Some background information about wikis!

What's the difference between a wiki, a blog and a forum?What about GoogleDocs?

A blog is like an open diary. It is a way for one person to share their information with many. You can get/give replies or comments, but it's managed and updated by one entity.

A forum is like a chat room. Again, one entity is in charge and monitors the forum. Participants can share ideas and create new topics.

A wiki is a way for many people to work together to create a project or website. More than one person can have editorship of the wiki; editing rights are given by the entity creating the wiki. There can be varying levels of editorship on a pbwiki, so some participants may have more ability to create/change content than others.

Google docs is a way for a group of people to work together on documents and presentations. Although the formats are limited compared to MS Office, anyone granted access to a file can work on that file at any time - and several people can work together on a file simultaneously in real-time.

What is a wiki? What's it supposed to do?

A wiki is a simple website that is easy to edit and add files to. Watch the video below for a brief overview:

Why PBworks? Are there other wiki places out there?

I've chosen to use PBworks because it is the site I've had the most experience with. Also, they offer a lot of perks for educators. You can go to this link for more information, in general: http://pbworks.com

Some other free wiki sites are listed below. I haven't used them, so I can't say how easy they are to use:

• www.wikidot.com
• www.wikispaces.com
• www.wetpaint.com
• www.wiki.zoho.com

When selecting a wiki host, you should check how well they secure your information. Some questions to consider:

• What options do you have for public vs private viewing (in other words, can you determine who gets to see your content)?
• How well do they backup the sites?
• How easy is it to undo changes or track what collaborators are doing on the wiki?
• Is the site ad-supported, and how much space do these ads take up?
• Is personal information collected from wiki-collaborators (namely, email addresses) kept confidential and not shared with advertisers?
• What are my options for organizing information?
• Do I have any options on how others can view, use, edit or comment on my pages? 
  

How do I get a wiki?

With PBworks, you just go to the main site and type in a name for your wiki. You'll be asked to give your email and to supply a password for yourself.

With PBworks now, you create a wiki but you should also create your own profile. You'd use your email and a password - then, whatever wikis you create or subscribe to will be listed under this profile. It makes logging in to individual wikis easier.

What's the difference between a free and a for-pay wiki?

Again, I can only comment about PBworks. For this site, you get more storage and better organisational options. Also, there are ads that come with a basic, free wiki - such as this one - but only if the wiki is "public". No ads are placed on a private wiki, even if it's free, with PBworks.

You can compare the PBworks education version features and price plans here: http://pbworks.com/content/edu-classroom-teachers

In general, I've found the free wiki to be sufficient for most class uses. However, there are many chances to upgrade for free (see the link at the bottom of the homepage for one).

What should I know before I start making my wiki?

Just like any project, you should have a clear idea of ...

• What is the purpose of the wiki - class page, student project, teaching team collaboration site.
• Who should have access to your wiki, and what sort of access that should be.
• What kinds of files, images and links you may be including.

These points will help you figure out how to set up and organise your wiki. Like many projects, the more organised you are at the start, the easier things are later on.

Setting up the wiki can take very little time (basic information page) or quite a lot of time (a classroom wiki which will be used for multiple classes and several linked projects). Sometimes you can tweak a simple wiki, but often it's easier to start from scratch.

Good luck! Please add questions below in the comments and I will try to update this page. You can also go here for more help at PBwiki.