Support Wiki

	Support wiki
Category Other

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Support Wiki's are implemented as a form of contextual knowledge management primarily to facilitate a commune-based information repository. The function of wiki software as implemented in a support wiki is aimed at user, or client support within an organization. This kind of information repository enables many types of support to include technical support, collaboration between organizations or entities therein, project management and even gaming. [1] [2] This type of wiki, as wiki's themselves, are commune-based by nature and are dependent on the collective contribution of the whole, rather than a single dictatorial authority. It is a means of capturing and stimulating innovation from the collective and using it towards an organizations goals. [3] Recently Forty-four percent of those surveyed by CIO Insight in November 2007 agreed that technologies that "gather and present the wisdom of crowds" will be among the most important technological developments in 2012-2017. Gartner analysts predicted by 2009 that over 50 percent of US companies will be using wiki's and according to a survey by IBM in March 2005, and 80 percent of CEOs see collaboration as being critical to growth. [4] This consensus among Chief Information Officer's, surveys by technology companies, and forecasts by technology research consultants is suggestive of the growing acceptance and use of wiki software within organizations. [5] Wachovia has turned to using wiki's and other Web 2.0 software to connect its more than 100,000 users. It has also done so to retain institutional knowledge as older workers retire by preserving their experience in digital form. [6] Support wiki's can operate on any available wiki software. Network Computing, part of the Information Week Business Technology network, performed a thorough test of several wiki software distributions for the aforementioned needs. In their evaluation they noted that is important to consider hosted service vs. un-hosted service wiki distributions, as well as open source vs. commercial distributions based on the type of support required from wiki software. [7] Given the nature of a support wiki within an organization, it may be a public or private-facing website. The flexibility of implementing public facing wiki website can be disastrous if not done correctly. In June 2005, the Los Angeles Times attempted to supplement coverage of the Iraq War by using wiki software to publish an opinion article, "War and Consequences". The newspaper subsequently removed it after combating spam and underestimating the overall adolescent nature of some users on the web. [8]