Thursday, February 26, 2009

Thing 12: Wikis


Wikis are wonderful-someone should make that a motto. Many people hate perhaps the greatest wiki of all - Wikipedia, but it's great. It's a fantastic idea.

I know, I know, it's not the best source, but sometimes it may be the only source, or at least the quickest source. I confess, I refer to it a lot, but when I usually get information for others from it, I say something to the effect that I got the information from a source that may not be that reliable.

Let's face it. People want information, and they want it now! Most probably don't care if it's right or not. Wikipedia usually provides a good starting point to find more reliable resources.

The idea is fantastic - provide a platform for anyone to make their contribution. Talk about collaboration and collectivity (is that a word?) to the Xtreme! This can be especially helpful for work groups. I can definitely see wikis useful in libraries or any work setting, including schools. I am disappointed that PB Wiki charges you to create a wiki though. I haven't tried, Wet Paint or Zoho, but they look promising.

A great real life practical example for the wiki includes a PB Wiki currently used for the Sunshine State Leadership Institute (for it's participants). I only wish it was a little more user-friendly. It just takes a while to get used to it and updates aren't always blatantly obvious. (This is coming from a former online student using BlackBoard for library school, however - I liked using Blackboard for school). I was able to use my current login from the Institute for the 23 Things Wiki. Great!

I also recently discovered 2 great wikis that have been started for work on eGovernment in Florida and through ALA. I have yet to become a member, and will, but I haven't found the time yet. On to Thing 13, perhaps the most highly anticipated one yet!

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