WikingBoxer.com

Wikis are collaborative writing software that allows you to create a "wiki website". With the powerful editing, messaging and database capabilities of wiki, technical writers can do a lot for technical communication projects.

For example, you can post drafts of your document to a wiki site and invite reviewers to comment and give feedback. This greatly reduces phone and e-mail traffic. This ensures that reviewers and writers are on the same page.

Different authorization and access levels can be set up so that different people can view or contribute to each page. You can, for example, create a special user group called "Reviewers" which can access review pages and leave comments.

Because most wikis have backup copies of all pages, you can always refer back to previous versions and see the progress of your document. This archival history can be very useful when trying to find a particular draft that may have been saved on the client machine of the technical writer.

To post on a Wiki, you don't need to write complete essays or articles. It is possible to jot down ideas and suggestions, and then invite others to add their own thoughts and opinions. A wiki can also be used as a tool for collective brainstorming.

One of the most important functions a Wiki Age has is to foster a sense of ownership and pride in collective excellence. The past experiences have shown that once a group of people contributes to a Wiki, they begin to take the accuracy of information and completeness very seriously. The job of technical writer becomes easier once the group has "policed" themselves. Subject Matter Experts begin to contribute on their own and the writer doesn't have to waste time looking for specialized information.