Wikis and twikis
Moving Lines has been working with wiki technology since 2003. Wiki technology enables community groups to collaboratively build information resources. A wiki site has many authors all of whom can edit and add pages to a wiki site using no more software than a standard web browser.
l About wikis l TWiki installation l TWiki design and development l TWiki training and support l
About
Wikis
Wikis (pronounced wee-kee) owe their existence to Ward
Cunningham. He first
thought of a wiki technology in the 1980. You can read an interview
with Ward Cunningham here. Cunningham's Wiki
Wiki site was the first wiki site and continues to this day.
Ward Cunningham placed his code into the Open Source environment thus enabling dozens of flavours of wiki to be developed. Different flavours of wikis usually means different programming languages - some are written in Perl, some in PHP for example. One of the flavours is TWiki, a wiki technology, written in Perl. TWiki software is open source software than can be installed on suitable web hosting platforms. It is a powerful technology with a high degree of flexibility and customisation possibilities. The PWiki website, implemented by Moving Lines, is a global community website based on TWiki. It represents an innovative approach to building resources for a diverse and geographically spread community. |
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" I also had more general goals for wiki. First, I think there's a compelling nature about talking. People like to talk. In creating wiki, I wanted to stroke that story-telling nature in all of us. Second, and perhaps most important, I wanted people who wouldn't normally author to find it comfortable authoring, so that there stood a chance of us discovering the structure of what they had to say. " Ward Cunningham |
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Users, once registered as members of a TWiki site, are able to participate in collaborative website development. A simple markup language can be quickly learned by users, with users becoming progressively more skilled in their use of the technology. All that is needed by a TWiki user is an Internet connected computer and browser software. This feature makes wiki technologies ideal for geographically dispersed communities.
Moving Lines recommends TWiki as it's choice of wiki technologies due to its enhanced data management and functionality.
TWiki
installation
TWiki is free software made available under the Gnu Public Licence. It can be downloaded from TWiki.org and installed on a suitable server (Windows or Unix servers are both provided for).
TWiki is quite straightforward to install and configure where you have access to support staff with Perl and relevant server software experience. Should you require support in determining the server requirements or support in installation and configuration, Moving Lines is able to offer you a range of services. Please contact us to discuss your needs.
TWiki
design and development
Moving Lines provides support in designing an effective TWiki site. Using the plugins and metadata technologies of TWiki we can design you a TWki that provides your users with the most effective experience. We can:
Identify, install and configure the TWiki plugins that will best meet your users needs
Develop systems for categorising new topics as they are created and displaying them in useful ways
Creating styles and layouts consistent with your organisational "persona"
Establish security levels for differential access to pages and site sections
Customise management and administration pages for your specific application
Program server batch files to support maintenance of your TWiki
Develop a Maintenance Guide to support your management of the site
Develop how-to-guides for your users
TWiki
training and support
Need training on TWiki for your:
Systems administrators?
Users?
Managers?
Contact us to discuss your needs. Moving Lines has significant experience in informaton technology training and can customise a training experience suitable for the needs of your staff or community group.
