Week 4: Wikis: Day 1
Not only have you lived this scenario, but I am sure you all love it – right…?
Photo by darkpatator on Flickr
You need to get some feedback on a proposal so you write it up in Microsoft Word and save it on your computer. Then you create a new email message, attach the file, add an introduction and send it off to 4 choice people. They each open it, modify it (with tracking on), save it to their computer, create a new email message, attach the modified file, add a high level explanation of their thoughts and send it back to you. You now have four email messages with four attachments – all of which you open, plus your original one (a total of 5 almost identical documents are now open). Now you cut and paste their changes into your document and save it. You email back two of the four with an explanation or clarification of a question they asked and that starts two separate conversations with follow up emails. You create a new email message, attach the newly revised document and send it back to the four original people for a final look. Two of them respond with an agreement on the document, two of them make more changes, to which you respond by creating…
(Honestly, I could go on, but I am tired of it and I think you know the end of the story.)
STOP THE MADNESS!
How about a new situation. You go online and create a web page (with one click) and type in your information and save it. Four others go to that page, make the changes and comment on those changes – all on the same page. You are alerted when they have done this and you go to the page and review the changes each has made. You edit the page again. They receive a notice that you have edited it again and review it one last time. A couple of them make some more comments.
Done. That is how you might use a WIKI.
Wiki Advantages:
- Constant – realtime
- One place to collaborate
- Searchable / Taggable
- Archived
- Interactive
- Learning increases
A wiki (a Hawaiian word meaning ‘quick’) is an online web page that anyone can edit. So instead of collaborating on one document that lives in many different places, it lives in one place and all the collaboration interaction lives there.
TO DO – Sign up for a Wiki (Difficulty Level: EASY – Time: 5- minutes)
- Go to WetPaint – a free online wiki.
- In the upper right, create a wiki by entering a name for it and the URL (or web address). Create one that compliments the blog you created in Week 1. Remember, using each of these new technologies revolves around a purpose.
- Click “GO!”
- Enter in the information to sign up and click “Sign Up Now”
- That’s it. Play around with it if you would like, or wait for tomorrow…
