Wiki Report Final
From LIS5313
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
Within the past couple of years there’s been a fair amount of buzz in reference to Web 2.0. Some think that web 2.0 bridges the gap between many people who would like to think that they know a fair amount about HTML as they pertain to wikis and others just simply enjoy the more synchronous approach of email, i.e. instant messaging.
- Nonetheless, this isn’t something that is being overlooked. So much so, that many current professional organizations have incorporated many aspects of web 2.0 into their respective businesses, in order for the business world to run a little bit more smoothly, aspects such as instant messaging, and in this case wikis.
- To many, when the term wiki is mentioned, the first and most logical website that comes to mind is Wikipedia. Granted, Wikipedia may very well be the first website too truly demonstrates the strengths of wikis it actually isn’t the only way in which wikis are being used. The entire reasoning behind the invention of wikis is to be able to create, edit and link web pages fairly easily.
[edit] Purpose
This is where both the website Wikipedia comes in and the new emerging uses of wikis in the work field. Many ask how the use of wikis can actually make a difference in the work field. The most dominant use thus far seems to be for both referencing and procedural documentation uses, in most workplaces. The purpose of this report is to inform the user on the uses of wikis and other forms of web 2.0 within the work setting.
[edit] Web 2.0 – Instant messaging
Let’s start with instant messaging. Instant messaging in the corporate environment is usually used for short quick answers, but sometimes can be long conversations of some form of important.
The most obvious and important advantage of instant messaging as opposed to the use of the telephone is the noise factor. One can have a rather lengthy conversation via instant messaging and not disturb his/her neighbor, which is often beneficial for cubical type of environments.
Another example in which instant messaging is often used is to quickly contact and inform IT personnel of network outages, which is often the case for me. Some instant messaging services can run within some sort of Ethernet which means direct connection to the internet may not always be necessary.
This can often reduce the overall cost for some corporations.
[edit] Web 2.0 - Software
In the sense of one particular Boston based company they make it even easier for many who face the challenge of web 2.0 possibly being difficult for some workers to adapt to, they’ve created software that integrates most aspects of web 2.0 into one unified software solution.
Their stance is as such “Knowledge changes so rapidly, and is distributed so broadly that traditional approaches for dealing with it are no longer sufficient. Web 2.0 capabilities enable workers to network, collaborate, and create knowledge, but without proper integration, they pose a knowledge sharing challenge. Participate ties together all it’s 'channels' so that knowledge shared once, regardless of its origin, is captured and made available across the entire system -- eliminating the separate knowledge silos created when Web 2.0, or any technologies are deployed separately.” (Product News Network , 2007)
This company went on to create the software named “Participate v2007”.
This is a small example on how important this is to many corporations, and how much of impact web 2.0 is making in our modern day industry.
[edit] Other web 2.0 software
- Suitetwo (Intel) This is Intel software version of Web 2.0. This is designed primarily for mass collaboration.
- Twitternail Twitter is an instant messanging software available on the web.
- Qrimp Qrimp is the most compete and advanced office 2.0 database available.
- FogBugz This is complete project management software for user to collaborate information amongst each other.
- Twittercal This software connects the user with Google Calendar and also allows others to edit date and collaborates meeting times.
[edit] Flaws
The possibilities with the incorporation of web 2.0 into the work field are endless, but keep in mind that there are still some CIOs who are reluctant to reform. With all of the benefits of web 2.0 there are naturally some flaws, and those flaws mainly revolving around security. At the end of the day a wiki is still a web page. Subsequently must be secured in much of the same way as a webpage in order to insure that the contents are seen by only the persons who are suppose to see the contents of that wiki.
Other aspects of web 2.0 include instant messaging. Many may argue that instant messaging may not have as much of use as a simple telephone call or an email, but the fact of the matter is the majority of this nation uses, in some form or another, instant messaging. Texting via the cellular telephone, AOL instant messaging, and MSN instant messaging, are all form of web 2.0 or more specifically instant messaging, and all three of these forms of web 2.o have security leaks.
[edit] Security Leaks
- Whether those leaks involve packet sniffing which is simply “a form of wire-tap applied to computer networks instead of phone networks. It came into vogue with Ethernet, which is known as a "shared medium" network. This means that traffic on a segment passes by all hosts attached to that segment. Ethernet cards have a filter that prevents the host machine from seeing traffic addressed to other stations. Sniffing programs turn off the filter, and thus see everyone’s traffic”, (Internet Security Systems, 1995).
- Or those leaks can possibly involve some other form of Ethernet security breach; nonetheless, what’s important is that there are different ways in which important information to one company can be profitable information to another, thus the reason why some CIOs have good reason to be apprehensive in rushing into the incorporation of web 2.0.
This is what one journal had to say in reference to CIOs embracing the new web 2.0 culture. “Although such Web 2.0 tools as wikis and podcasts can offer significant advantages to a business, chief information officers (CIOs) have been slow to embrace these lightweight Internet technologies. CIOs are especially concerned about security, governance, IT support, and integration of Web 2.0 applications with existing systems, while the distributed and egalitarian nature of Web 2.0 also makes some managers nervous. However, major vendors of Web 2.0 tools for corporate use are now dealing with such concerns, and they are providing management and security features and assembling these tools into suites that can be applied and administered as a platform.” (Hildreth, 2007)
[edit] Confused CIOs
Granted, there are some CIOs who are afraid to venture into these new forms of web 2.0, on the other hand there are some corporations who are willing try Web 2.0, two of those corporations being Wal-Mart and Progressive insurance. I personally have a couple of friends who work for these companies whom both use two forms of web 2.0, those forms being instant messaging as well as wikis. Granted, it doesn’t take much for one to figure out how instant messaging is being used in the corporate setting but, what intrigued me the most was the way in which wikis are used within the corporate setting.
[edit] Problem: Getting Users/Employees to conform to Web 2.0
The same goes with upgrades with all sorts of different innovations in this modern day and age, how do we get people to conform? This is one of the primary concerns with some of the heads of different corporations.
The benefits are obvious; getting people to incorporate is a whole other story. Many face this issue, and the most obvious solution would be to make the use of wikis mandatory within a particular corporation.
9 times out of 10, this usually rattles a number of feathers with the employees whom been with the corporation for more than a couple of years. I personally have had problems getting faculty members to convert over to office 2007 from office 2003; this is a small example of how upgrades within an organization can cause more problems than benefits.
- According to itworldcanada, “You have to make it deadly simple and easy to use because the competition is e-mail where all you have to do to communicate is hit ‘send’”, (Tim, 2006). The most reasonable solution to this problem would be training. Some people are technologically savvy enough to immediately become comfortable with wikis, and in the same light some may not be. Therefore two to three day training or something similar to this would be in order.
[edit] Advantages
It is also noted that wikis also carry the possibility of completely doing away with blanket emails.
- For example, as opposed to sending a memo to the entire company, that same information can be place in the wiki. The same can be said for upcoming events within that particular organization, as opposed to sending physical mail or an email the information can simply be placed in the wiki.
Granted this approach may seem similar to that of sending a mass blanket email, with one important difference, that difference being collaboration of the other employees. Let say, the corporation is planning a christmas dinner on a certain day at a certain time, and needs all employees who plan to attend to R.S.V.P. by a certain date and time. As opposed to checking a number of emails being sent at all different times, the person on the receiving end simply needs to check the wiki page at the deadline provided.
Wikis also leave a digital trail of sorts for the heads of companies to determine what happened on certain days and who authorized certain decisions made via the use of the wiki.
“You can see exactly what happened and who did it. It’s a record of when you became aware of a problem and how quickly you reacted to it,” he said. Eventually, a secure corporate wiki might serve to meet regulatory compliance for keeping records of how corporate decisions were made. By reviewing the wiki, a regulator could determine that corporate decision makers followed rules, McAfee said.” (Tim, 2006)
[edit] Interview
An interview in reference to this information was conducted in order to gather more information from a colleague currently in the field, who is utilizing the use of wikis in his/her place of work.
In order to get a accurate amount of information, ten questions were put together, in an interview format so that we may see firsthand how wikis are being used in the work field, the person of choice a colleague of mine by the name of Latesha Green, whom I graduated with in college.
Latesha is currently employed by Progressive insurance, and holds the title of a medical claims adjuster. She has been employed by the company now for three years now. She came into the position as medical claims adjuster, therefore her entire time spent with the company was while holding that position.
[edit] Interview Questions
1. Before you became a part of this company, where you familiar at all with the term wiki? If so how?
2. When were you introduced to the company wikis?
3. What is the primary purpose of progressive insurance’s wiki?
4. How often do you use the wiki?
5. Who how editing access to the company wiki?
6. What type of information can be found on your companies’ wiki?
7. On a scale of one to ten, how beneficial is the company wiki to your overall production?
8. Does the information found on the wiki refer to every position held at the company?
9. How often is the wiki updated?
10. If there was one thing that you would change with the wiki what would it be?
[edit] Conclusion
Granted the use of wikis and web 2.0 in general has been one that has been used for some time now. But as far as the working environment is concerned, this is new territory. One wouldn't expect this to take off quite as fast as any other software developments but at the end of the day the use of web 2.0 in the general work setting is inevitable.
The learning curve is minimal considering many of the new software implementations being developed on a daily basis. These implementation makes things easier for the employees whom will have to use these interfaces on a daily basis. Nonetheless, the future is bright for web 2.0 in the corporate world.
[edit] References
Hildreth, S. (2007). Web 2.0 Goes Corporate. Computerworld (Framingham, Mass.) , 26-30.
Internet Security Systems. (1995, May 24). Packet Sniffing. Retrieved 11 30, 2007, from ISS: http://www.iss.net/security_center/advice/Underground/Hacking/Methods/Technical/Packet_sniffing/default.htm
Product News Network . (2007). Software helps companies create and share knowledge.(OutStart Announces Participate v2007). Product News Network , 47-52.
Tim, G. (2006, October 13). Wiki use in corporate world has programming effect. Retrieved December 1, 2007, from IT World Canada: http://www.itworldcanada.com/Pages/Docbase/ViewArticle.aspx?id=idgml-8a975d6b-982f-4c41-8251-9f3f71e0a109
[edit] Resources
- The definition of a wiki. This is the definition of a wiki according to tvb.org
- The definition of web 2.0 This is the definition of web 2.0 according to 2020systems.com
- This is progressive insurance's main website. This was the primary site used for referencing information as it pertains to the company itself.
- This is the wiki editing reference used for this report. This is a complete wiki editing guide for novice wiki users. Aiding in things such as font colors, the insertion of pictures, and font sizes.
