I dedicate this blog to Sarah…who demonstrated PBWiki and Paintwiki very efficiently and sat with me so I could get away from my multitasking mode and get something written. I thank her for her patience. I had in the past year logged on to a Reference dept page but did not contribute and did not pursue wikis. I did like PBWiki for its point and click feature but did not like it for the templates as I thought they gave a “false” sense of format because I could backspace the given text and change the predetmined style or font. I like Paintwiki better as I felt freer and was able to navigate in it more easily than the PBwiki. (Sorry, Sarah!)
I think it would be a useful mechanism within the department to collaborate on a task or document without having to wonder which version is the most current or having to look at dates when a document such as in Word, was last created. It would also be great for meeting agendas which can change at the last minute. Secure wikis can be used in a team where not everyone can access the same level of information. This is a great form of communication.
