Uses for Wiki Software?
CodeMonkey22 asks: "The much-discussed Wikipedia could be considered the quintessential definition of what Wiki software is capable of. More recently, however, a plethora of specialized reference websites, such as Wookieepedia (Star-Wars) and the Marvel Database (Marvel Comics), have popped up. This got me to thinking, are websites the only viable use for wiki software? Working in an IT department, the first alternative that came to my mind was an intranet knowledge-base. TWiki, for instance, touts itself as 'an Enterprise Collaboration Platform'. What other uses could take advantage of Wiki? What changes would be needed to make it more applicable in other areas of use?"
I know the original question is about non-website uses, but my idea could be intranet based also. I had the idea for a collaborative writing sytem at wiction.org but things came up and I never finished the site. I still think it is a good idea though.
Religion for nerds. Stuff that really matters
Documentation for open source projects, such as this example from VideoLAN's wiki. Also, collaboration on new features
Video Production Support
What you should be asking yourself, is what can CVS/Subversion be used for?
Modern wiki software is really just a subset of what any good repository offers (versioning, resolving conflicts, moving files around, etc.). The only difference is that they provide a nice LaTeX-like syntax and a pretty front-end with an on-the-fly interpreted syntax.
Really, LaTeX backed by CVS would give you many of the same features. The possiblities of a repository-backed work are virtually endless!
However, the front-end on Wikis make them extremely nice for collaboration on numerous distinct text-based documents. The inter-linking and (relatively) simple syntax allow users to focus on sharing their knowledge. I think the next step for Wikis would be WYSIWYG editing, to de-emphasize any kind of syntax at all. This would make them truely user-focused.
I work in IT installing software and other kinds of support. I've been trying to convince the boss to use this for documentation as a lot of our stuff changes without warning and we don't have anything to keep us up to date otherwise. But sadly have been unable to get him to see the light. Jst the usual right something up on it for me and then watch him forget about it.
Lage corporations are great that way.
TiddlyWiki (http://www.tiddlywiki.com/) is effectively a wiki in a single web page. It sounds odd but is very impressive, it can be used for free format note keeping with all the linking etc that a wiki implies. There are a number of enhancements on the web - various customizations including skins.
It's obviously not for multi-user use but great for personal stuff.
I hereby inform you that I have NOT been required to provide any decryption keys.
We use one over at the Toughbook wiki to keep track of details of various machines.
I've been looking for a good table manipulation tool. Wiki tables like the HardwareComparison quickly grow out of control. A way to sort and filter records, show and hide columns, an define alternate views for tabular data, would be great.
I picture sort of a webmail-like interface. Perhaps the data shouldn't live in the wiki page at all, but in a real database back-end with the appropriate interface(s) for adding and editing records.
In some projects I work on, the bosses email a "tracker" spreadsheet back and forth, where each site has a row, and each stage or activity has a column. They sort and filter the spreadsheets to get a picture of progress. One challenge is getting the data in, since it comes from dozens of different field techs, shippers, other companies, and arbitrary other events. Another challenge is making sure everyone has the most updated version, since emailing a file around is effectively file-level locking, so no more than one person can be working at once.
A central store like a database, with web interfaces that any Excel weenie could use, would alleviate much of the trouble. A hybrid of spreadsheet functions, database query tools, and wiki-like markup, could be really powerful. Anyone know if such a thing might exist, or if such projects might be in the works?
I'm in the process of creating a wiki for a test ITIL implementation. As far as I can tell, it will be great for the Configuration Management Database, and therefore the Change Management, Service Desk, etc. processes because they can log incidents against particular machines, and RSS feeds for the machines' wiki pages will alert the relevant sysadmin that there's an incident to look at.
:)
Anyways, it's kinda pie-in-the-sky for me at the moment, but I'm convinced it will work, and cost considerably less than the commercial ITIL tools that suck
Agenda tool, (non-profit here, lots of meetings), you create an agenda wikipage for the next meeting, participants add or make changes to the topic list after the meeting the notetaker completes the page by ading in the outcomes and creates the next agenda page, not only do you have less paperwork you also have a building history that all can refer back to without hving to look up file names.
Staff directory - (assuming you don't have like AD or LDAP), includes addresses emails, etc. Changes are made on the spot and therefore most up to date.
Knowledgebase - either a replacment or an extension to the job procedure manuals, all staff can add into it and make changes as needed, as well as add content as special circumstances arise.
Documentor - if the apps are web based you can even program wiki links into your pages to the documentation (as well as link in your job procedures if on the same wiki) As program changes or as better instructions/definitions the documntation gets updated.
Project notes repository - self explanitory
Simple CMS - Keep the editing behind a password/access system but offer up the content as read-only to the public, opens the sirte for editing beyond just the webmaster.
I like the story board idea.
"Enjoy what you're doing! If it becomes drudgery, you're doing it wrong!" - Jim Butterfield
I am currently adminning (for that, read; owning space on the server) for a MediaWiki which is being used for documentation, discussion, planning and grading for a 4 man, 2nd year university project.
We talk, argue, link and plan on the pages. Our tutor has access and leaves daily comments, along with his own arguments and links. When we have something to hand it, we just let him know which page it is.
He can track who has done what, and how active we all have been, and since everything is dated, he can take a "view" of a document which might evolve, but for grading purposes has to be "handed in" on a certain date.
It's useful, fun, and makes exchanging information easy.
Practically every team in the MIT Mystery Hunt used some sort of wiki to coordinate the team.
Basically, wiki is so fast that one can create a fully functional and cross-referenced web site on the fly, while carrying out a discussion on the topic. This could be used as a lecturing tool and/or as a note-taking system.
Use my userscript to add story images to Slashdot. There's no going back.
My creative collaboration partners and I use DidiWiki (a very small and stable Wiki server) to house the knowledgebase of our roleplaying universe, and to house stories and related tales that end up being written about it. Character sheets, timelines, synopses... Wiki does it all.
;)
I won't post a link to it here, naturally.
Bleakness... Desolation... Plastic Forks...
First, let's pretend that U.S Congressman carefully debate the pros and cons of proposed legislation.
Then, I think that Wikis would make a wonderful forum for developing legislation. Especially those 400+ page variety bills that seem to contain all sorts of pork. Of course, modification of a Wiki page would be restricted to Congressman and their aids (hopefully not lobbyists..). State and local legislative wikis might also be useful.
Hyperlinking between chapters/portions of bills might make reading the bill easier and focus attention on poorly written parts.
Of course, for a Wiki to be useful, the debate has to be in the open and not in the proverbial "smoking room". O well!
Favorite
There is Zim, Newton, WikiPad and my favorite, Tomboy.
I can honestly say that Tomboy changed the way I work. And it's just a very simple note taking with wiki linking feature that runs in the sys tray and opens all pages inside a new window on your desktop.
I'll do the stupid thing first and then you shy people follow...
I've seen several different Wikis go down the documentation route, and I'm a member of a few.
A few months back I started up a Wiki to tie in people that use different dating and social networking sites. I also use it to quickly bookmark items I want to share with others, or have them do so likewise: the idea is not so much to be a "dating" site vs. a means of creating a social web.
http://www.wikidating.net
Unfortunately, the most activity I get currently, are the spambots. (history -> save -> comment "restore"): you know that routine.
Life is irony, and nothing ever goes as planned.
I just released a new version of Wikalong that is compatible with Firefox 1.5 last night.
Wikalong is a Firefox Extension that embeds a wiki in the Side Bar of your browser, indexed off the url of your current page. It is probably most simply described as a wiki-margin for the internet.
WikalongBest Buy Corp uses Wiki for intranet use all the time. company policy., history and new ideas are all communicated via the wiki.
So a brief caveat here - I'm a bit biased as to the potential uses for wikis, since I started and run PBwiki (which was developed at an all-night hackathon, but that's another story). If you're interested, I also gave a talk at Xerox PARC about wikis.
I think pretty much any time you email out a Word document and ask several people for changes or edits, you're in need of a wiki. Any time there's a "Document Master" for a particular piece of information a la "Oh, Linda's in charge of the phone list, you should let her know you have a new number" or "Tell Jimmy what you're bringing to the potluck" or "Coach Z has the schedule for the softball season" -- those are ideal spots for wikis.
While many people do use wikis personally, as a sort of notepad-on-steroids, and others use wikis as a simple web page publication tool, the killer app for wikis is in letting groups speak as one and create their own little universes of knowledge. Sometimes this means collaborative fiction or Dungeons and Dragons and sometimes this means documenting your project plans or brainstorming your next company idea.
While wikis have been around for some time, they're only just now starting to cross the chasm from geekland to the leading edge of regular people. Wikipedia can take nearly all of the credit for that. But hopefully we'll now get some of the power that geeks have had by way of CVS and Subversion and put it in the hands of regular people to collaborate and coordinate their thoughts, hopes, and ideas. This has been a long time coming.
David E. Weekly
Code / Think / Teach / Learn
h4x0r for
I presented a paper in July 2005 titled "Using Wikis as a Low-Cost Knowledge Sharing Tool". The authors describe their experiences using a wiki to prepare and upgrade task-based training courses. The wiki was used both as a repository for the training materials as well as a daily communication vehicle for multiple co-authors working in Canada and Austria. If you are interested in reading the abstract or the paper, it is available on a wiki that has anti-robot password protection. Start on this page to get the password: http://saturn.eton.ca/
See also the use of wikis as interfaces for literate-style development. Especially http://wiki.axiom-developer.org/FrontPage
In my opinion Wikipedia isn't a good example of what a wiki is capable of. The original wiki at c2.com is far better. Wiki's allow discussion to happen right in the middle of an article, the fact that something is being disputed or queried is in your face in the article. Wikipedia's dicussion page is badwrong as it kills one of the strengths of a wiki.
Wiki pages should turn from discussions to information and then after time back to discussion and so on in a slow cycle. Wikipedia always wants the pages to be information which simply cuts against thegrain of what a wiki can and should do.
Puzzle Daze is now my job