Things To Consider Before Creating Your Own Wiki

Plus some helpful after creation tips

When it comes to a truly successful example of a wiki,Wikipediastands tall above all others. Both the largest and most popular, Wikipedia’s content is contributed, edited, and maintained by volunteers from every corner of the globe.

Boasting over 530 million readers each month, it’s not hard to understand why it currently sits in the top ten of the most popular websites in the world. But what exactly is a Wiki and how does one become successful?

A Wiki is a computer-based tool used for communicating and collaborating with others within a centrally-located, content management system. Coined from the Hawaiian term for “quick,” a Wiki allows teams and organizations to collect vast amounts of knowledge, gathered from several varying resources, and redistribute said knowledge onto a site for all to see.

Readers can then enjoy all content on a specific topic and, if granted permission, edit and add their own knowledge on the subject in a collaborative effort. Any recorded errors in the content can be quickly fixed and kept up-to-date.

Things To Consider Before Creating Your Own Wiki

Creating a wiki isn’t as difficult as one might think. An idea, internet access, and hosting for the site is really all you need. However, anyone hoping to create a successful one will need to understand a few things prior to getting started.

A wiki makes it easy for teams to collaborate on projects, share notes and ideas, and contribute resources. They are ideal for capturing information that is continuously evolving but can also be used to share notes and compare thoughts based on multiple perspectives.

To ensure that a wiki is the best tool for your needs you’ll want to establish a solid answer to the following questions:

For any of these questions left unanswered or uncertain, a wiki may not be the best project for your needs. A wiki must evolve as they are not beneficial as a static document. For those, I would suggest a blog.

A wiki, in order to be successful, should also have a team behind it. Opening it up to the public can only benefit the project in the long run as updated information can come at any time from anywhere. If your intent is to share sensitive knowledge between colleagues, a wiki is definitely not what you’re looking for.

Figure out the purpose for your wiki, establish answers to the above questions, and only then decide if it’s the right thing for you and your team or organization.

Once the purpose of your wiki is clear, you can decide on the software and hosting options. There are many at your disposal and the purpose of the wiki can help you identify the right options moving forward.

Low budget teams may prefer the free approach with the likes ofWikia,WikiDot, andMediaWiki. These particular hosting sites allow you to build a wiki from the ground up. Paid services, likeCentral DesktopandSame Page, will give you the tools and templates needed to get started right away.

There’s a site you can use,WikiMatrix, that will help you compare your options to find the best wiki that will fit your needs. For privately hosted wikis, some sites will usually offer up software, likeTikiWiki(free) andTwiki(paid, one-time fee) that can help you get started.

Imitation may be the greatest form of flattery. Unfortunately, in the documentation business, that can also be considered plagiarism. When discovering your wiki’s purpose, take a gander at other wikis already online. You should be focused on being the only source of information on your given topic.

What you’ll want to look for are duplicates by checking every wiki hosting site. It would be rather pointless to create an entirely “new” wiki on a subject already being covered. A wiki was meant for collaboration so if you have more information to provide than that which is found on an already established site, ask to be let in on the project.

If you like the look of another’s wiki setup, don’t be afraid to copy the styles and templates featured there. Content copying is plagiarism, duplicating the appearance is not. Just be sure that your wiki stays consistent in both content and appearance to not confuse your audience.

The members familiar with wikis will likely be eager to share their knowledge in helping grow the project. Those unfamiliar may be more reluctant to chime in. Newcomers can often be put off by editing documents others have created. That, on top of the markup code used in formatting may force them into hiding.

Make those members feel more comfortable by offering to train them on how to use the tools a wiki provides. Create a cheat sheet of markup characters for those having issues in formatting text. Allow the more ambivalent members to write and edit a “practice” wiki until they become more confident in their abilities.

The team will be far more efficient in article creation if they learn some basic wiki syntax beforehand. This allows easy page edits without the need for any guided editors.

A strong team will guarantee a strong wiki, making it much more likely to become successful.

After Creation Tips

A wiki is a live document and therefore must be maintained in order for it to evolve. Rewarding your team members and those of the collaborative community will encourage them to take ownership of the wiki and keep it up-to-date.

Once you’ve created your own wiki, get the word out about your wiki to continue its upward growth. Promote it on forums, social media, YouTube, etc. This can only push more visitors to the wiki and potentially more collaborators willing to see it flourish.

Former US Army IT communications specialist who began his online blogging career in 2016. Joseph has over 10 years experience in the IT industry as both an analyst and communications expert. He’s a night owl and an avid Red Bull consumer who spends most of his downtime enthralled by online gaming and website building.Read Joseph’s Full Bio

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