Finding a free Wiki!
Table of contents for Wikis as Websites
- What is a Wiki?
- Examples of Wikis
- Finding a free Wiki!
- Have you used a Wiki yet?
Heidi’s input on creating a wiki:
Want to create your own free wiki? Want to know where to start?
- First, figure out what you would like to do with your wiki.
- Do you want a public (viewable by all the web) or private (viewable by a select few)?
- Do you want it editable by the public or select few?
- Then look for wiki’s that meet those criteria. (i.e. Wetpaint only offers public wiki’s.)
- Next, go to one of the free wiki websites listed below and play with them. Some provide a sandbox. A sandbox is really a place to try out the wiki and make changes.
- In the sandbox, Try to edit something and see if you like the editor.
- If they don’t have a sandbox or place to edit pages, just sign-up for a wiki and try edit a few pages.
- If you don’t like the editor or it’s not user friendly, people are not going to want to use the wiki.
- Try to add a page and see if that is easy.
- Find a site you like the editor and adding pages is easy? Then sign-up and get your own free wiki. But before you invest hours into it. Play with the settings (change the style, add a few pages, add a little bit of content.) Do you still like it? You are not committed to it yet. If it isn’t easy, go to another one and try it out.
- Once you have picked a free wiki that you like, add a little content and THEN share with your friends or family.
Free Wiki’s that I have tried and my thoughts on them:
Wetpaint is probably the easiest wiki to start using. You sign up and start creating. The editor that you use is probably the most user friendly of all the wikis that I have seen. If you have media content (photobucket slideshow or Youtube video) that is super easy to post with their widgets.
What I didn’t like about it was the ads and the restrictions.
- Google ads
- All wetpaint’s are viewable by the public
- Wetpaint wikis can be changed editable by all or by specific wetpaint users
- Limited Styles of the look of your wiki
- Restricted type of content. For example you can not put certain types of widgets/ads in your wiki.
The pbwiki is by my favorite free wiki that I have tried and use for a private collaborative project. The editor isn’t quite as friendly as Wetpaint’s editor but is still easy too use.
- Only ads are seen in bottom right hand corner and they are from pbwiki wanting you to upgrade past the free account.
- The wiki can be private (seen only by those you give the password too) or public.
- Allow if everyone or particular users can edit the wiki.
- They have youtube widget for video, and Bubbleshare or Slide widgets for photos but no Photobucket widget.
- Allows you to enter in code given on websites to insert in your own widgets. (Switch to Source mode and paste in your code.) This allows you to easily insert photobucket slideshows, ads, etc.
- Very few styles but allows you to make changes to these styles
- Easily backup your wiki with their tool.
Here are few other free hosted wiki sites you can try:
Here is website that compares wiki’s in a nice clean format. I have already selected the 6 free hosted wiki’s for you to view them side by side:
Wiki Matrix comparing the 6 free hosted websites.
And if you want to host your own wiki, that is altogether another thing. That involves technical knowledge of web hosting, choosing the wiki software, installing the wiki, configuring it, and then you can start using it. For more info on that, visit WikiMatrix and start reading…
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