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. Common features - **Collaborative editing:** Several contributors can edit pages, sometimes at the same time. - **Edit history:** All edits are stored with timestamps and the author’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:** Access controls vary — from fully open editing to permissions for certain users or groups. - **Discussion pages:** Talk or discussion pages let contributors debate edits and organization. Common uses - Community-driven knowledge bases (for example, Wikipedia) - Project documentation and internal company knowledge repositories - Collaborative writing and shared note-taking - Educational and classroom projects Pros - **Fast collaboration:** Contributors can rapidly create and improve content. - **Openness:** Edit histories and talk pages reveal how content decisions were made. - **Expandable:** Wikis expand easily as contributors add and organize content. Limitations - **Vandalism and false information:** Public editing can lead to vandalism or incorrect information. - **Inconsistent quality:** Entries may vary in accuracy, style, and completeness. - **Organizational issues:** Lack of structure or rules can lead to disorganization and conflicts. Illustration - **Wikipedia** — the largest example, maintained by the Wikimedia Foundation and contributed to by volunteers worldwide.</p>