Wiki: Pedia

<p>Wikis are websites built for collaborative authoring, allowing numerous contributors to add, edit, and structure content online. Simplicity and openness are central to wikis: anyone can often add or change pages without technical knowledge, and edits are usually logged for review or rollback. Main features - **Collaborative editing:** Several contributors can edit pages, sometimes at the same time. - **Edit history:** Each change is logged with a time and the editor’s name or IP. - **Interlinking:** Links between pages are simple to create, helping build connected content. - **Lightweight markup:** Pages are typically formatted with lightweight markup like WikiText or Markdown. - **Permission settings:** Access controls vary — from fully open editing to permissions for certain users or groups. - **Discussion pages:** Dedicated discussion pages enable contributors to coordinate and discuss content. Typical uses - Community knowledge bases such as Wikipedia - Internal documentation and company knowledge bases - Group writing and collaborative note-taking - School and instructional projects Pros - **Fast collaboration:** Many people can collaborate and iterate quickly on content. - **Openness:** Edit histories and talk pages reveal how content decisions were made. - **Expandable:** Wikis can grow naturally as contributors add new topics. Cons - **Vandalism and false information:** Open editing may allow intentional or accidental inaccuracies. - **Inconsistent quality:** Content quality may vary widely between pages. - **Organizational issues:** Poor coordination or governance can cause content fragmentation and disputes. Notable example - **Wikipedia** — a well-known wiki operated by the Wikimedia Foundation and written by volunteers around the globe.</p>