“What in the World is a Wiki and Why Would We Want such a Weird Tool”? As this poor excuse for alliteration shreds any rational thought you may have attempted to piece together, let The Administrator shed some light on exactly what a wiki is and how your club board and members can benefit from this tool.
What is a wiki?
Developed in 1994 by Ward Cunningham, the term “wiki-wiki” is actually an alliterative substitute for “quick”. Cunningham once learned during his travels that the Wiki-Wiki shuttle bus was the quickest way to travel around the Honolulu International Airport.
In short, a wiki is a collaborative website which allows specified individuals or groups to modify all content within. Many of you may have heard of Wikipedia. This free encyclopedia is one of the most popular wikis on the web, and has been created and updated by hundreds of thousands of contributors.
While The Administrator first touched on wikis back in February, we feel the time has come to reintroduce this tool and show you all the benefits your club will realize with this added tool. Click Here to read The Power of the Wiki.
Why would we want a wiki?
Well, the answer to this question depends on your board’s wants, needs, and interests. Does your board want an easy way to collaborate on club materials (tournament packets, mission statements, newsletter content)? Does your board need an efficient way to pass along internal documents to a collective group? Would your board be interested in personal member pages where each administrator can share their personal tasks and efforts with the group? If so, then the wiki is your board’s answer.
Remember, this tool can be password protected allowing only specific member access. You can, for example, post your draft of the club’s new bylaws on the wiki and each and every board member will have the ability to contribute. Communication can take place within the wiki as well. Simply put, a wiki is your board’s online solution to efficient collective document creation and management.
Who would use a wiki in the club?
You’ve heard The Administrator say it before, but your club is its own community. With numerous avenues for club interaction information, schedules, and documents are passed around daily. Why not facilitate your membership’s effort by creating a vehicle through which this information can be shared, altered, and discussed in real time. Imagine:
A referee wiki for sharing game results, thoughts, and policies. - A volunteer wiki to plan events, schedule concessions, and draft documents.
- A coach’s wiki to share training strategies, schedules, or short notice game conflicts.
When should the teams use a wiki?
While we have already addressed a handful of ways the board can use a wiki, as well as how information can flow throughout the club, there is also a specific need within the teams. Instead of The Administrator addressing these points specifically, we suggest you take a second to read Westminster Wiki Business Consultant’s article entitled A Wiki For Your Sports Team. This article highlights the problems and needs the team faced followed by how the team was able to satisfy their needs through the use of a wiki.
Where should we begin?
Right here… click on the following link to view a list of the Best Free Hosted Wikis available. Once you have done your research and chosen a wiki for your club, take your information to your next board meeting, and make your proposal. Before you know it, your club will be interacting like never before.
The Administrator wants to know what you think. Is it high time that clubs begin to adopt additional technology to assist their collaborative efforts? Is a wiki simply a trivial piece of technology? Post a comment below, send an email to Jon@bluesombrero.com, or call 404-835-0305.
I never really knew what a wiki was until now. This sounds like a great way to let everyone get out information they want to share.
Posted by: Nick the Intern | August 10, 2007 at 12:30 PM
I LOVE wikis. Ive been a fan since they cam out and stand by the amazing results they can bring when used.
Posted by: Maggie | August 10, 2007 at 12:45 PM
I use wikipedia all the time. I really like how anyone can edit it. But some of the information can be wrong, so setting up admins for it is a great idea!
Posted by: Joanna | August 10, 2007 at 12:47 PM
How is a wiki different from a forum? Could you shed some light...
Posted by: Bill B | August 10, 2007 at 01:44 PM