Wiki

== Overview ==
Identified as a discussion medium, a wiki is a dynamic web page that can be easily edited. Inviting active involvement, wikis encourage the collaborative construction of knowledge through reading and editing text. 
== History ==
The term “wiki” was first coined by Howard G “Ward” Cunningham, an American computer programmer, who developed the first wiki, WikiWikiWeb, in order to facilitate communication between software developers in 1995. Since Cunningham’s new web platform was not copying any existing medium, he wanted to name it something unique. Initially, Cunningham settled on calling his program “quickweb” based on Microsoft’s QuickBASIC. However, “quick” was eventually changed to “wiki wiki” which is Hawaiian for “very quick”, giving the first wiki the name WikiWikiWeb. Simply calling it “wiki” came about, because Cunningham’s named the original script of WikiWikiWeb as “wiki”, making the first wiki url to be http://c2.com/cgi/wiki. Due to this, people started calling the web platform wiki rather than “WikiWiki”. Additionally, Cunnigham has stated that the proper pronunciation of wiki is “we-key”, not “wick-ee”, but he and other scholars have stopped correcting the pronunciation due to the popularity of it. The term wiki became a household name after they saw an explosion of interest during the period from 2004 to 2006. 
Blurring the line between the reader and the writer, wikis encourage the collaborative construction of knowledge through the reading and editing of text. Wikis allow groups of authors to upload written work as well as other types of media to the Internet and to edit their own contributions as well as other members’. Through an educational standpoint, wikis have been used to view and experience writing as a social process, because writing entries in a wiki demands writing skills which emphasize negotiation, cooperation, collaboration, and respect for one another’s work and thoughts. Additionally, wikis allow for the opportunity to write using a nonlinear text structure through the use of hyperlinks which also allows authors relative ease in creating a connection between various ideas. Wikis also allow for authors to express themselves using multiple types of media such as graphics and videos to communicate meanings not fully understood through the printed word alone. 
== Examples ==
* WAM Wiki
** The wiki that we, as a class, are creating
* Wikipedia
** The most popular wiki
* WikiWikiWeb (aka "Ward's Wiki")
** The original wiki
* The Wiki Wiki
** The wiki about wikis
== Keywords ==
* Web 2.0
* Hyperlinking
* Internet
* Media
* New Media
* World Wide Web 
* Writing
== Citations ==
Caverly, David C., and Anne Ward. "Techtalk: Wikis And Collaborative Knowledge Construction." Journal Of Developmental Education 32.2 (2008): 36-37. ERIC. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.
Majchrzak, Ann, Christian Wagner, and Dave Yates. "The Impact Of Shaping On Knowledge Reuse For Organizational Improvement With Wikis." MIS Quarterly 37.2 (2013): 455-A12. Business Source Complete. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.
McPherson, Keith. "Wikis And Student Writing." Teacher Librarian 34.2 (2006): 70-72. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/10/where-the-word-wiki-comes-from/
Category:Keyword