Wiki What?

If only I had learned about WikiHow before I tried doing a faux finish on one of my bedroom walls, before I started knitting, before I painted my kitchen cabinets. Now that I've found it, I can learn how to put my hair in a classic ponytail, make ramen noodles in my coffee maker and drive a tractor.

Wikis help us be experts in everything and knowledgeable about all. Which reminds me of the saying, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

Too many people are deluded into thinking they're experts and, therefore, must share their expertise with everyone. Which is why we must approach wikis with caution. Yes, it's great to be able to democratize knowledge. Yes, it's wonderful to get an answer to every question whenever we want it.

But wikis, like almost everything else on the internet, should be viewed with searching, skeptical eye and a healthy dose of common sense. Just because it's there doesn't mean it's true.

Having said that, I admit I'm a huge fan of WikiHow. It's an easy place to get a quick injection of information about almost anything. I can see it as a handy starting point for research on a project or hobby. I just won't go searching medical information when I should be calling the doctor.

As a volunteer at my church, I wish I had used a wiki to organize large projects, such as the "Pie Festival" event I chaired for two years running. Not only would it be helpful in terms of organizing the event, working with my committee and designating tasks, it would provide an excellent record of information for the incoming chair.

I can also see how wikis could be very useful as an internal tool for businesses. I'd like to see our office adopt some kind of wiki that provides information and instructions for our staff. For example, it would be helpful to have written instructions on how to make video files for Youtube or the media hub at UNL. We could have an area devoted to best practices and formats for writing news releases or creating a podcast. Wikis could also help our staff share information about what we're working on so that we can team up and work together more efficiently.