In 1994, Ward Cunningham created an online, publicly editable knowledge base called WikiWikiWeb, the first of its kind. The name WikiWikiWeb came from a memory of his experience at Honolulu International Airport, where he took the Wiki Wiki Shuttle, which is a bus that runs between the airport’s multiple terminals. Wiki Wiki is a reduplication of the Hawaiian word “wiki”, which means quick. The word wiki has now been changed over the years to mean a website that allows collaborative editing of its content and structure by its users. However, wikis have come far since WikiWikiWeb’s glory days.
One of the most popular websites on the internet, with nearly 1 billion page views every day, is Wikipedia, an online wiki-based encyclopedia project. With over 6.7 million content pages, more than 46 million registered users, and nearly 1.2 billion edits, it is the largest wiki in the world as well as one of the largest compendiums of human knowledge in existence. But not all wikis are focused on providing information on science or history. Many wikis are focused on providing information about more niche topics, such as certain video games or subcultures. Some are even compendiums of fan-made content relating to certain franchises. Some are even focused on pushing certain political agendas, such as Conservapedia, which is one of the most inaccurate and biased repositories of information online. Regardless of the focus of the specific wiki though, one thing remains the same throughout all: the spirit of the community.
The community is the critical component which holds up each and every wiki. Countless editors are needed to keep updating wikis with new information, verify past information, and revert vandalism. Wikis are built and maintained by these editors, and depth of collaboration is the most important factor in successfully running one. It is that mutual symbiosis which makes editing a wiki so enjoyable, as you get the opportunity to positively work with someone else on a project which is tied to a mutual interest. Wikis can help you find a community of like-minded people. But the most fun part of editing a wiki, is feeling like you have contributed to something larger than yourself, no matter how niche the subject.
Of course, editing isn’t always enjoyable. Sometimes there are disputes over how content should be organized, or frustrations due to repeated attempts at vandalism. However, the community will be there to help and support you in your battles, as they know what it takes to collaborate. I’ve edited many wikis, with a variety of roles and levels of experience, and amassed thousands of edits. I’ve been an active contributor on wikis of varying size and popularity, with the largest having nearly 200,000 visitors every day, and the smallest receiving less than 50 every day. In every case, it has always been the community that has motivated me to keep editing.
Overall, building a wiki is a community process. It requires collaboration, which, though difficult, is super rewarding. Next time you see an article on Wikipedia that has been vandalized, or a page on an obscure wiki missing information, step up and fix it. Whatever community you join, they’ll be glad to have you!
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