Wiki sales pitch

This page is intended to collect thoughts on creating a "sales pitch" for introducing a wiki system.

= Basics =

Definition
A wiki is a dynamic hypertext system for distributed collaboration. It is essentially a website which allows every user to actively contribute by adding or modifying content. Therefore, wikis encourage readers to also become editors.

History
Originally termed WikiWikiWeb as an alliterative substitute for quick ("wiki wiki" is Hawaiian for "quick"), and in reference to the World Wide Web, the wiki principle was founded by Ward Cunningham in 1995. He called his creation "the simplest online database that could possibly work."

Cunningham's original implementation has spawned a great number of imitations (so-called "clones"), and there are now a large number of software engines and communities inspired by the wiki principle, each refining the concept and adapting it to their own needs.

The most prominent wiki community is now Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia created and maintained by a large number of volunteers.

Despite a certain degree of skepticism and criticism, Wikipedia has helped raise awareness and acceptance of the wiki principle. This has also lead to increased adoption of wikis in the corporate environment.

= Fields of Application =


 * whiteboard for brainstorming
 * documentation (including notes of tasks and events; e.g. workflows, minutes for meetings etc.)
 * knowledge management / centralizing information
 * more items needed
 * anything involving the collaborative creation or archiving of text-based documents

= Pros & Cons =