If Google did wikis, it would look like Wetpaint
What exactly is a Wiki? And what purpose does it serve?
Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create, edit and link Web page content easily using any Web browser. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites and to power community websites. These wiki websites are often also referred to as wikis. Wikis are being installed by businesses, organizations or groups to provide affordable and effective Intranets and for Knowledge Management. Wiki supports hyperlinks and has a simple text syntax for creating new pages and crosslinks between internal pages on the fly. Wiki is unusual among group communication mechanisms in that it allows the organization of contributions to be edited in addition to the content itself. Like many simple concepts, “open editing” has some profound and subtle effects on Wiki usage. Allowing everyday users to create and edit any page in a Web site is exciting in that it encourages democratic use of the Web and promotes content composition by nontechnical users.
A website is said to be a wiki site if the full content of the site can be edited, added or deleted by the visitors or users visiting the website. So the visitors or users can add contents they like and because of this frequent changes, we get contents on the site which is the taste of the visitors. A wiki is essentially a database for creating, browsing, and searching through information. Being crafted by casual visitors or users, a wiki site therefore is an ongoing process of creation. A collaboration that constantly changes the Web site landscape.
Wiki is one of the many Web 2.0 buzz words thrown around today. And wiki web sites seems to be growing in numbers, both free and paid wikis.
Yes, there are paid wiki. Why paid wikis? Perhaps paid wikis offers more options and features. Maybe? I’ve just scoured the net for both free and paid wiki sites and had a quick study and comparison. Seeing the features and functionality of the free wikis, I don’t understand why would anyone go for a paid wiki when they can have it for free.
Wetpaint.com
Out of the free wiki sites that I’ve checked, the one that really stands out and most likely to succeed is Wetpaint.com. Wetpaint is a free online wiki service with lots of features. WetPaint.com lets you create your very own wiki website in just three simple and easy steps. Usually, a wiki is seen by anyone on the web and invites all users to edit any page or to create new pages within the wiki web site, but with Wetpaint.com you get to set the accessibility of your own wiki site. Wetpaint offers you the option whether to choose your wiki to be public or private. If you prefer your wiki site to be public, anyone on the web can view or discover and join your wiki. If you prefer it to be a private one, it be viewable only by people you invite. Another great feature of WetPaint.com is that you can choose the group of people you want who can edit and add pages to your wiki website. You have the option to choose everyone, anyone who joins your wiki, or only the ones you’ve invited.
If Google did wikis, it would look like Wetpaint, and certainly not a paid one.
Go ahead. Touch the Wetpaint. Craft your free website now.