Tool: Online Spaces, Web Blogs and Wikis

WIKIS
Wikispaces

Overview

A Wiki is a basic website where numerous linked web pages can be created and edited by many people. The main attribute which sets Wiki’s apart from other websites is its function for any user to be able to quickly edit and save information to the website by the click of a button.  Wiki’s have control settings, whereby some pages can be locked and only edited from privileges set by an administrator. Wiki’s are a simple but effective tool for workplaces and group settings where collaboration between users is paramount for an overall cohesive outcome.

Functionality

Creation

Using Wikispaces.com after creating an account, we first make a homepage which everyone who views the Wiki can see.

Click “New Page” which is located on the left hand side column.

Once clicked, the site will take you to where you can input information for your new page. In the middle of the screen create a “Page Name” for your new page. When typing, the website will automatically create the web address for you below “New Page URL”. You can also add tags to your new page name, so others can find your page when searching i.e. your page maybe called “The Schulze Shopping List” and you have tagged “Schulze”. So when someone comes to look for “Schulze” your page will come up in their search. Once this is filled in, click “Create” to make the page.

Once created, the website will take you to your new page for editing. “The Schulze Shopping List” will come up as a blank page with some basic editing tools shown across the top of the screen.

Example

Building a Basis

The Schulze family are very busy during the week, between the hustle and bustle of work, school, homework and extracurricular activities, there is never a time they can all get together  to create a shopping list. They have decided to make an online shopping list using a Wiki, where all of the family members can express what they need/want to buy when shopping this week, when convenient for them.

As we are creating a shopping list that everyone in my family can access, I decided to start off the page with what I want to go in the shopping basket.

So I can view what the page is going to look like before I press “Save” for all of my family to view. I press the “Preview” button near the “Save” button on the right hand side corner of the Edit Script.

When I click the “Save” button,” The Schulze Shopping List” will look as follows:

So now, the basis of the Wiki for The Schulze Shopping List has been created.

Interaction

Once I have given my relatives the Wiki’s URL, my brother Trent logs on to view the shopping list. He has seen that I have added some items to the list and decided to add some other items to the list. Whilst there he decides to highlight the fact we really should buy some Coke and therefore changes the font and style of the way Coke appears, using the Editing tools located along the top of the script.

He clicks, “Edit” which is located in the top right hand corner of the screen to begin editing.

Once finished editing he clicks the “Save” button as shown:

Later on in the day, Dad decides to come on and look at the Wiki, adding what he wants to the list. Similar to Trent beforehand, Dad clicks “Edit” and the editing script appears, whereby he can do what he wants.

However, the power must have gone to Dad’s head. As I had allowed all my family members full access to the Wiki, Dad was able to delete all the things he didn’t want to buy on the list. Once done, he had clicked “Save”.

Later on in the Day, I decided to log back on and add a few more things to the list, when I had discovered Dad’s dirty deed. Knowing Dad doesn’t like to eat his fruit, I knew he was the culprit! So this didn’t happen again, I changed the pages privileges so the family members can only add information and not delete it.

Once fixed the list from Dad’s escapades, the page looks as follow:

I click the “Save” button to save the changes.

Now, the killjoy of the family (Mum) comes on to add her needs to the list. Clicking “Edit” like before, Mum adds the rest of the items to complete the shopping list for the week, however feels some of the other items added to the list previously are not needed. So she decides to create a new page where the shopping list of things that are actually going to be bought will be shown, whilst adding to the first page a bit of a Mum rant…

To create the new page, she goes to the main menu and in the left hand column clicks “New Page” and follows similar steps to how I created the original shopping list page (making the privileges to the page “Read only”). She then creates the Shopping List and adds what is going to be bought when we go shopping on the weekend, taking into account what we have all written. Once done she clicks “Save” and the page looks as follows:

So that, everyone can see the final shopping list, Mum adds a link from the original list to the new list. She opens the original list, and clicks “Edit”, opening the editing script. She then clicks the “Link” button found at the top, in the middle of the editing tools script. A “Insert Link” script appears, where you fill out what you want the link to appears as i.e. “The Final Shopping List”, where the Wiki can be found “trevorschulze” and the “Page Name” i.e. “The Final Shopping List”. Once done click “Add link” and the hyperlink will appear underlined in blue on the page. Click “Save” once done.

Now the final original Wiki looks as follows:

Note the hyperlink at the bottom which takes you to “The Final Schulze Shopping List”, only editable by Mum!

Analysis

PLUS	MINUS	INTERESTING
·         Effective eCollaboration ·         Less E-mails ·         More cohesive response when researching ·         Simple to create and navigate ·         Allows you to create links to other pages for useful information ·         Add images for meaning or aesthetic value ·         Privilege levels, read-only, write-only, open etc. ·         Simple text and formatting options so the point can be clear ·         Allows you to add tables to group information	·         Not enough options to make aesthetically pleasing ·         Navigation is dull and basic ·         Privilege settings need to be determined from the start ·         Only one user can Edit at a time ·         Needs knowledge of html code for further editing or hyper-linking, especially if codes are altered incorrectly	·         Some things can become too simple and therefore lack options i.e. formatting tools, page aesthetic.