Wikis (also
called WikiWikis or WikiWebs) are collections of websites which cannot
only be read by users but also changed in an easy way. The name wiki
originates from the Hawaiian word for quick.
The creation of texts is easier than the widely spread HTML, and thus
allows computer laymen to participate without any major learning or
writing effort.
Every reader is an author at the same time and can either with or
without registration edit or create texts. Old versions remain
available and the history is traceable.
As the individual articles are oftentimes connected via links, wikis
allow for the development of complex networks of interconnected texts
(hypertext nets). Wikis are often used for a co-operative development
of knowledge databases and a collaborative medium for developing new
topic areas.
An interesting example for the usage of a Wiki is the free encyclopedia
Wikipedia which has been developed by a wide community and is open to
every Internet user.
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