[Web4lib] Drupal and wikis

[Carl W. Hunt]

Wikis are at their best when a community has an interest in creating a
set of highly interconnected pages of information about a topic or set
of topics without a lot of a priori assumptions. "Wikis are really a
social innovation, not a technological one." [1] The organization of
content and workflow comes more from the community than from the
software.

What is the purpose of a documentation system? Where is the value? I
argue that the value of documentation is in having a rich set of
content that is regularly consulted and updated.

Wikis combat what I like to call Oliver Twist syndrome. When it's easy
to create and edit content in a documentation system and when the
people closest to the content don't have to suffer through Oliver
Twist syndrome ("Please, sir, I want some more." [2]) to get their
edits posted to the system then those people feel empowered and are
more likely create and edit more content thereby raising the overall
value of the system.

When it's difficult to create and edit content in a documentation
system and when people closest to the content are figuratively hit
over the head with a ladle for the temerity to ask to get their edits
posted to the system then those people feel disenfranchised and are
much less likely to create and edit content thereby reducing the
overall value of the system.

I personally use a wiki (combined with a blog) to document most of
what I do in a work environment. As part of my workflow for completing
tasks I consult the wiki before I start a task (for context), use it
to prepare a plan to complete the task, update it throughout the
completion of the task, and then review it one last time after the
task has been completed.

Now how does this apply to the development of a library web site? I'm
not making the argument that a wiki should be used for this purpose,
but there may be elements of the site that could be enhanced by a
wiki. Where is there information of such interest to a community that
members of that community would want to keep it updated? This could be
something as simple as interesting restaurants within driving distance
(where the community is library staff members).

[1] Jimmy Wales, http://www.cioinsight.com/article2/0,1397,1826166,00.asp
[2] Charles Dickens, http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Oliver_Twist/Chapter_2

On 6/8/07, Carol McGeehon <clmcgeeh at co.douglas.or.us> wrote:
>
>
>
> I'm interested in the differences between a content management system
>  such as Drupal and a wiki.  I've been asked the question since we are
>  looking at using Drupal for our library web site.  What are the
>  strengths of using Drupal instead of a wiki to develop a library
>  website?  What are the strengths of using a wiki instead of a content
>  management system to develop a library website?
>
>  So far, I've been unable to find any information with compares and
>  contrasts these two types of software.
>
>  Carol McGeehon
>  Technical Support Manager
>  Douglas County Library System
>  1409 NE Diamond Lake Blvd
>  Roseburg, OR   97470
>  541-440-6005
>
>  When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.
>
>
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