Wiki

 
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Create a user-editable website ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki wiki]).
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Create a website that visitors can edit through their web browsers.  
=== What Problem This Solves  ===
=== What Problem This Solves  ===
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Creating and maintaining a large website of resources is difficult and expensive.
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It is difficult and expensive to create and maintain a large website of resources.  
=== When to Use This Pattern  ===
=== When to Use This Pattern  ===
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Edit this. Describe the user or business context/environment in which this pattern should be used.  
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Use this pattern when you need to create a large resource-based website or documentation project, and have (or can attract) a large audience with knowledge of the subject domain. This pattern works for internal projects too (e.g. intranets, software documentation) if knowledge is spread throughout the organization.
=== What's The Solution?  ===
=== What's The Solution?  ===
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Edit this. Describe the solution, in detailed steps and with accompanying images if necessary.  
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Use a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki Wiki] to enable mass collaboration.
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#Choose Wiki software suitable for your audience; typically, this is a trade-off between flexibility and ease of use. Some users may already be familiar with [http://www.mediawiki.org/ MediaWiki], the software behind Wikipedia.
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#Configure the software. Lock it down if necessary: some wiki software allows anonymous contributions by default - you may want to force registration and a valid email address to decrease spam edits. You may also need to install additional extensions; this wiki, for example, uses a [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:FCKeditor_(Official) WYSIWYG Editor Extension] to make editing easier for non-technical users.
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#Make a start. Demonstrate the structure and quality of articles that you expect by adding the first few entries. If supported by your wiki software, create a template or boilerplate to help guide the structure of new articles (this wiki uses the [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:NewArticleTemplates NewArticleTemplates extension] for MediaWiki).
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#Create a maintenance schedule. Wikis aren't 100% self-sustaining, and require some regular maintenance to ensure quality standards and consistency. Most wikis allow you to subscribe to an RSS feed or Email alerts for [[Special:RecentChanges|Recent Changes]]. Put some time aside each day (this may just be 10 minutes) to skim through the changes and edit where necessary.
=== Why Use This Pattern  ===
=== Why Use This Pattern  ===
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Edit this. Describe the user and business benefits for this pattern, with links to evidence or additional research data if available.  
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*It's a relatively cheap and easy way to document group knowledge.  
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*No predetermined structure; the information can grow organically to accomodate changes, at page and IA level.
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*Empowering and loyalty-building ("''if you don't like it, change it''").
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*Every revision is kept, building a useful archive.
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*Changes or corrections can be made faster than through a structured internal publication process.
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*Users can document what they need, rather than what you think they need.
=== References  ===
=== References  ===
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=== Examples Gallery  ===
=== Examples Gallery  ===
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[[Image:Wikitravel-wiki.png|thumb|left|WikiTravel - a wiki-powered travel guide website]]<br>
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[[Image:Wikitravel-wiki.png|thumb|left|WikiTravel - a wiki-powered travel guide website]]<br>  
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=== Categories<br> ===
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=== Categories<br> ===
[[Category:Social]]
[[Category:Social]]

Latest revision as of 07:57, 16 January 2011