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03/20/2002 Entry: "compass"
When I was first putting theConnexion together I wanted to include as many different methods of sharing ideas and information as I could think of. A bulletin board, ecards and a mailing list were my first thoughts, and I got them set up without too much hassle. They're not perfect as they are, but they don't carry adverts and they don't cost me anything above my hosting costs so I'm happy with them.When I discovered the idea of a 'wiki' - a collection of editable web pages that users can change and add to - I got really excited. I thought that this would be theConnexion's "killer application", but truth to tell other folk don't seem to share my enthusiasm.The idea is a simple one. On most web pages you come across, users are passive recipients of information. On a wiki page, every user can become a contributor, changing existing pages and adding new ones. There are a few rules for formatting text, but they're fairly straightforward to use - certainly nothing like as complex as HTML. You don't have to be an "expert" to contribute. If someone uses a word or phrase on a page you don't understand, you can turn it into a link so that someone who does undestand can add a definition. If you come across mistakes in spelling or grammar, it's a doddle to correct them. Every contribution has value.The kind of 'dialogue' that this produces is quite different from the linear manner of the bulletin board. It's more organic somehow, with pages "evolving", never really being finished. I still think it's the best bit of theConnexion.My implementation of wiki is called Compass. Give it a whirl!
