Web 2.0 Training - Wikis

Wikis are websites that can easily be edited by anybody using them. I think the library could use wikis for basically the same function as the "CHPLearning 'sandbox' wiki" - users could submit book reviews or suggestions of things to do around the community. I do think it would be important to have people register for a CHPL wiki before they can edit the site...that way, people will be accountable for the content that they create. You don't want somebody cyber-bullying another person because they have a differing opinion about the latest Jodi Picoult novel.


Another potential problem with wikis is the publishing of misinformation, which can often be discovered on incorrect Wikipedia pages and...um...I'm sorry, that's it, I've run out of interesting things to say about wikis. My mind is choosing to instead focus on U2 songs, and has been ever since I bought tickets this morning for their October concert...and my brain was already on overdrive with the exciting news that the Chicago Bears just traded for a franchise quarterback when the team has NEVER had one before, not to mention I'm still processing the bizarre fact that my wife's company just hired a new employee named Michael Vick. So I apologize; maybe next week I'll be able to come up with more than an opening paragraph offering a thoughtful take on the Web 2.0 lessons.


Of course...I do still feel the need to once again mock the "Common Craft" video that we watched this week. I'm sorry, but if I'm going on a camping trip with three other people, we will definitely be communicating our plans by email. And there won't be thousands of emails like the teacher would lead us to believe...it seems that in his constant desire to leave behind the 'old way,' he's forgotten about a little device called the 'reply-all' button. This handy tool enables me to send the same message to all of my camping buddies simultaneously! It would be much easier to read four group emails than it would be to make a whole other website that I would have to go out of my way to visit. But I'll always check my email; a message about my camping trip would be read immediately. So using wikis for planning a camping trip gets a loud "BOO" from me. And I'll wave a big 'thumbs down' at the screen as soon as I finish typing this sentence.