Wiki (idea)

Wiki (from the Hawaiian word wikiwiki for "quick") is a web site metaphor invented by Ward Cunningham in 1994.

Wiki web sites are wide open to editing by anybody. Users do not have to log in before being able to edit, and are allowed to change all pages. A history of all previous versions of a page is kept, so that unintended, undesirable or malicious changes can be easily undone. A central page, usually called RecentChanges, logs all edits and active participants on a Wiki typically monitor this page constantly, leading to remarkably few problems with trolls and vandals.

Wikis use a simplified markup language intended to achieve a most painless editing experience. For instance:

• All page names are MixedCase words, and any such word automatically turns into a link. External links can be constructed using the format [http://www.everything2.com Everything2].
• Emphasizing is done with two single quotes: this is ''important.''
• A list is constructed with

  * first item
  * second item
  

The Wiki software (several Wiki cgi scripts written in C, perl and php exist by now) converts this markup into HTML for presentation.

Cunningham's original Wiki is organized as a large collection of programming ideas, patterns and related discourse. It also contains introductions to the Wiki concept and links to many Wikis and to the available Wiki software; it can be found at

http://www.c2.com/cgi/wiki?

The Wikipedia project uses the Wiki metaphor to create a copyleft encyclopedia. It is the largest Wiki in existence.

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This writeup is in the public domain.