Wikipatterns

Appendix A. Questions & Answers

When people are thinking about how they might use a wiki, they'll have a lot of questions about basic editing issues, privacy of information, how the wiki works in relation to email and other tools, and how to get started. Answering these questions is key to getting to that all-important first edit — the moment when they actually start using the wiki. Here are some questions I've been asked at various workshops, conferences, and by people whose wiki adoption I've advised.

Someone else can change what I wrote?

Yes. The basic function of a wiki is to enable people to collaboratively create and edit content using a website that can be easily edited using just a web browser. Within an organization's wiki, who can see and change what you've written is determined by who has access to the same wiki space as you, which is often just the people working on the same team or project as you.

Although it can seem disconcerting at first, this is what makes wiki collaboration so powerful. The technical ability to easily make changes to what someone else has written raises the personal and social responsibility to make those changes in a way that respects what others have done. Therefore, when someone makes a change to something you've written, it's incumbent upon them to do things like leaving a comment about the changes they've made (this is good practice especially with regard to significant changes), and making their changes in a way that builds on the best of what ...