Transcript: IBM ShortCut #13: How to use wikis at work (part one)

This transcript is from a PodTech.net podcast at:
http://www.podtech.net/home/technology/1395/cut-13-how-to-use-wikis-at-work-part-one

Guest: Luis Suarez - ShortCuts
Host: George Faulkner - ShortCuts

George Faulkner - ShortCuts
Welcome to ‘ShortCuts'. A weekly online broadcast brought to you by IBM Workplace. We're here to help you get the most of everyday Internet and email tools. I'm George Faulkner. This week's question came to us from the ShortCuts team. We wondered, what are Wikis, and why are Wikis such a killer app in the workplace. On the phone with us today is ShortCuts' Knowledge Management Expert, Luis Suarez. With ten years experience at IBM, Luis specializes in knowledge and collaboration tools. Welcome to ShortCuts Luis, it's great to have you on the show. Luis, what is a Wiki and what can you tell our listeners about Wikis in the workplace?

Luis Suarez - ShortCuts
Hi George! Thanks a lot. Well, Wikis are actually -- a very quick definition will be an online website where everyone gets to contribute content on top of each other's content. It is the very powerful group collaboration tool that allows people to timing and have the visibility of what everyone else is doing right, on the same online space. You don't have to have install anything, you just need your favorite browser and an Internet connection. In most cases, people are actually using Wikis as knowledge bases, as online encyclopedia, so basically they get to build up on their own collective knowledge. They are very powerful at knowledge bases and encyclopedia is pretty much on a Wikipedia passion, so you have got the opportunity to have a number of different articles on different categories, different topics and build up from there and have everyone with the same exposure to that information without actually keeping it enclosed for just a restricted audience.

All the uses of Wiki's very popular within the enterprise or actually as project management tools. And I know that a lot of people are going to say, you know we really have got project management tool. I said, that's fine, you don't actually to substitute it, you can actually opmend (ph) and you can actually boost this activity through the usage of a Wiki where -- with a Wiki you're actually giving an open voice to everyone entertain to share their thoughts about how their project is going. It can also be used as a communication tool, right. We all get lots of email, probably two months span we get involved in lots of different instant messaging conversations and somehow, sometimes you could do with a lot less noise and what some people have done with enterprise is actually used Wiki as communication tools.

So, they will share important announcements over there, they will share important messages for not only the projects but also from an organizational business unit perspective, they will also provide a repository for people to build up on the different communication so they may have sent out already so that, whenever you have community members they could actually get a history of what's been happening before. And since most Wiki engines out there are using RSS Feed. You have got the opportunity now to get that content delivered to you on your space whenever then you update. So, you don't have to go on condemn down they could come to you, which obviously keeps and turns things around because for the first time you will be in control of the information flow. I suppose to get overloaded with email, instant messages and so forth. And finally one of that popular use, my favorite one actually is the situation where people are using Wikis as a way to collaborate and share knowledge with all the knowledge workers for those not as new, but that are very difficult to qualify what is known as the Toxic Knowledge Exchange.

They know how. That's talk that we have going in our head, but it's very difficult to store on places somewhere else especially in other sophisticated repository like intellectual capital data basis. Wikis will be very popular to capture that knowledge and that way of collaborating where everyone is at the same level, there are no hierarchies , people get to share on top of each other's content so there is a very strong trust sense of the actual consent of collaboration and knowledge sharing do actually make Wikis very popular now a days.

George Faulkner - ShortCuts
So, no matter how you slice it Luis, this is self publishing and community building at it's best.

Luis Suarez - ShortCuts
Oh yes, and actually you have mentioned that just one keyword there, which is community building, Wikis are very powerful tools for communities.

George Faulkner - ShortCuts
Thank you Luis Suarez for filling us in on the world of Wikis. For a transcript of today's show visit us on the web at ibm.com/shortcuts, there you'll find more information on this week's topic. And again if you've got a question for our experts, write us at cuts@us.ibm.com. From all of us at ShortCuts, thanks for listening.