wiks:wikis

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wiks:wikis [2026/03/16 11:05] – created Katja Durraniwiks:wikis [2026/04/01 14:38] (current) – [Specialist curators of this topic] Simon Grant
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-# Wikis+This topic is part of [[gt:digital|Digital & media]]. 
 +====== Wikis ======
  
  
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-## What are wikis?+===== What are wikis? =====
  
 Wikis are software packages that make it as easy as possible to edit material online, so that there can be an information [commons](/comg/commoning), which will include a community of maintainers to effectively check, add to and update information, plus a set of rules for the community to abide by. Without an effective community, there is no information commons. Wikis are software packages that make it as easy as possible to edit material online, so that there can be an information [commons](/comg/commoning), which will include a community of maintainers to effectively check, add to and update information, plus a set of rules for the community to abide by. Without an effective community, there is no information commons.
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 ![](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/ward-cunningham.jpg) ![](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/ward-cunningham.jpg)
 <caption> <caption>
- Ward cunningham, US programmer and inventor of the wiki, in 1995. Pic: [Carrigg Photography](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ward_Cunningham_-_Commons-1.jpg), [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)+ [[wp>Ward Cunningham]], US programmer and inventor of the wiki, in 1995. Pic: [Carrigg Photography](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ward_Cunningham_-_Commons-1.jpg), [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
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-### History+==== History ====
  
-The first wiki / user-editable website was (and still is) [WikiWikiWeb](https://wiki.c2.com/?WikiWikiWeb), launched by [Ward Cunningham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_Cunningham) in 1995. He named his idea after the Hawaiian word for ‘quick’.+The first wiki / user-editable website was (and still is) [WikiWikiWeb](https://wiki.c2.com/?WikiWikiWeb), launched by [[wp>Ward Cunningham]] in 1995. He named his idea after the Hawaiian word for ‘quick’.
  
 Wikipedia was launched in 2001, by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, and is in the top ten most visited websites in the world, with versions in almost all languages, and around 6 million articles in English alone. Wikipedia was launched in 2001, by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, and is in the top ten most visited websites in the world, with versions in almost all languages, and around 6 million articles in English alone.
  
-There are now hundreds of thousands of wikis in existence. One of our favourites is the [P2P Foundation Wiki](https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Main_Page), set up in 2006 by [Michel Bauwens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Bauwens), to help organise his extensive notes on commons / peer-to-peer production, and to open them up to other people to maintain.+There are now hundreds of thousands of wikis in existence. One of our favourites is the [P2P Foundation Wiki](https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Main_Page), set up in 2006 by [[wp>Michel Bauwens]], to help organise his extensive notes on commons / peer-to-peer production, and to open them up to other people to maintain.
  
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-## What are the benefits of wikis?+===== What are the benefits of wikis? =====
  
 Wikis are suitable for holding an information commons, and making it easy to run (although it’s also possible to have a top-down corporate wiki that’s not a commons, where content is dictated by one person or a small group of people, undemocratically). Wikis are suitable for holding an information commons, and making it easy to run (although it’s also possible to have a top-down corporate wiki that’s not a commons, where content is dictated by one person or a small group of people, undemocratically).
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-## What can I do?+===== What can I do? =====
  
-### Using a wiki+==== Using a wiki ====
  
-Wikipedia is the obvious choice for unbiased, evidence-based information. The community is so large that bias is usually edited out; and if there’s no evidence base for claims, it often says so clearly. So in the entries for ‘Psychic’ or ‘Dowsing’, for example, in the first paragraph it says that although there are many practitioners, there is no scientific evidence for their claims.+Wikipedia is the obvious choice for unbiased, evidence-based information. The community is so large that bias is usually edited out; and if there’s no evidence base for claims, it often says so clearly. So in the Wikipedia entries for ‘[[wp>Psychic]]’ or ‘[[wp>Dowsing]]’, for example, in the first paragraph it says that although there are many practitioners, there is no scientific evidence for their claims.
  
 However, although easy to use, the information on Wikipedia, for many technical topics, is not necessarily for beginners. There will be links to other related topics – and from those pages there will be other links, and so soon you can lose track of the original topic. There is a ‘[Simple English Wikipedia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page)’, that is more accessible for beginners in complex subjects. However, although easy to use, the information on Wikipedia, for many technical topics, is not necessarily for beginners. There will be links to other related topics – and from those pages there will be other links, and so soon you can lose track of the original topic. There is a ‘[Simple English Wikipedia](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page)’, that is more accessible for beginners in complex subjects.
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-### Editing a wiki+==== Editing a wiki ====
  
 Wikipedia editors can either register or remain anonymous. Others are invite-only (e.g. the P2P Foundation Wiki) or controlled / used by just one person. Wikipedia editors can either register or remain anonymous. Others are invite-only (e.g. the P2P Foundation Wiki) or controlled / used by just one person.
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-### Building a wiki+==== Building a wiki ====
  
 First, decide if it’s already covered by Wikipedia, or do you have a different angle? If you do, and you have a website, ask your web host if they allow MediaWiki as an installation. Ask them to install it for you (building your own wiki is beyond a basic topic introduction). You’ll get a subdomain – e.g. wiki.yourwebsite.etc. plus admin rights. Administering a wiki, including managing contributors, is quite a techie role; but the important thing is to weave contributors into a commoning community. First, decide if it’s already covered by Wikipedia, or do you have a different angle? If you do, and you have a website, ask your web host if they allow MediaWiki as an installation. Ask them to install it for you (building your own wiki is beyond a basic topic introduction). You’ll get a subdomain – e.g. wiki.yourwebsite.etc. plus admin rights. Administering a wiki, including managing contributors, is quite a techie role; but the important thing is to weave contributors into a commoning community.
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-### Fedwikis+==== Fedwikis ====
  
 A [Fedwiki](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/infoarticle/fedwikis/) (federated wiki), also invented by Ward Cunningham, is a new kind of wiki in that each Fedwiki has a single owner / editor, unlike Wikipedia. Each author can pull content from any Fedwiki and can make new or modified content available as a peer of every other Fedwiki author. Fedwiki has no shared repository - just shared tools, and access and reuse rights to published content that are ‘flat’. Fedwiki has no rules (just some conventions of page style) and no community of Wikipedian moderators. These features mean that there is a focus on creativity, autonomy and collaboration rather than consensus / authority. A [Fedwiki](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/infoarticle/fedwikis/) (federated wiki), also invented by Ward Cunningham, is a new kind of wiki in that each Fedwiki has a single owner / editor, unlike Wikipedia. Each author can pull content from any Fedwiki and can make new or modified content available as a peer of every other Fedwiki author. Fedwiki has no shared repository - just shared tools, and access and reuse rights to published content that are ‘flat’. Fedwiki has no rules (just some conventions of page style) and no community of Wikipedian moderators. These features mean that there is a focus on creativity, autonomy and collaboration rather than consensus / authority.
  
  
-## Further resources+===== Forum ===== 
 + 
 +This topic belongs to the section [[gt:digital|Digital & media]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/digital). 
 + 
 +===== Further resources =====
  
 - [What are wikis](https://business.tutsplus.com/tutorials/what-are-wikis-and-why-should-you-use-them--cms-19540) - and how do they differ from knowledge bases? - [What are wikis](https://business.tutsplus.com/tutorials/what-are-wikis-and-why-should-you-use-them--cms-19540) - and how do they differ from knowledge bases?
-- [MediaWiki](https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki) - software that runs Wikipedia and many other wikis, that you can download to build your own wiki+- [MediaWiki](https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki) - complex software that runs Wikipedia and many other wikis, that you can download to build your own wiki
 - [WikiIndex](https://wikiindex.org/w/Welcome) - directory of wikis - [WikiIndex](https://wikiindex.org/w/Welcome) - directory of wikis
 - [WikiMatrix](https://www.wikimatrix.org/) - wiki comparison site - find the best wiki for your needs - [WikiMatrix](https://www.wikimatrix.org/) - wiki comparison site - find the best wiki for your needs
 - [Wikimedia Foundation](https://wikimediafoundation.org/) - nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia and our other free knowledge projects - [Wikimedia Foundation](https://wikimediafoundation.org/) - nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia and our other free knowledge projects
-- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki) - wiki+- [Wikipedia](wp>Wiki) - wiki
 - [Appropedia](https://www.appropedia.org/Welcome_to_Appropedia) - sustainability wiki - [Appropedia](https://www.appropedia.org/Welcome_to_Appropedia) - sustainability wiki
 - [Peer-to-Peer Foundation Wiki](https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Main_Page) - peer production wiki and repository of information founded by Michel Bauwens in 2006 - [Peer-to-Peer Foundation Wiki](https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Main_Page) - peer production wiki and repository of information founded by Michel Bauwens in 2006
 - [WikiBooks](https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page) - open-content textbooks - [WikiBooks](https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page) - open-content textbooks
  
-## Related topics+===== Related topics =====
  
 - [[liit:it|Low-impact IT]] - [[liit:it|Low-impact IT]]
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-## Specialist curators of this topic +===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
- +
-- [[p:Simon Grant]] +
  
 +- [[user:asimong|Simon Grant]]
  • wiks/wikis.1773659147.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2026/03/16 11:05
  • by Katja Durrani