International Institute of Care to Buildings

A wiki is a web platform that enables multiple users to collaboratively create, edit, and arrange content through a browser.

Wikis prioritize ease of use and openness: pages can be added or changed without technical expertise, and most track every edit so changes can be reviewed or undone.

Main features
- **Collaborative editing:** Several contributors can edit pages, sometimes at the same time.
- **Edit history:** All edits are stored with timestamps and the author’s name or IP.
- **Interlinking:** Links between pages are simple to create, helping build connected content.
- **Lightweight markup:** Pages are typically formatted with lightweight markup like WikiText or Markdown.
- **Permission settings:** Some wikis are open to anyone; others limit edits to registered users or specific groups.
- **Discussion pages:** Dedicated discussion pages enable contributors to coordinate and discuss content.

Frequent uses
- Community-driven knowledge bases (for example, Wikipedia)
- Internal documentation and company knowledge bases
- Collaborative writing and shared note-taking
- Educational and classroom projects

Benefits
- **Fast collaboration:** Multiple people can add and refine content quickly.
- **Openness:** Edit histories and talk pages reveal how content decisions were made.
- **Expandable:** They scale organically as users add more pages and topics.

Drawbacks
- **Vandalism and false information:** Open editing may allow intentional or accidental inaccuracies.
- **Inconsistent quality:** Content quality may vary widely between pages.
- **Organizational issues:** Without clear governance, content may become fragmented or disputed.

Notable example
- **Wikipedia** — the best-known wiki, run by the Wikimedia Foundation and built by volunteer contributors worldwide.