I know about all the arguments against it saying that it's unreliable because anyone can contribute info to it, but I think it's good practise to be somewhat cautious with any information you read anyway, whether it's "official" or otherwise.
One of the linked articles (can't remember which one) argued that wikipedia's popularity was largely due to the fact that it was quick, easy and convenient to use... and I tend to agree. If I want to find out what's going on in the latest episode of Torchwood just screened in the UK, I go to wikipedia. If I want to get some more background info on why Joss Whedon's "Firefly" was axed by FOX, I go to wikipedia. If I want to get the lowdown on how to boil an egg, I go to wikipedia. I'm not claiming that wikipedia is the "be all and end all" of recorded human knowledge, but it's a good place to start looking.
I had a look at some of the wikis in the discover task:
Book Lovers Wiki
I think this is a great idea, but I was a bit disappointed with it. The handful of books which I looked at only had single reviews attached to them and they were generally pretty brief. I think it would have been much better if they had multiple reviews providing different opinions of the book - a bit of an online discussion group.
Wookieepedia
Considering Star Wars is one of the greatest film series ever, I thought I'd have a look at this. I know that Star Wars fans can be a bit "particular" so I'm pretty confident that all the facts in this wiki have been meticulously researched and debated! I discovered a new character I'd never heard of, Jaina Solo - Han and Leia's Jedi Knight daughter... amazing stuff.
Library Success Stories
This looks like a great wiki. I had a bit of a look at the marketing section and there seems to be some useful links here. This is a great example of knowledge sharing. I hadn't looked at this wiki before now... but I'll be back!
So how could my library use wikis? I really like the idea of a wiki procedures manual along the lines of the one used by Antioch Uni. At the moment our procedures are all "out there" somewhere, but I think this would be a great way organise and centralise them, and make them more accessible. I also think a book discussion group wiki could be a good way to get some two-way interactivity going with our library patrons. Linking these reviews or discussions to the actual items on the library catalog would be a great feature.
Finally, some other interesting wikis I've come across:
Doctor Who Wiki
This is the place to go for all Dr Who related info. As with Star Wars fans, DW fans tend to be very "particular" as well so this site is pretty comprehensive.
James Bond Wiki
Who was the bond girl in "Goldfinger"? What was the first Bond car? Who sang the theme song to "You Only Live Twice"? It's all here!
Webtender Wiki
More cocktail recipes here than you could point a muddler at. Make mine a martini... easy on the vermouth!
Dub Wiki
Dedicated to the glorious sounds of dub music, although obviously still in an early developmental stage. King Tubby is a legend!
Addendum...
I did the "explore" exercise last night and contibuted to the NSW Learning 2.0 wiki. I watched the PB Wiki video tour first as suggested and then thought I'd give it a go. It was pretty easy to do and quite fun. I like these wiki things!
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I will admit that I am also a wikipedia fan. Even if it offered nothing else (which I think it does) at least it offers some clues on where to go and some terminolgy, kind of like the notes field or subject headings in a catalogue record. I really like the library success wiki, I think it is great for sharing experiences in a slightly ordered way.
Leanne
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