Move over word processing, databases, e-mail, Web sites and blogs. It’s time for wikis. What’s a wiki? It’s a Web program that lets people jointly author and evolve information, everything from short-time project sites to permanent “knowledge” or forms repositories. At its heart is the ability to collaborate.
True, collaboration via technology has not suddenly been invented. But wikis make it easy. The technological barriers have been lowered, almost to zero. Wikis eliminate the middle person. People who believe in “just do it” will find wikis let them get a fast start. As wiki collaborations grow in size, certain people inevitably take on managerial or maintenance roles.
