by Kelly Grzech

Created on: March 19, 2007   Last Updated: September 19, 2008

Have you ever come across a website with a typo? Did you wish your favorite site was updated more often? Do you disagree with a certain website's narrow viewpoint? Is that website lacking certain information that you feel you could somehow contribute?

The web has introduced us to a revolutionary new type of website that allows for visitor collaboration. Users can post, delete, and edit information on a "Wiki" site with little restriction.

Why are these types of websites becoming so popular? The boom in the wiki website "genre" can almost be comparable to the recent popularity of such sites as Myspace and YouTube. What has made this concept so successful?

Perhaps we had best look at an example we are all fairly familiar with: Wikipedia. This website's name that contains the prefix "Wiki" is synonymous with collaborative interactivity and a nearly unlimited source of information. Keeping this in mind, we'll delve even further into the positive aspects of wikis.

Anyone, no matter how important or average, can contribute information for the world to see due to the use of wikis. Joe Nobody may have an interesting viewpoint or fact to contribute that would have otherwise been kept silent. This establishes a sense of community, as well as acceptance and individual appreciation.

With more people being able to contribute to a website, more information is being presented and updated more often. One key element of a successful website is having fresh content to keep people coming back. With millions of prospective web authors allowed by wiki websites, what better way is there to ensure new content?

Most information on Wiki sites is recent. Let's say for example, you were looking up taxonomy, the study of organism classification. Unless you have the latest textbook, chances are you won't find the correct information. 9 times out of 10 the webpage you google will have been last updated before the year 2000. If you immediately jump to wikipedia, someone has more than likely already noted that the information posted is out of date and updated it themselves.

Another key element of a successful website is interactivity; keep your visitor engaged. Take it from a web designer/developer, keeping your visitors occupied is a difficult thing to accomplish. Now, with wiki sites, not only are people viewing websites and giving feedback, they're a living, breathing part of it.

And lastly, I stress the human craving for power. I remember once sitting at a computer in the library next to a friend of mine, and he had changed the president of Austria on Wikipedia to his own name. This just goes to show that wikis are empowering, and give us a sense of control in an uncertain realm. Although most people abuse this power, the fact remains that it is a major factor in driving up the popularity of wikis.

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