Wikis

Make sure the new “authority source” has accurate information

Wikis are becoming a key component of the web. They are a bit of a difficult concept to get your head around. Essentially they are an ‘open’ encyclopedia, or open source of information on any subject. The most famous of these is the “wikipedia” which strives to be a complete encyclopedia on the web.

ANYONE can submit information on a topic. AND anyone can go in and edit someone else’s work. And ANYONE can dispute the accuracy of someone else’s information. The wiki will actually tell you that the accuracy of the information is disputed, and lay out the two or more sides.

Some are saying that Wikis, and particularly Wikipedia are the new Google. Wikis strive to be unbiased and try to stick to facts and not opinion. They are, in theory, monitored for any attempts to bias the information in order to maintain their integrity.

For people looking for good information without having to sort through the mess on the web and thousands of commercial sites, they are a preferred source of information. Because they are authority sites, search engines tend to be very favourable to them.

The ‘Love Field’ issue, a viral marketing campaign by Southwest airlines to change regulations around an airport, was played out on Wikis as employees of the different companies or their allies tried to slant the “authority source” towards themselves or make their opponents look bad.

Although they are usually swiftly re-edited if the bias is caught, you have to keep an eye on things as again, anyone at any time can modify the documents.