Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Some Wiki sites to help you get started!

First of all here is how you set up a Wiki: This information is from http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Wiki which also has lots of information on tips as well. Well worth checking it out!

Decide which features you want your wiki to have. There are several software packages available that have slightly different features. If you have a general idea of which features you want, you can start researching the different options and make your selection.
Research the various available software packages (see External Links below) and take a look at a few sites that operate on these systems. For instance, Mediawiki is the software that Wikipedia currently uses. If you would like the feature set that Wikipedia has, you would probably choose this one. MediaWiki is derived from UseModWiki, a wiki engine that is also publicly available and that has a simple interface and is used on some of the sites that WikiWikiWeb, the first wiki, considers its "sister sites." Other popular sites use TikiWiki.
Choose how you want to host your wiki. In most cases, you will want your wiki to be accessible from the Internet, so you will have to either find a hosting package that offers a wiki or meets the requirements for building your own wiki. Keep in mind the following:
Most wikis require an environment that has MySQL, PHP and Apache to be run effectively, but other configurations are supported since there are several packages to choose from.
If you are very ambitious, you can consider getting your own dedicated server to host your wiki. This generally provides much more flexibility for your wiki, but is way more expensive.
Several free wiki hosting sites are available and relatively easy to set up (see External Links).
Carefully and thoroughly read through the instructions that accompany your wiki regarding the configuration. Sometimes you'll be required to change your Apache configuration or add MySQL databases and tables. Some wikis will have a configuration page that you can submit all of your relevant values and the page will set everything up for you.
Develop community guidelines and a focus for your wiki. Clearly present this information to visitors so that they have a basis through which to view and contribute to the wiki.
Spread the word about your wiki. Start by e-mailing fellow employees or contacting friends. Initially you can expect that your wiki will grow slowly, probably slower than you would like. Establishing a user base is a big challenge and finding dedicated users who are inspired by your ideas in the early phases can be quite difficult.
Most importantly, have fun with your wiki and enjoy the information that is being communicated between people! The Internet was built in order to facilitate communication and the wiki is currently one of the most effective environments for collecting and sharing information. Congratulations on starting your own!

Other sites about how to set up a Wiki:

http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Wiki
www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2006/03/how_to_set_up_your_own_persona.html
http://http://blogs.atlassian.com/news/2006/10/where_do_i_star.html

And there are many more!!!

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