Wiki

A wiki is a collaborative website that houses the perpetual collective work of many authors. Wikis are created using a type of specialized content management system (CMS) that can be customized to control different wiki elements, like user roles, access permissions, approval processes, and page structure.

Wikis vs. blogs

Wikis are similar to blogs in structure and logic, in that individual users can add, delete, or modify any wiki content regardless of who originally published it. Wiki administrators can review changes, but most content on public wikis is generally unmoderated. 

Unlike blogs, however, most wikis do not attribute any page to an individual author or set of authors. Instead, they are intended to serve as an aggregate source of general knowledge.

The lack of author attribution sometimes calls into question the reliability or credibility of the information found on a wiki, especially if there are no other sources cited. For example, anonymous users frequently target Wikipedia pages with content modifications that are tied to political propaganda, misleading clickbait headlines, or individual opinions rather than objective facts. For this reason, Wikipedia is often frowned upon as a source in academia.

How are wikis used?

Wikis can be either public-facing or reserved for internal use only. Internal wikis are typically used as a basic learning management system for employee onboarding, process documentation, or corporate training. In this setting, wikis can also host important documents like the employee handbook or policy guide.

External, public-facing wikis are commonly used for general knowledge purposes. The most popular wikis cover a wide range of topics, but some wikis are focused on niche subjects. Regardless of the subject, the goal of a public wiki is to crowdsource the research, writing, editing, sharing, and ongoing maintenance of the content. In a business setting, for example, hardware manufacturers and software companies may publish external wikis to help customers with self-guided troubleshooting.

Examples of wikis

Examples of popular wikis include:

This article was updated by Kaiti Norton.

Webopedia Staff
Webopedia Staff
Since 1995, more than 100 tech experts and researchers have kept Webopedia’s definitions, articles, and study guides up to date. For more information on current editorial staff, please visit our About page.
Get the Free Newsletter
Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
This email address is invalid.
Get the Free Newsletter
Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
This email address is invalid.

Related Articles

Complete List of Cybersecurity Acronyms

Cybersecurity news and best practices are full of acronyms and abbreviations. Without understanding what each one means, it's difficult to comprehend the significance of...

Human Resources Management System

A Human Resources Management System (HRMS) is a software application that supports many functions of a company's Human Resources department, including benefits administration, payroll,...

How To Defend Yourself Against Identity Theft

Almost every worldwide government agency responsible for identity theft issues will tell you the same thing: The first step to fighting identity theft is...

Infographic

An infographic is a visual representation of information or data. It combines the words information and graphic and includes a collection of imagery, charts,...

ScalaHosting

ScalaHosting is a leading managed hosting provider that offers secure, scalable, and affordable...

HRIS

Human resources information system (HRIS) solutions help businesses manage multiple facets of their...

Best Managed Service Providers...

In today's business world, managed services are more critical than ever. They can...