During this past year I have been impressed with the opportunities of social websites or wikis for organizations.. A wiki is a website that anyone can edit within their web browser without the need of tech savvy programming skills.  This type of website is especially valuable for organizations that wish to share and collaborate.  As text, photos, videos, calendars, polls, etc. are shared within the organization, the content grows quickly and can be amended or edited with ease.  Social websites also allow the group to have accountability for this expanding content.  Therefore, content can be removed as easily as it is added.  Levels of permission can be distributed and the group can keep up-to-date, at any time, without numerous meetings and phone messages.

I have also been experimenting with WetPaint. Wetpaint wikis do have advertising but the advertising appears to be appropriate for the site. Wetpaint is also free, thus the reason for the advertising. Several users have requested a paid site without advertising. This may be available in the future. The quantity of attachments is also limited but capability for more attachments appears to be in the works. The wiki templates Wetpaint provides are very practical and several widgets are available to enhance your site.

I am assisting a labor organization with a wiki. I have been very satisfied with the tutorials and help available for Wetpaint. At this time they have over 50 registered users. They hope to grow to over 100 registered users by January 2009 as invitations are sent to general membership. http://www.nffelocal1840.wetpaint.com

If you have accessed this page you may be looking for my educational wiki. This is my first attempt at using PBWiki and I hope I can discuss my progress over time.

PBWiki is very simple to use. Unlike Wetpaint, you will notice that the PBWiki does not have advertising. It is also no cost for educators.

My wiki can be accessed at the following website:

http://web20intheknow.pbwiki.com

Still unsure about which wiki is right for you? Wiki Matrix allows you to compare many of the popular wiki engines to help you decide which may be right for your needs.

rob@web20intheknow.com