Working Together Online

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Working Together Online

• The wiki way

Paul Treadwell CCE IT May 2006
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A breath before taking the plunge

• All we are really going to talk about now is
  working together. Wikis are another tool we can
  make use of to do what we do best
• What are wikis like? And how do they compare to
  some other tools we use?

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Tools for Collaboration

• Mailing Lists
• Discussion Boards
• Blogs
• a shared on-line journal where people can post
  diary entries about their personal experiences
  and hobbies
• Wikis
• Wiki is a piece of server software that allows
  users to freely create and edit Web page content
  using any Web browser.

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Discussion Boards

• Discussion boards are a virtual space.
• They emulate a conversational model
• A user goes to the discussion

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Mailing Lists aka listservs

• Uses email to distribute communication
• May be moderated
• The discussion is delivered to the user.

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Blogs

• Have authors and readers.
• Readers may comment.
• Can push content out to subscribers.

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Wikis

• Quick and easy content creation and editing.
• Users assume multiple roles. (Author, editor)
• Encourages collaboration

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But what, exactly, is a wiki???

• Its a type of website that allows users to
  easily add, remove, or otherwise edit all
  content, very quickly and easily .
• This ease of interaction and operation makes a
  wiki an effective tool for collaborative writing.
  Wikipedia. Definition of wiki Electronic
  verison Retrieved May 04, 2006 from
  http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki

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Why wiki?

• Wikis have a low learning curve.
• Editing happens in-browser, no special software
  requirements.
• Wikis, by their nature, encourage collaboration.

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WikiNature

• Mark Twain wrote that "continuous improvement is
  better than delayed perfection". Things change a
  wiki, like most web sites, is always under
  construction.
• Over time, the contents become more authoritative
  and more useful to more people, as readers like
  you decide to become authors and contribute.
  WikiNature Retrieved May 5, 2006 from
  http//www.scriptaworks.com/cgi-bin/wiki.sh/PmWiki
  /WikiNature

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If anyone can change anything

• In our use of wikis, this is not generally true.
  We can control access to varying degrees.
• However, the anyone an editor principle has value
  within a collaborative environment.

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SoftSecurity

• SoftSecurity follows from the principles of
• AssumeGoodFaith. People are almost always trying
  to be helpful so, we apply the
  PrincipleOfFirstTrust,
• PeerReview. Your peers can ensure that you don't
  damage the system.
• ForgiveAndForget. Even well-intentioned people
  make mistakes.
• LimitDamage. When unpreventable mistakes are
  made, keep the damage within tolerable limits.
• FairProcess. Kim and Mauborgne's theory that
  being transparent and giving everyone a voice are
  essential management skills.
• NonViolence. Do no violence lest violence seek
  you.
• SoftSecurity. Retrieved May 5, 2006 from
  http//www.usemod.com/cgi-bin/mb.pl?SoftSecurity

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PrincipleOfFirstTrust.

• operate from a AssumeGoodFaith in others from the
  start, and you will in most cases get GoodFaith.
• But, some people are too dense to get it. They
  are the rotten apples that spoil the whole bunch.
  Fortunately, if you trust people enough to
  empower them, SoftSecurity can usually make up
  for any problems.

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Reversible change

• Wikis have built in tools to undo what has been
  done.
• Wikis maintain some number of versions prior in
  its history so that if anyone came along and did
  damage, others could come along and revert the
  page to a previous clean state.

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Enough philosophizing

• Wikis can inspire deep and curvy discussion about
  the nature of collaboration and intent.
• Practically speaking Wikis offer us a quick and
  easy way to collaborate.

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The live demo

• Lets take a look at the process of creating and
  editing content on a wiki
• http//treadwell.cce.cornell.edu/pmwiki/pmwiki.php

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Useful sites

• Meatball Wiki.
• http//www.usemod.com/cgi-bin/mb.pl?MeatballWiki
• Active wiki community. Lots of good philosophy.
• Wikipedia
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki
• Collaboratively constructed online encyclopedia
• WikiMatrix
• http//www.wikimatrix.org/
• Compare features sets of wiki software

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Contact Information

• Paul Treadwell
• pt36_at_cornell.edu
• 356 Roberts Hall
• Cornell Cooperative Extension
• Cornell University
• Ithaca, NY 14853