Wikis – A benefit to internal corporate projects

Most of the topics I’ve discussed in this blog thus far have revolved around using emering media as a tool to reach a wide and open audience. Wikis, while definitely useful for large-scale public usage (Wikipedia being a prime example), are infinitely more useful for smaller groups within organizations.

The threat of publicly open Wikis all revolve around one primary disadvantage – the inability to control access and editing of content. Since the very nature of Wikis is to allow collaboration by encouraging editing by any reader, they have declined in popularity in the general masses. However, they remain a highly useful and flexible tool in collaboration.

In fact,they may be the best emerging tool for schools and corporations. As corporations increasingly use Microsoft Sharepoint (which is similar to a Wiki, while providing control over access and content), smaller companies and startups could benefit greatly from Wikis to work on internal projects, especially with geographically isolated employees/office sites.

Within schools and other educational settings, Wikis provide a way to freely engage and share information, while working on group projects and assignments together without the added threat of overexposure to distracting elements (read post on regulations on social media in schools).

The simplicity of the Wiki interface adds to its benefits – often tools such as Sharepoint and Lotus Notes require extensive training and overwhelmingly complicated interfaces which can deter users. The benefits of Wikis for closed groups and communities is often understated and undervalued – although as we seek more and more accessible digital tools, Wikis may have a chance of resurfacing once again.

Advertisement