December 15, 2005
Wikipedia as accurate as Britannica
CNN has posted a study that states Wikipedia is as accurate as Britannica in covering scientific information. This is amazing.
I have on many occasions described what Wikipedia is to people who immediately question the validity of information the site. "There's no way to know it's accurate" they say. Even after I describe the obsessive nature of the web of people that contribute, edit and patrol the site, they doubt it's credibility because there's not an official brand name behind it.
While the study shows the site is not perfect, it does go a long way in showing how effective open access sites can be. So - feel free to let you kids research their science projects on the Wikipedia.
Posted by kpoor at 02:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 18, 2005
Free, easy to use Wiki
Like most new technologies, I've found that the best way to introduce wikis to my colleagues is to just use them. I recently discovered Writeboard, which is an extremely easy to use wiki. Its free and takes about 2 minutes to get up and running. I'm working on a proposal with a coworker and Writeboard has proven to be a useful collaborative tool. The ability to look at previous versions is particularly helpful.
While wiki is still a term that I think some shy away from as "a new technology that I don't have time to learn", by just sending a link to a writeboard they can start using it before they even know they are using a wiki. Mission accomplished.
Posted by kpoor at 08:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 07, 2005
Using Wikis for PR
Mike Manual at Media Guerrilla has and excellent repurposed post on how and why wikis can be put to use by PR firms. I've been playing with a few of the wiki services such as JotSpot and EditMe in preparation of introducing the tool to my colleagues.
Mike lays out the pain points in a typical PR workflow process that can be eliminated by using wiki technology. As he describes them:
Versionitis – When too many people make too many changes to one email attachment and you’re left wondering “which one is the latest?”
Email Exhaustion – When the sheer volume of email in your inbox exhausts your capacity as a mortal to effectively read and/or reply to important messages in a timely manner.
Consistent Inconsistency – When the members of your team are dependent on consistent access to info via inconsistent methods (e.g., email, IM, file servers, etc.). Also see versionitis.
He also discussed the less than easy process of getting colleagues to adopt the technology, providers of wikis and when to possibly use one.
With regards to the workflow process, I'm sure most companies run into these same problems and could improve efficiencies by using wikis internally. Those within organizations that introduce the technology may one day be considered heroes.
Posted by kpoor at 04:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 05, 2005
Intranets vs Wikis?
After reading a recent post on Active Voice regarding Intranets and Wikis, I was struck by the "versus" nature of the post. Intranets vs. Wikis. Both of these tools have their strengths, as the post points out, but it seems the argument is for one or the other.
I think that the best employee communications environment would be one that combines these two technologies. Content that is best suited for one to many distribution could use the traditional intranet platform while subjects and information that would benefit from group collaboration should use Wiki technology.
These, of course, should exist in a single, integrated environment. If any one works for a company or has an example of this type of solution or any other that combines traditional intranet technology with emerging tools please comment and let me know. I'd like to kepp an ongoing list of how companies are experimenting in this area.
Posted by kpoor at 01:45 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
