Wiki Evaluation
Description of Structure and Purpose
The self-declared purpose of the wiki is, “to become the most comprehensive and appropriately structured wiki on the complex interdisciplinary and integrated issue of knowledge management” (Wikia, 2011). The wiki offers a wide range of destinations to various elements of knowledge management.
The organization of content is by categories and not by articles, as compared to other wikis such as Wikipedia. It enables visitors to browse through it, to search the categories for information and to contribute towards the content of the wiki. If anyone wants to add to the content of the wiki, he or she needs to register and create an account to be part of the collaborative community. Its design is such that it allows one to easily create an article within the wiki and post it for everyone’s consumption.
Overall Look and Feel
The home page of the wiki contains more than fifty links and widgets placed on the page using various techniques. They include icons, drop down menus, highlighted text, hyperlinked texts, and bookmarks. In addition, it has links to other wikis run by Wikia. Wikia kept the use of color and graphics to a minimum.
The only exceptions to this are the links to other wikis and websites. This makes the wiki appear a bit drab, which is a common feature of academic and knowledge based websites. The high number of links on the first page makes the wiki feel heavy and crowded. This wiki targets the “dispersed KM comminities and resources” that include academics and knowledge management professionals (Wikia, 2011).
What the Site Gives
The wiki gives knowledge management enthusiasts the opportunity to collaborate and share information in an online platform. They can browse through the structured content and participate in online polls on various aspects of knowledge management. They can also join debates and discussions in forums on the wiki.
It provides links to other educational websites that may be of interest to a knowledge management practitioner. Another important feature of the wiki is its attempt to provide articles in more than on language. It does not have translation options though, limiting cross language collaboration. There are many categories and articles that have not yet been developed. The information content is still very thin and narrow.
References
Cummings, R. E. (2008). Wiki Writing: Collaborative Learning in the College Classroom. Michigan: University of Michigan Press.
Rigby, B. (2008). Mobilizing Generation 2.0: A Practical Guide to Using Web 2.0 Technologies to Recruit , Organize and Engage Youth. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.
Wikia. (2011). About Knowledge Management. Web.