A wiki is a website designed for collaborative editing, letting many people create, update, and organize content directly in a web 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:** Every modification is recorded with a timestamp and the editor’s identity or IP address. - **Interlinking:** It’s easy to create links between pages, forming an interconnected knowledge base. - **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:** Talk or discussion pages let contributors debate edits and organization. Typical uses - Community-driven knowledge bases (for example, Wikipedia) - Internal documentation and company knowledge bases - Collaborative writing and shared note-taking - Classroom and educational projects Advantages - **Fast collaboration:** Many people can collaborate and iterate quickly on content. - **Openness:** Transparency through revision histories and discussions. - **Expandable:** They scale organically as users add more pages and topics. Drawbacks - **Vandalism and false information:** Public editing can lead to vandalism or incorrect information. - **Inconsistent quality:** Content quality may vary widely between pages. - **Organizational issues:** Without clear governance, content may become fragmented or disputed. Illustration - **Wikipedia** — a well-known wiki operated by the Wikimedia Foundation and written by volunteers around the globe.