Wikis Worries?
Submitted by bethtumbleson on Tue, 2007-02-27 17:33.
What may frighten traditionalists about wikis, is that they can be changed, edited, and rewritten, by somebody else. The polished phrase, the logical sequence, the carefully chosen example may be altered! The hierachical model of the one in charge and in control takes a blow.
Having spoken the dreaded worry aloud, we can move on to acknowledge that there are times when we would all enjoy trusted companions on the journey: a joint project, in-house publication, possible solutions to challenges that face an institution, new programming ideas, curriculum changes, information literacy innovations, etc.
If the intent is to exchange ideas, tips, insider info, unique perspectives, then wikis work well.
It's a new way of working: interactive, participatory, communal, shared ownership. What happens when great minds gather? Synergy!
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One thing a lot of people
One thing a lot of people either don't know or quickly forget is that changes to a wiki don't mean that the old version disappears into the ether. Wikis keep exceedingly careful track of changes, and if a set of changes is bad, it's not difficult to "revert" a page to the old version.
To see this in action, go to the Five Weeks wiki and click on the "history" tab at the top. Select two versions and click the "Compare selected versions" button. You'll see the versions in two columns, with additions in green with a + before them, and deletions in yellow with a - before them.
So you never have to "just live with" a change that turns out to be bad.
Of course, wiki etiquette around changing and reverting changes is a whole 'nother topic...
Thank you for pointing out
Thank you for pointing out the means and methods of keeping "control of content", Dsalo. As I have done the reading, watched the screencasts, and kept up with the blogs, I understand more clearly the levels of security that may be utilized.
I appreciate your taking the time to explain more fully how to trace changes made and histories of pages. This will be a selling point within the organization when it comes time to promote collaboration by wikis!
Beth, i just wanted to say
Beth, i just wanted to say how insightful i found your comment. i plan to try out wikis in my school's sustainability initiative. we are trying to collect information about how environmental topics are being covered, and how we can share resources and move forward.
Go for it
Go for it Tamara!
Curriculum enhancement and students benefit from colleagues communicating and teaming up. Too often teachers are "trapped in class" or planning periods of all concerned parties do not align. Wikis may be just what is needed.
Wikis are an entirely new
Wikis are an entirely new way of looking at collaboration - and it is comforting to know that there are ways to revert back to an original version if some of the changes are not to everyone's liking. I think that is definitely a fear, that changes are permanent and I for one have a certain fear of making changes to an online page - but am hoping to get rid of that fear by using a wiki to collaborate on an upcoming conference presentation with two of my colleagues here at the library. I think it will work perfectly as a space where we can work on collecting research resources as well as work on the editing of our actual presentation. Haven't told my co-presenters about this idea yet... :) but I see this as a great way to integrate this technology here in the library. Plus maybe we can somehow work our experiences with the wiki into our presentation.
Renata Gibson, Public Services Librarian
Great idea Renata! Every
Great idea Renata! Every presentation I've done with other people over the past year I have planned on a wiki (usually PBWiki since they're so easy to set up). It's a great way to share information if you can't meet all the time in person.
We actually planned this course on a wiki! :)
And I always tell people when I give talks on wiki "you can't break a wiki." Version control (as it's called) is what keeps wikis from becoming an all-out free for all.
Renata, You are a brave and
Renata, You are a brave and courageous lifelong learner. I wish you the best on this daring wiki adventure!
This is wonderful, Beth.
This is wonderful, Beth. :)
I remember the first wiki I created -- the ALA Chicago 2005 Wiki. I used to get all sorts of e-mails from people asking me to add stuff for them or asking "would it be ok for me to add ___ to the wiki?" Even though on the front page I wrote "this wiki belongs to all of us" people were very uncomfortable with the idea of adding to a Website where there isn't some central person controlling things. It's just such a different way of thinking.
And that wiki ended up becoming an amazing resource about the conference and Chicago, added to by hundreds of people and utilized by thousands. So much knowledge; so much more than any one of us alone could have collected. A beautiful thing. :)
Meredith, your success
Meredith, your success stories encourage us all to try and to write online for the greater good, using various social software tools. Sometimes sharing where we hit roadblocks or warnings of danger ahead also serve the community. You and the other Five Weeks Administrators inspire, encourage, and lead the way for so many of us.
Thank you for generously sharing your blog posts and wikis-in-use to enlarge our thinking, doing, and daring.
I meet with my co-presenters
I meet with my co-presenters tomorrow and plan on proposing that we collaborate using PbWiki - am sure they will be excited about it. And can't wait to see how it all works out!
I think wikis are just amazing!
Renata Gibson, Public Services Librarian