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. Key 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:** It’s easy to create links between pages, forming an interconnected knowledge base. - **Lightweight markup:** Simple markup languages (such as WikiText or Markdown) are used to format pages. - **Permission settings:** Wikis may allow public editing or restrict changes to registered or authorized users. - **Discussion pages:** Dedicated discussion pages enable contributors to coordinate and discuss content. Common uses - Crowd-sourced knowledge resources (e.g., Wikipedia) - Project docs and corporate knowledge repositories - Group writing and collaborative note-taking - School and instructional projects Advantages - **Fast collaboration:** Many people can collaborate and iterate quickly on content. - **Openness:** Visibility into edits and discussions shows how decisions were reached. - **Expandable:** They scale organically as users add more pages and topics. Cons - **Vandalism and false information:** Open contribution can result in deliberate or accidental misinformation. - **Inconsistent quality:** Entries may vary in accuracy, style, and completeness. - **Organizational issues:** Without clear governance, content may become fragmented or disputed. Example - **Wikipedia** — the best-known wiki, run by the Wikimedia Foundation and built by volunteer contributors worldwide.</p>