Why A Wiki
Why a Wiki
Some sites are blog oriented with an emphasis on timely, current information, news, opinions, and sometimes speculation. Some sites are forum dominant with lively discourse leading to knowledge.
How a Wiki is Different
On a typical wiki page the knowledge has risen to the top. The most highly evolved version of the answer is always the first thing you see. A wiki, like a forum is largely self-correcting, but you do not have to experience the process unless you want to.
In a typical forum discussion the answer is somewhere near but rarely at, the end. Finding the answer is a treasure hunt and you pretty much have to follow the clues and hope you recognize it if or when you stumble upon it.
A forum discussion
- starts
- takes on a life of its own
- sometimes reaches a solution / conclusion
- carries on and devolves, digresses, gets sidetracked or dies
Someone looking for answers can
- start a new discussion
- wait for the answer to emerge
or
- search for a discussion that looks relevant
- read through the unfolding story
- try to identify the answer if it is there
- try to recognize the point of diminishing returns, devolution, digression, sidetrack or death
Some people want the answer, some people enjoy the journey.