Wiki

Definition

Wiki comes from the Hawaiian word for 'quick'. The wiki format allows for the efficient and exploratory contruction of knowledge by a community of participants, regardless of geography.

"Wiki.org defines wiki as "the simplest online database that could possibly work." Inspired by Apple's HyperCard programming environment, the first wiki software was created in 1995 by Ward Cunningham as a way to manage the Portland Pattern Repository's site content. Named after wiki-wiki, the Hawaiian word for quick, wikis are essentially Web pages that anyone — or at least anyone with permission — can create or edit".

The first wiki was launched on March 25, 1995 by Ward Cunningham as part of the Portland Pattern Repository. This wiki, often referred to as 'Ward's Wiki', still runs on Cunningham's site at http://c2.com.

With wikis, knowledge doesn't get buried in emails, locked into file systems, hard drives or servers, intranets or extranets, or closed in more specialised data management systems and knowledge management systems. Unlike blogs, Wiki’s age well. They evolve and grow more complex and nuanced and useful over time.

A Dictionary of Cyborg Anthropology was created entirely on MediaWiki and was compiled programmatically using PodPress for MediaWiki. All content relating to this book, or composing this book can be edited and updated online at http://cyborganthropology.com. MediaWiki powers Wikipedia.org, and it is free and open source.