Student Questions
From Wikiexpert
Troy Wibben and Tyler Brown from asked my opinion on some questions for their English class at Heartland Community College in Illinois. Tyler said that the questions involved "local wikis based around cities and towns" Here are their questions, and my answers.
What type of information would you see on a local wiki?
Whatever information people who contribute feel is worthwhile to write about. People typically "write what you know", so a business owner may write about his business, a mom with kids may write about the schools and parks, and a teenager may write about places to hang out.
Do local wiki really help the community?
Wikis can help a community, but only if they are easily accessible and used. It works if you work it.
How reliable is wiki?
Have you ever heard the saying "Garbage In, Garbage Out"? The wiki is only as reliable as the people that contribute. The more contributors you have, it is more likely that bad information will be removed from the wiki. Wikis tend to move from a highly disordered state to an ordered state over time as the number of contributors increase.
What are negative affects wikis can have?
I see three areas that can be "negative", but that can also be mitigated. 1)Increased Noise: A poorly implemented wiki will provide "yet another outlet" for information. Systems thinking says "reduce variation", so, until and unless the wiki reaches critical mass (the point where it is widely adopted), it is contributing to the problem of noise. 2)Barrier To Knowledge: A wiki, as a new communications tool or process, can be perceived as either a) noisy (see above answer) and unreliable (see following answers) or b)to difficult to use. Putting a wiki into place without educating people on how to effectively use it is counter-productive and can be very costly to a complex system such as a company, or community. 3)A properly implemented wiki will impact many areas of a system, especially from the users' point of view. For example, say a city that sets up a wiki as a sort of "notification system." Rather than the city having to maintain a database of emails or phone numbers to notify citizens of changes, the responsibility shifts to the citizens to establish their own rules of notification when information on the wiki is updated. In order for that new process to work, the entire communication system may need to be evaluated. Maybe your Grandma doesn't use the internet, and she still needs a phone call when a tornado is headed your town's way!
How can false information be tracked?
Any good wiki tool will record every interaction with users. If information is put up that is incorrect, anyone who cares to can fix it. One of the philosophies that guides wiki use is it is easier to edit than it is to write.
How does Marketing affect wikis?
To be a bit reductionist about this, Marketing is nothing more than communication. There are two types of communication: Broadcast and Relationship. If you broadcast to the wrong people, you will have no, or negative impact on your end users. If you have relationships with the right people and educate them on systems thinking, they will become good contributors to your wiki.
How can inappropriate information be kept to a minimum?
You can Reduce Noise by Getting the Right People Involved. You can Get the Right People Involved by understanding the System that they are a part of and teach them to avoid "anti patterns", or answers that give the wrong solution.
Conclusion
In conclusion, make sure that the wiki solves a stated business communication problem, and that it does not create a new one! I highly recommend the book Wiki Patterns by Stewart Mader.
