A Wiki ([ˈwɪ.kiː] <WICK-ee> or [ˈwiː.kiː] <WEE-kee>) is a web application that allows users to add content, as on an Internet forum, but also allows anyone to edit the content. Wiki also refers to the collaborative software used to create such a website. The word Wiki is originally a Hawaiian word, meaning Fast. Wikis are an example of Commons-based peer production.
History of Wikis[]
In 1994, the world's first wiki known as WikiWikiWeb was developed by Ward Cunningham, and was launched on March 25th, 1995, on c2.com. Developer Ward Cunningham named WikiWikiWeb after the Honolulu airport employee instructed him to use the Wiki Wiki shuttle buses that transport travelers between the airport's terminals. Ward discribed his thinking on this process,
"I chose wiki-wiki as an alliterative substitute for 'quick' and thereby avoided naming this stuff quick-web." 1
On March 15 2007, Wiki officially received status as a word of the English language, after it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Notable Wikis[]
- Wikipedia, A free encyclopedia, covering a very large range of topics. - Wikipedia.com
- Wikia (formerly Wikicities), a wikifarm, or group of wikis relating to a spectrum of online communities or topics. - Wikia.com
- WikiWikiWeb, the oldest wiki on the web, relating to computer programming. - WikiWikiWeb
- wikiHow, a wiki containing how-to guides and information. - wikiHow.com