Creating a Wiki

Brian Lind of the Rochester Public Library presented a workshop Creating a Jimmy Choo Staff Wiki on a Shoestring Budget.

Wiki's were another thing I learned while doing the 23 Things on a Stick this year. I think this “Thing” has lots of great applications for anyone who needs to update phone lists, schedules calendars etc. Everyone is able to update the wiki and all of the information is located in one place.

This would be great for a family planning a wedding, trips etc. Everyone would have input on what to bring or who brings what and others could see and adjust accordingly.

For instance if you are planning a camping trip with three friends and someone starts a list of things to bring in a wiki format. The next person could list what they would bring and the others could add what they will bring so hopefully nothing is missed.

But caution should be used when deciding free vs stand alone.

Free wikis
Pro:use somene else’s server, easy to set up and sign into, troubleshooting advise
Con:server space constraints, potential charge, ads, and backup more difficult.

Stand-alone Wiki’s
Pro:you own then and service them, can backup system, no space limits
Con:hardest to set up and maintain, takes lots of staff time

Things to think about ahead of time:
Coding /WSYIWYG (what you see is what you get)
Paid /free
Ads /no ads

This is a great sharing tool and could have many personal and professional uses. Here are some wiki websites:
http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki
http://pbwiki.com
http://www.wikispaces.com/