Fresh & New(er)

discussion of issues around digital media and museums by Seb Chan

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Comparing WIki software

December 3rd, 2006 by Seb Chan

WikiMatrix is a very eat way of comparing the difference features of the ever growing multitude of wiki solutions on offer. You can compare technical features, server requirements, license terms and much more.

One of the biggest problems for those implementing wikis in their organisations is the unfamiliarity of the language used to write wiki posts – especially for non-technical users. Thus, WikiMatrix’s ability to compare the synatx used for common functions such as hyperlinking and text formatting is a really nice comparison feature. After all, at the end of the day with social software there is not much point implementing a technically sophisticated, open source and technically flexible solution if your users have no idea how to do the simplest data entry on the resulting site.

At the Powerhouse Museum we have been experimenting a bit with wiki software and are possibly going to be trialling a solution for our intranet – but the sticking point has been the data entry language more than anything else.

We will be watching the Horowhenua Library Trust’s Kete project with interest to see how their community takes up their wiki-styled solution.

Have you implemented a successful wiki solution? Tell us in the comments as we’d love to hear from you.

Tags: 2 Comments

  • http://www.smm.org/buzz bryan kennedy

    We’ve started using a couple wikis. Mainly we’ve started with Media Wiki since it seems to have the largest set of features. I experimented with JotSpot a bit but never liked the feel of it too much. I also wasn’t comfortable with all of my info living on someone else’s server.

    What I really wish I could use is Tiddly Wiki. It is the easiest to edit, format, and link together that I’ve used. Alas, it is really a personal one user wiki and even the server side versions. It doesn’t stand up to well to multiple people editing the same pages and doesn’t have any version control interface. But man is it easy to use.

  • http://virtualvisits.edublogs.org Chris Lawrence

    Here at the New York Hall of Science we have started an education department wiki via wikispaces that so far in its first month of life has worked well. Many in the staff have joined, posted and edited. Already it houses projects, staff forms, updates from various smaller departments and provides us with a communal space to understand eachother better. It remains to be seen if we can keep up the momentum, but so far I have been encouraged.