so you want a wiki - now what?
so you want a wiki – now overview what? options for collaboration and communication where wikis fit in › how they work › benefits of wikis in libraries Frank Cervone › contrasting blogs and wikis Assistant University Librarian for Information Technology Northwestern University What to use and when getting started NSLS Workshop February 26, 2008
questions committees and teams
what is your primary role at your organization? how many groups do you belong to? reference/Instructional Librarian None 1 – 2 3 – 5 5 – 10 > 10 collections/Digital Project where are the communications from library ITS (web developer, systems librarian) library manager those groups stored? other › mailing list archives do you contribute to a wiki? › email folders › everyone’s desktop and file cabinet are you interested in using wikis for › shared file server business processes personal web publishing › web board community building › IM (saved) intranet what are some of the limitations? don’t know
technologies for online what if … collaboration reduce email overload push-based › email have an archive of the work done to interactive › discussion forums date › web chat › webcasts build a knowledge base automatically › web conferencing › blogs have an easy way to write and publish › instant messaging › text messaging › reports › team rooms › documents pull-based › policies › newsgroups › procedures › RSS
frank cervone - nsls workshop 1 so you want a wiki - now what?
what is a “Wiki ”? some more thoughts … Wikis facilitate collaboration, information original software dissemination and communal knowledge management in a free-form, yet structured way developed in 1994 the post-it note of the from the New Communications Forum wiki › Ward Cunningham web the description of OpenWiki a wiki is a freely means “quick” in expandable collection of interlinked web Hawaiian pages, a hypertext “What would you get if you had a Web site where system for storing and › As a bacronym - anyone could edit or add anything?” Boredom, I modifying information – “What I Know Is” guessed, or chaos. Boy, was I wrong. You get a database, where hundreds, thousands of pages full of information, each page is easily edited by any user with allows you to add, ideas, conversations, learning, and teaching. You a forms-capable Web edit, or link content get linkages among ideas, conversations among browser client Bo Leuf and Ward Cunningham, people. You get a tool for business, a tool for The Wiki Way , p. 14 easily people. You get copies and replicas all over the world. You get … the wiki” Bo Leuf and Ward Cunningham, The Wiki Way , page xiii what_is_a_wiki.avi
using wikis collections of pages
intended to be simple so you can focus on the writing Main Page Contact Us Electronic Virtual › not on HTML coding › mechanics and syntax of a web development system edit edit edit edit intended to be open to facilitate information sharing Wiki pages look like web pages › can be restricted anyone with a web browser can read a wiki site
who is anyone? click, write and save
everyone just your staff ...InfoPage InfoPage just your workgroup just you edit save edit
anyone with a web browser can edit a wiki site anyone can undo any change at any time
frank cervone - nsls workshop 2 so you want a wiki - now what?
creating new pages wiki design principles
make a new page by typing the name in CamelCase Openness and trust › if a page is incomplete or inaccurate anyone can edit it › This will become the WikiName of the page
Title PublicSafety
..PublicSafety.. edit edit
Wiki Design Principles http://www.c2.com/cgi/wiki?WikiDesignPrinciples
frank cervone - nsls workshop 3 so you want a wiki - now what?
wiki design principles
Openness and trust › if a page is incomplete or inaccurate anyone can edit it Incremental › pages can cite other pages, even those not yet written
wiki design principles
Openness and trust › if a page is incomplete or inaccurate anyone can edit it Incremental › pages can cite other pages, even those not yet written Observable › you can see the changes being made
frank cervone - nsls workshop 4 so you want a wiki - now what?
wiki design principles
Openness and trust › if a page is incomplete or inaccurate anyone can edit it Incremental › pages can cite other pages, even those not yet written Observable › you can see the changes being made Organic › site structure is up to everyone, and it will evolve and change
wiki gardeners
People who tidy up the wiki › Pruning links › Editing text Organizing structures › Generally, cleaning things up Respected Authoritative
Photo by Ross Mayfield On a library wiki, you might want to assign this role
externally facing library wikis
subject guides events community content › encyclopedia › book reviews › courses
http://www.libraryforlife.org/subjectguides/index.php/Main_Page
frank cervone - nsls workshop 5 so you want a wiki - now what?
event planning and support stevens county encyclopedia
http://coppul.jotspot.com (Password protected) http://www.scrldwiki.org/index.php/Main_Page
frank cervone - nsls workshop 6 so you want a wiki - now what?
princeton public library course wiki
http://booklovers.pbwiki.com/Princeton%20Public%20Library http://eci831.wikispaces.com/
professional knowledge repositories
http://www.libsuccess.org/
conference internally facing library wikis
staff intranet IT Documentation special projects/committees/events helpdesk and knowledgebase
http://cil2008.pbwiki.com/
frank cervone - nsls workshop 7 so you want a wiki - now what?
staff web site library intranet
http://wiki.lib.umn.edu/ http://wiki.lib.uconn.edu/wiki/Main_Page
project and committee work
http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/b-team/
case study: event planning WYSIWYG Editor
www.jotspot.com
frank cervone - nsls workshop 8 so you want a wiki - now what?
what pages have changed? see what changed
single page or side by side features
Search Attach a File InviteChanges Import Word users via RSS
Emails Attachments
Make a comment
Send an Email
conference and wiki support wiki reactions
Participants signed up for wifi, dine- Well, I wasn't sure about that wiki (sounded arounds, connected with each other like something from Star Wars), but I before the event decided to try it out. It is fabulous! Every Shared notes during the presentation and conference should have one. uploaded slides Gail Curry, UNBC Evaluated the workshop
frank cervone - nsls workshop 9 so you want a wiki - now what?
best practices champion
Photo by azamrashdi'
culture shock structure
Photo by mirando Photo by Childish David
wiki roadmap implementation tips
install wiki software on web server define an initial purpose upfront plan rollout and content choose the right features for your build the initial structure environment populate initial content with early adopters start slow (snowball) initial rollout with smaller group provide training and coaching train and coach users do not underestimate inertia and time
Peter Theony, Wiki Based Collaboration http://twiki.org/cgi-bin/view/Codev/TWikiPresentation17Feb2005
frank cervone - nsls workshop 10 so you want a wiki - now what?
practical considerations wiki exercise
Have a champion › New way of “thinking”, paradigm shift from intranet, webmaster or CMS (content management system) Identify 2 or 3 areas where a wiki web Choose the right features would help with collaboration and › Attach files communication. › Access control › Version control › Ease of use: make sure “add a page” is self evident Identify some “barriers” and › Match look and feel brainstorm how you might › Alert and post via email to wiki overcome them in your work Wiki Matrix environment. › http://www.wikimatrix.org/
blogs and wikis face off wikis blogs
group voice individual voice unstructured, organic default is by date, reverse chronological anyone edits anyone comments fluid medium: change any time post medium like email better management: versions, (comment, reply, comment, rollback and change log, …) syndicate changes edits aren’t tracked usually, less familiar new items are syndicated more familiar
Photo Credit: Pascal Vuylsteker http://www.flickr.com/photos/pvk/ CC Attribution 2.5
summary more resources
wikis help support collaboration wiki resources tools are simple, quick and inexpensive › http://library.usask.ca/~fichter/wiki/ they belong in our collaboration toolbox help support the diverse needs of our workplaces › diverse users › diverse services › diverse software choices
frank cervone - nsls workshop 11 so you want a wiki - now what?
questions ? [email protected]
frank cervone - nsls workshop 12