> How would such a wiki differ from a forum, such as the STC Forum at > http://stcforum.org/ ?
Forums are for discussions, just like email lists. Wikis are editable websites, with permissions determined by the group that you belong to. And just so I don't post multiple answers ;-): - wikis can be used as discussion lists. I don't remember where I've seen an example, but after an article or topic is written, others comment by adding horizontal rows and their names, along with their comments. This is not usually the purpose of the wiki, but it can be done. Some wiki software includes discussion tabs that accompany the topic (I think Wikipedia has it, but you might have to log in to read the discussion). - if one person posts the ultimate link and then someone finds another, netiquette would say that the second person adds their link, not replaces the first one. Links that are wrong are replaced. - there are numerous types of wiki software available. Some require knowledge of wiki code (and this code changes depending on the wiki). Others, like Drupal, allow for more WYSIWYG editing. (Drupal also includes multiple tabs for things like discussions and edits.) - no one has to use or refer to the wiki. It's a choice. - there's no way to make people only post discussions thru email and content in the wiki. Request, yes. Enforce, no. - as the wiki evolves, various topics start showing up in searches. We've seen this with the MSHelpWiki, and most of its pages include links to published articles (not necessarily new content). It depends on what's available. If you want to see what's possible, decide what features the wiki should include and then see which software makes the most sense. And then try it out. Start working on a list of topics that cover questions that most people ask...where to take classes, certification opinions, font fondling, whatever. A wiki may or may not survive. It depends. Just like almost everything we do ;-) The typical lifecycle is an abundance of information in the first couple of months, and then it tapers off, where it's added to only occasionally, but it becomes a reference that folks go to. Char (sorry...seem to have lost my sig) ______________________________________________ Are you a Help Authoring Trainer or Consultant? Let clients find you at www.HAT.Matrix.com, the searchable HAT database based on Char James-Tanny's HAT Comparison Matrix. Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] for details. Interested in Interactive 3D Documentation? Get the scoop at http://www.doc-u-motion.com -- your 3D documentation community. _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
