Thing 12: Wikis for the Wicked!

Now I know I can come off as rather non-Web 2.0 in my thoughts on these Things. Wikis are one of the Web 2.0 applications that I think are really cool. The Wikipedia is a great place to get general information for a feel on a subject. It is a horrible place to do research. I always discuss the Wikipedia with students during Information Literacy sessions. They need to know not only that wikis are bad for research, but why. Without the why, students tend to ignore what they are told. So I understand why many teachers and professors have banned these really cool tools from the class room.

I did recently see a video that explained how some students use the wiki world to begin research, to use it as a launching pad if you will. But that is where the usefulness ends. I can get behind that, as long as the students are being very evaluative in using sources posted there. Anyone can source materials on the wikis, and sometimes the sources seem legitimate, but tend to support an agenda or point of view that is not necessarily unbiased. Of course the argument that all info is presented with some kind of bias is valid, but some are overtly biased and make poor resources for a basis.

So for research wikis are limited in usefulness, but over all I think they are really cool. I can see how using this type of web structure could be realized to great advantage within a small team or organization. It is very versatile and dynamic. More so than relying on just a web site with limited access to who can change the content within the team. I can see how it could become problematic if you have a control freak involved, or you are not all on the same page. Cohesion in vision would be necessary.

I have edited the Wikipedia before, because I found an entry that I knew was wrong, and dig the concept. I use it for general knowledge all of the time. So I had no reservations in logging into the 23 things @ NEFLIN wiki and making a page, which is called:

Uptown_Toodeloo's Page of Random Thoughts

Anyone who might read this is welcome to go that page and put some random thoughts together. I encourage it. So in conclusion, I like Wikis and the overall concept of them.

Thing 13, here I come.