Introduction
Wiki While You Work is a guide to using wikis to improve both individual and group efficiency. What makes the book special is that it describes not only what wikis are, but also their various applications and the numerous ways in which they are effective. Wiki While You Work covers issues relating to wikis and in particular investigates three key topics in depth.
First, the book elaborates on the ways in which experienced users put wikis to work. It discusses the specific aspects of wikis that excite the experts and exactly what it is that allows them to integrate wikis into their everyday activities. Second, in chapters 3 to 8, it examines the tangible improvements in work methods and communication that wikis make possible. Finally, the book describes how organisations are introducing wikis and the benefits they are seeing.
How did Wiki While You Work happen?
This started as an attempt to assemble and organise James Matheson's experiences as a wiki consultant since 2005. The book itself is based on a wiki. It grew out of a personal project to capture as much knowledge as possible about the wiki consulting business. Initially it did not set out to write a whole book; the plan was to document consulting work and to be a raining tool for future consultants.
After a couple of years, the book evolved from a collection of pages about specific ideas and approaches into its current state. Better ideas and new methods replaced earlier ones and these concepts have slowly been fine-tuned and expanded upon. Using a wiki instead of a traditional writing tool, such as a word processor, gives many advantages including extra flexibility in controlling the developmental cycle of the book. In fact, it is quite likely that if James had not started keeping his scattered notes in a wiki, the book would never have emerged at all.
