09/ 20/ 2006
Welcome to the Wiki World
By now, you've probably heard of Wikipedia, the Web-based encyclopedia that allows anyone to add or change content on any page. Run as a nonprofit project by worldwide volunteers, the Web site has become the world's largest online encyclopedia with more than 1.3 million entries contributed by nearly 40,000 individuals. However, because the pages are so easy to change, Wikipedia has also been targeted by pranksters and spammers who take advantage of the site's openness to vandalize some of its pages.
Don't let any controversy surrounding Wikipedia overshadow the potential wikis may provide for your business. The software and approaches being pioneered by Wikipedia users can be used to power a wide range of wiki-based applications for small businesses. Several companies are offering easy-to-set-up wikis you can place on your business' Web site. There are multiple uses--internal and external. Some companies use wikis to help employees manage projects; others like the knowledge-sharing resources that facilitate communication between employees, customers and potential customers.
The first wiki was developed in 1994 by programmer Ward Cunningham, who created an easy-to-read and edit Web site called WikiWikiWeb (which he named after the Hawaiian word "wikiwiki," which means "quick"). His idea was to create a Web page that could be easily edited by anyone who reads it. While the wiki approach is best known for creating an encyclopedia, wikis are used for a wide array of Web-based collaborative endeavors, from creating simple to-do lists to managing complex team projects. And despite the media coverage of the abuses of pages on Wikipedia, a company or individual can set up a secure wiki with password protection and firewall security.
New software and online hosting services are making wiki-type Web sites easier to create and manage. With a few individuals policing the content and serving as administrators, even the largest of wikis are simple to maintain. Customer service-oriented wikis that collect and organize information about products and services are, in some instances, replacing or supplementing other Web-based approaches.
Whether you use wikis maintained by others for research purposes or create and manage a wiki yourself for customers and employees, chances are good that a wiki will be part of your future.
Wiki Ways: 5 Ways to use a wiki in your small business
- Improve the way you track customer-service and support.
- Manage collaborative to-do lists.
- Track internal projects with multiple team members.
- Research ideas using external wikis.
- Share comments and announcements with employees--and allow them to comment, too.
Web Extras
To learn more about wikis in small business, including links to wiki tools that you can add to any Web site, go to the "Web Extras" section of www.NFIB.com/toolsandtips.
