Wiki It is a concept that is used in the field of Internet to refer to websites whose contents can be edited by multiple users through any browser . These pages, therefore, are developed from the collaboration of Internet users, who can add, modify or delete information.
The term wiki comes from Hawaiian Wiki Wiki, what does it mean "Quick" , and was proposed by Ward Cunningham . The notion became popular with the rise of Wikipedia , a free and open encyclopedia that has become one of the most visited sites in the Web .
The wiki format is very useful for the dissemination of knowledge and teamwork. It is common for wikis to include a change history : In this way it is possible to return to a previous state (in case the modifications made are not correct) and confirm who made each change in the information.
One of the great advantages of a wiki is the ease of creating pages instantly, without worrying about design and other issues related to aesthetics and information organization. Many wikis create hyperlinks and pages automatically when the user writes a word or phrase in a certain way (in capital letters and without space, between two square brackets, etc.).
Among the different ways to view a wiki for editing, are the source code (a plain text), the HTML (rendered from the source code) and the template (which establishes how common elements are arranged on all pages).
Wikis advantages
* They are very useful since they give their users the possibility to create and optimize pages instantly, giving them a lot of flexibility and freedom. Thanks to this, they have become a Format very popular, which benefits from the infinite contributions of the community;
* it is expected that the content of the wikis is valid, although this depends on several factors, such as the popularity of the subject matter;
* the revision of the job before publication;
* in a student environment, they encourage students to combine learning with the use of technology, and motivate them to work in a group;
* Since several authors can collaborate in the writing of the same article, wikis put the content in the foreground, leaving less room for divism;
* It is a simple platform to use, but with enough strength to redefine the way in which the knowledge;
* depending on the project, they are economical to create and maintain;
* They offer the possibility of writing each article in different languages. Once published, users from all over the world can easily access the version of their interest, since each one can show the links to the others.
Disadvantages of wikis
* since it is a service available for free and free for any user of the Network, giving them the possibility to create and modify the information to their liking, the veracity of the articles is affected. However, despite the constant acts of vandalism to sites such as Wikipedia, there are various control techniques, a task in which the community can also be involved;
* Many times, the content violates the right from another author (for example, quoting text sentences without permission);
* multiple authorship leads to differences in style literary, in the approach of the text (which may be related to cultural issues) and in the quality of the writing: it is common to find articles that consist of well-written paragraphs combined with authentic spelling and grammar nightmares.
