Wiki? Pedia? What? Camera?

The first time I tried Wikispaces was in class last week. Prior to that experience, I never knew such a platform existed. This was an eye opener to me. Call me a hermit but all I’ve ever known was Wikipedia.

In application, Wikispaces and Wikipedia works the same way. The only difference is that one is opened up to all the users on the internet while the other is created with restricted access. I decided to check out if there were applications of a wiki platform related to my hobby. To my surprise, YES! Camera-wiki.org is a wiki platform where camera enthusiasts from all around the world contribute to this platform. Just looking at the list of camera and their specifications is mind blowing. Look at the list of cameras starting with the alphabet “A”.

I pondered about this and thought that this application was great for my workplace. I envisioned a day where a huge database like this was made available to all military personnel. They could search for acronyms, tech specs, explanation of military processes, tactics and such. The best part is that the information will never disappear. This will allow anyone who sits in a new appointment or take on a new tour of duty to quickly gain access to material as compared to reading tons and tons of doctrines, directives, policies and manuals.

Thinking about this got me so excited I actually spoke to my boss about it! With regard to education, I too feel the same way. The class Wiki I am currently participating in has data from all of the previous classes. This was great because we did not have to start populating the Wikispace from scratch. The best part was that as every class comes and goes, the material gets reviewed, revised and improved. What a way to develop a database!

Of course, while the benefits of Wiki’s are apparent, there are its limitations too. It will be difficult to ascertain every fact that is being posted in Wiki and effort must be made to verify the facts before using it for official work. Closing this post, I think Wiki’s are like sign posts in the digital world! I wouldn’t know what to do without it! Feeling lost about Wiki’s? Look up Wikipedia and get a head start!