Blog 1: WikiWikiWiki
Due Sunday by midnight.
By now you have used the Wiki at least twice--once to sign up for your grammar group and once to post your groups information. What is your initial reaction to the Wiki? Had you ever heard of a wiki before? Have you ever used a Wiki before? What do you see as the benefits to a Wiki? What do you see as its drawbacks?
By now you have used the Wiki at least twice--once to sign up for your grammar group and once to post your groups information. What is your initial reaction to the Wiki? Had you ever heard of a wiki before? Have you ever used a Wiki before? What do you see as the benefits to a Wiki? What do you see as its drawbacks?
posted by cmartin at 11:54 PM
30 Comments:
Initially, the wiki definetly confused me. I am pretty much horrible at HTML and anything besides the basics on my computer. I can't even figure out how to make my computer recognize my printer anymore. But now, i think this is going to be more of a challenge for me, which is good. Hopefully, in the process, I'll learn something about computers and maybe even if I'm really lucky, Ill figure out how to print at home. I had never heard of a Wiki before this, but I definetly see the benefits. It teaches you basic editing of a webpage, but isn't so complicated that the average person couldnt understand. The only drawback is that you do have to play around a bit to make sure to get things right, which would take more time than say, typing a document into microsoft word or something. Overall, I think the wiki will be a good experience for me, and hopefully I will lose the extreme fear I have of HTML and the like.
Honestly, before the first day of classes, I had never even heard of a wiki. Further, after that initial class and the repeated use of the strange “W” word, I believed my knowledge of wikis would remain the same…at zero. It sounded very strange and I found myself trailing behind without a clue of what the thing actually was. Though, after just a few short minutes of fooling around with the wiki, I realized its potential use and the simplicity of its construction. I mastered the wiki almost immediately (hey…I WAS the guy who managed to edit the thing first) and thankfully at the time of this post, my initial edit to the SandBox still stands (Josh, if you haven’t checked it out yet, you must since you’re a Boston fan). As for plusses and drawbacks to the wiki, there are some for both sides. I see many advantages for a wiki through its simplicity, allowing almost anyone to manage and manipulate their wiki without the sometimes complex knowledge of learning a language like HTML. It has one simple function, to display text and allow all users to make and view changes as the wiki is updated. This straightforward approach is welcoming for anyone in need of simple web service but is cautious about learning to code. Unfortunately, the wiki’s simplicity creates a lack of potential, a weak tool in the hands of an experienced computer person. Images and design remain at a minimum, creating a less appealing look and little room for creativity. Games and moving objects aren’t possible, since text is stationary (though I have seen games in forums where the users participate in a story, each adding one word after the other to continue it). Lastly, streamlined updates like weather conditions or stocks aren’t possible and are useful at other sites. Either way though, it looks like a nice way to post information. Since I’m studying art and have so much work to do, I’d much rather spend time editing a wiki than some HTML. I need to save time where I can for sports and going out at night!
-------Reply to Kate-------
It's funny that you mention having printer trouble. I went to make a last minute change to that Diagnostic Paper before class, hit print, and...nothing. I managed to use my friend's next door, but any later he would've been gone to class.
Oh, and I didn't really realize how long my last post was until after i posted it. 100 words goes by really quick I guess, even if it is the minimum.
BTW, Gator football is in 2 days. Too bad I'm from out of state and didn't realize tickets went on sale back in March. Oh well, I'll find a way in...Anyone have an extra ticket for sale?
Wiki? Friut, vegetable or perhaps a small animal from New Zealand. I, as many others, were stumped by the word wiki. I certainly enjoy using the computer for research, papers,talking with my friends and of course playing games. The wiki has added new dimension to my computer knowledge and hopefully I will become unconfused. It seems to me that this will be another great way to communicate, share ideas, get new ideas and let off some steam. The wiki looks like it would benefit anyone wanting to arrange or edit a web page. As a matter of fact, it appears that it could be used in any profession or personal aspiration.
Seems to me that i might be the only one (at least for now) that might know something about Wiki. Though i do not know exactly how to manipulate wiki for everyday use, i have heard good things about it. Wiki seems to make web presentations a relatively easy task, which is what many professionals dream of, especially when on a deadline. I have a friend who is more informed about wiki and he tells me there is only one phrase to describe it: "simple and effective." I can't wait to put his words to the test, and find out for myself if the source lives up to what he said. Has anyone heard any negative feedback about wiki?
On the first day of class, I'd hear Ms.Martin mention the wiki, and I had no clue what it was. When we were first introduced to the wiki, it seemed like an ingenious idea. In my eyes it was a completely new way of sharing ideas, and making them almost converge into one common conclusion. The wiki is an ever-changing journal with many authors, and in this case authors from all walks of life. Surely, our class wiki will be one full of interesting, diverse ideas. Although there are many benefits to the wiki, I see one drawback: No one's thoughts and entries stay untouched by others. The purity of an intial entry can be completely disturbed by another's desire to make changes.But this can also be a good thing. This being said, I look forward to participating in our class wiki.
---in response to jwill----
You make me laugh. I so agree, the wiki is interesting, and it's surprisingly fun to read what other people think. I didnt get that experience when i posted since I posted first, which would make me the queen of the nerds, huh??? Anyway, now Im the one sitting home reading the wiki instead of drinking with my friends, but the real reason behind my loserdom is a bad cold, so I can still feel good about myself.
----in response to cbell----
I can get extra tickets sometimes, but kinda short notice for this game...oh and if you call the system a few days before, usually you can buy them i think...
that last comment...its me, sorry, i forgot to put a name!!
When I first heard the word “wiki” I had no idea what it was. I thought maybe it was the name of a video game. Now I understand how to use the wiki, and I believe it is a great idea. Not only does it easily let the teacher know where we are on our assignments, but it allows students to see how their classmates are handling the assignment. Honestly, I didn’t expect the wiki to be so user-friendly. There is no html code or complicated tags to attach to your text. Even adding a hyperlink is as easy as copy and paste. I am looking forward to using the wiki more and finding out what other neat things I can do.
The Wiki still somewhat confuses me to be quite honest. I like that it is easy to use, with no codes or html, but I am still very computer illiterate. Kate said that the average person can understand this wiki, and I think she is right, but it might take me some time before I really feel I have a full grasp on it.
The first day in ENC1131 was the first time I had ever heard of a wiki. I still am not completely positive on how or what will be expected from us on the wiki, but I think in the end, I will get it. The Wiki is definitely beneficial to the class, but at the same time,I wonder if the class loses a sense of "hands on" communication.
Since I am a Telecom Major, I work with computers, but my main field is communication through visual and audio. I feel that a sense of that person-to-person contact is lost with the wiki. Not that I am complaining! The wiki also was wonderful in signing up for groups, and have a website to go to yesterday with our information on grammar right there for us to see was great. So, right now, I am still "iffy" on the wiki...but as soon as I get used to it, I know I will want to use it in future classes.
-In Respomse to Natalie Rodriguez-
I agree, the "person to person contact" is lost and many aspects of communication, such as expression,are lost through the wiki. Yet, it is perfect for our lifestyles. Because we are all on our own tracks and schedules, it is very helpful to be able to log on to the wiki whenever, without having to worry about other's convenience.
I’d heard of only one Wiki before, Wikipedia, though I didn’t put the two together until after our first class. I only used it to look up stuff; I never personally edited it. At first the Wiki seems like a brilliant idea that could potentially revolutionize the way we communicate. Look at the Blog, a relatively new form of technology upon which Howard Dean launched his candidacy for President of the United States. However, as with most things its major drawback is also the best thing about it – anyone can edit it. The benefits are that it’s very user friendly, after all I’m basically computer illiterate and I managed to figure it out. The problem with it is that, in the case of Wikipedia which is supposed to be factual, complete fabrications could be posted. However, I’m sure there are some ways to prevent this that I’m not aware of, so it’s probably not that big of a deal. I’m also a bit of a traditionalist, part of me hates the impersonality of e-mails and instant messaging and would much rather go back to letters and phone calls. But all in all, I think the Wiki could turn out to be a great thing.
When I entered the class a week later than most people and heard we had to use a wiki I nearly had a nervous breakdown. I had no clue what a wiki was; my best guess was that it was some kind of tropical themed tavern. After my first class I researched what a wiki was. When I was assured that it wasn’t something to be scared of, I used our class wiki. After editing the wiki for the first time I realized the potential for such a concept. The wiki is a large network of information that is linked to one another. Anybody who can use a computer can edit a wiki and share their personal knowledge with the world. Wikis have the potential to be used for all fields, professions, and by anybody with a computer. Further, a wiki can inspire people to be creative and create a community where people can share their ideas and personal knowledge with each other. With the potential for anybody to edit a wiki, some downfalls of this technology are bound to occur. People have the ability to publish misleading information and hurtful words or opinions; which the whole world or community are able to see. However, this shortcoming can be easily avoided by creating a closed community where anybody can sign up, but their posts are monitored for inappropriate material and they can be kicked out at any time. In all I think that a wiki is a very promising concept and should only get better with time.
Before this class I’ve never actually heard of a wiki. However, I have known about blogs and their popularity in audiences of all ages for some time now. When this course began I had no idea it would rely so much on technology, which by the way, is something I really enjoy. Since my first two experiences with wiki, I have enjoyed the opportunity to really express my train of thought with myself and my classmates. Its given me an opportunity to meet group members in a more friendly environment – a.k.a. AIM. I believe wiki will open up the lines of communication, not only with our professor, but with our classmates as well. Wiki will also let us be creative with each other, something that most enc or eng classes can’t provide. A few drawbacks I see are being able to distinguish who is who from online persona to people in our actual class. I guess its just my inability to associate names with people, but maybe it’s a general group problem. I suggest we post a class role with pictures, just so we could get to know each other better this semester… well that’s just an idea.
I had no idea what a Wiki was but I really liked to say it. "Wiki." It's such a fun word! I was scared that it would be something like html encoding, which is hell, but I was glad to find out it wasn't. It's pretty simple to use. I like how you can organize what you put on the Wiki by using codes for bullets and boxing. I also like that everyone can access it and work together to create a page. However, that might also be a setback since anyone can touch your work.
--in response to msimhan--
That's true; i hadn't realized that Wikipedia had the word "Wiki" in it. I've never actually used Wikipedia, but I've heard of it.
I got into the class late, and so I missed the first day of class, Wednesday the 24th, but went on that Friday. I got to class really early and I met Blake and asked him what this class was all about. He went on to tell me about the blogging, video game playing, and the wiki. Well I had known what a blog was, being a former blogger myself, and I had definitely played video games, but what was a wiki? I didn’t ask what it was, and so the first time I really heard it explained was when Cathlena briefly went over the class assignments. I still don’t really see the purpose to it. Well, I understand how it works with our class, but I don’t know how other people use it. It is a really good tool to use for classes, though. Having this one venue that everyone has access to, and turning in assignments on it. Not to mention that we could do a group project from the comfort of our own homes, all on the internet. I would say that a drawback is that there isn’t any privacy. But I guess when people use wikis they don’t really need it. (Privacy that is).
--In response to vilmarie in response to msimhan--
Ah! last night I was at a friends house, and we went on a random tanget about banana spiders, and then this guy was like, "oh I'm looking it' up on the wikipedia." And I was thinking to myself, wiki?! and I thought about this class. I like how the turned something like an encyclopedia into a wiki, becasue you never know what random thing you could add to help other people looking up information. Although then again it might not make it the most credible source.
upon hearing the word “wiki” the first thing that came to mind was one of the faces carved into a totem pole. don’t ask me why – just a mental image that appeared upon hearing/seeing the word. i had absolutely no idea what it was. according to none other than wikipedia.com, the word is based on the Hawaiian term wiki wiki, meaning “quick” or “informal.” kinda reminds me of a modern day 34th street memorial wall (for those of you who are new to UF, the wall is an open forum for people display whatever they want to those driving on 34th street, in memory of the victims of the “Gainesville murders” in 1990). like the wall, a wiki is constantly changing, it allows people to convey their ideas freely, and it can be subject to vandalism.
My initial reaction to the Wiki was, “What in God’s name is a Wiki?”. I honestly thought it was a type of internet game. It wasn’t until the second day of class that I figured it out. Forgive me, I’m slow minded sometimes. I’ve never used a Wiki before and the first time I tried I was a bit lost. I’m a visual person and the first sight of our Wiki page turned me off. Too much black and white and not enough color on a web page doesn’t grab my attention. However, after I got the hang of how the Wiki page works it became very interesting. The Wiki is a wonderful place to post important and sometimes funny information. It’s a wonderful way for instructors/professors to post information to their students. It’s exceptionally beneficial to those who aren’t really great at making web pages and such. It’s just that easy to use. The only negative about the Wiki is the lack, in my opinion, of “visual food”. I don’t know if there is a way to make it more appealing to the eye but it would be something to look into.
Hmmm...I have never thought of a Wiki like the 34th street wall, but that is a great visual. Blake, do you mind if I steal that and use it to better explain what a wiki is to my class next semester? I think that will help other students get over the "What the #$%% is a Wiki?" feeling that this class experienced.
Thanks to all the people that posted negatives about the wiki (and no, I am not being sarcastic). Media should always be challenged and questioned for improvement and just on general principle.
Great firt blogs!
I meant, Great first blogs!
In response to Blake and Jen Swingle:
I wish someone had said the 34th Street Wall when I first heard about the Wiki, now it makes perfect sense! If there's a way to put up different forms of artwork it could greatly diversify a wiki, making it all the more interesting. Great analogy for me, the technology challenged.
---in response to julia---
intially i had the same feeling about a wiki, that wrong information could be posted by anyone. my thoughts sorta changed after spending a little more time at wikipedia.com...
it's awesome! it seems as if lots of unnecessary and misguiding information is "weeded out" from the articles posted there as time progresses. it's like a giant work in process, or a perpetual "draft" -- it's always being edited. by no means are the "facts" on the site 100% accurate, but with 10 million hits per day, and many, many people editing, the chances of misinformation being posted becomes less of an issue -- i guess it all depends on the source.
--- Reply to Julia --
I have to agree that when I first heard the work wiki, I thought it was something the instructor had just made up. Honestly the word itself is just odd, and the basic explaination doesnt make much sense until you use it. I also agree that this is a CLASS website, a website maintained by the class. This is the first time in my UF career that I've had an actual class website representative of the class.
In response to Julia:
I agree with pretty much everything Julia posted. I am starting to enjoy the wiki more, especially after using it in class for the grammar presentations.
The name wiki, does not make much sense to me. Does anyone know if it is an acronym? I,like Julia, am concerned about false information being posted on the wiki. However, I think that we're a pretty bright group and if someone misses something or makes a mistake, someone in the class will be able to fix it quickly and respectfully. I'm excited about using the wiki in the future! I only wish we could use colors and graphics to make it pretty. If we can, someone who knows photoshop should spruce it up!
--Reply to everyone--
For the most part, it shows that the Wiki platform is successful from the classroom perspective. A couple of ideas that still run through my head as i saw everyones blogs were:
- Would Wiki work better in a big corporation or in a small company atmosphere; if its services were needed?
- What does everyone think Wiki would need to do in order to be the next viral form of connection between people?
in response to tennison's reply to all...
i think that a wiki would work better in a smaller group. it works well in the class because we have only about 20 students and we are all getting to know each other on a personal basis. In a large corporation there would be just too many people to keep track of. If UF had a wiki, you could post your comments with your name attached and you would still be virtually anonymous.
--in response to ashley--
You have a good point on how the wiki can be used for other professions and personal aspirations. It could be used for group projects at work as well as in school. You could also use it to keep track of your personal schedule of events by editing it like a webpage.
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