豆知识 2009-08-09&08-15 Wikis

 These four friends are going on a camping trip. They need to bring the right supplies because they’re backpacking. The group needs to plan and plan well, so coordination 1 is key. They’re all computer users, so they start planning with an email. It starts with one, but quickly becomes a barrage 2. Email is not good at coordinating 3 and organizing a group's input 4. This is the old way. Boo!

 
The important information is scattered 5 across everyone's inbox. This isn't coordination. Let's start over. There is a better way. It requires using a website called a wiki. Using a wiki, the group can coordinate 6 their trip better. This is the new way. Yay! 
 
Most wikis work the same way. They make it easy for everyone to change what appears on a webpage with a click of a button. It’s as easy as erasing 7 a word and rewriting it. The buttons are really important. There are two that are essential. They are 'Edit' and 'Save'. And they are always used together. Let's see them in action.
 
Here are our camping friends and here is a wiki website. Like all wikis, it has an 'Edit' button. All you have to do is to click it and the webpage becomes a document ready for editing. Editing the page means you can add, remove words or change how they look, just like writing a letter. Once you’re finished editing, you can click 'Save' and the document becomes a webpage once again and is ready for the next person to edit it. Easy. Edit, write and save. Using this process, a group can coordinate more easily.
 
Let's apply this to our camping friends who need to bring the right supplies. Mary signs up for a wiki and then sees the new site for the first time. She clicks the 'Edit' button to get started. She creates two lists for camping: what we have and what we need. Under 'We Have', she lists the things she will bring: a cooler, a stove and a flashlight. Under 'We Need', she lists items that others need to bring: compass, lighter 8, water and food. She finishes the process by clicking 'Save' and the website now has lists for the camping trip.
 
Now it’s John's turn. John visits the wiki website and clicks 'Edit'. The page becomes a document ready for him to make changes. John volunteers to bring food and water, so he moves those to the have column. He also realizes the group will need a knife and a rope. Once he's finished, he clicks 'Save' and the wiki is ready for the next person.
 
Henry visits the wiki, clicks 'Edit' so he can edit the page. He remembers they need a tent. Henry saves the page and the wiki is ready for Frank. Frank edits the page and agrees to bring the remaining items, completing the process. He saves the page and then realizes something awesome 9. The group has created the perfect camping list, without email. Yay! 
 
But wait! One thing is missing. They need a location for the campsite! The wiki can help with this, too, but another page is needed.
 
John visits the wiki and clicks 'Edit' to edit the page. He types in the word 'Locations' and highlights it. He then clicks the 'Link' button. This changes the word 'Locations' into a link to a new page. John clicks 'Save' and next, Frank visits the wiki. He sees the lists and clicks on the 'Locations' link to arrive at the new page. This new page enables the group to use the same “Edit, Write, Save” process to coordinate locations. This process can be repeated over and over.
 
These three buttons, 'Edit, 'Save' and 'Link' make it possible to organize a great camping trip, or create the world's biggest encyclopedia 10.