Depending on the application, you will
want to run your own server or have somebody else manage the
servers..
* "from scratch": you install whatever wiki engine you choose. You control everything. (Either on your own hardware, or on any suitable web host).
* "hosted wiki": most technical decisions and support issues are handled by someone else, and you handle the social aspects of growing the wiki.
If you already have a web server, but your web host does not specifically say they host Wikis (for free or a fee) just see if they support the scripting language that the Wiki software you want to run requires. Many wikis just require PHP, Perl or some other common server side scripting language that most web hosts provide; other wikis require a database (e.g. MySQL database) and/or have other requirements.
Four ways of making a
wiki:
[edit]
Zero-work solution: do not make a wiki
If you plan to write about something that may be of general public interest, there is a good possibility that there is already something similar online. Remember, a bigger wiki (with more participants) is often more fun. If you get hit by spammers and vandals, having a big community and others willing to help out can be invaluable. Do a Google search or ask at the reference desk whether your subject could fit into an existing wiki.
Instantaneous solution: Host your wiki
There are many dedicated servers that will host wikis about anything. Some will have restrictions, some will charge for extra features, but in most cases you can setup a wiki in ten seconds.
try them out!
[edit]
Choosing the right software
There are more than 100 wiki-engines
available, so it depends on you which one to choose. A good starting point
could be Comparison of wiki software or Top Ten Wiki-engines or the
doku-wiki comparison table.
[edit]
Wiki serving "from scratch"
For more power and flexibility or for
business applications, many people will want to serve their own wikis.
This requires considerably more knowledge about how wikis work and
especially about wiki software.
[edit]
Business Environments
Especially in business environments, administrators may be interested in Wiki security. Many people believe that nobody who is granted read access should be denied write access or wikis lose their power, but there are times when administrators will want to restrict which users are allowed to access a wiki.
Another consideration in business environments and other large organizations is whether or not the wiki software can interface with other logins. E.g. Twiki can get the username from Windows NT, allowing users username level access without a login. Such schemes allow the benefits of usernames without discouraging users from participating by making them log in.
Businesses may choose to outsource the
hosting of the wiki environment. Companies such as Omnistrong host search
engine optimized wikis for small businesses. For intranet installations,
companies such as SocialText offer an hardware-based "appliance" solution.
For customization, design or production of wiki projects, companies such
as Wiki Studiosoffer professional wiki services to business, non-profit
organizations and branches of government.
[edit]
Customizing software
One of the benefits of hosting a wiki
oneself is the ability to recode the wiki software. For an example of
this, see Sensei's Library. The administrators of Sensei's added Go markup
functionality to their software for easy illustration of Go boards and
pieces.
[edit]
"Hosted wiki" and Wiki hosts
There are companies that host Wikis for free
or for a price. Beware! Some hosts delete wikis without notice. Make sure
you are saving your own backup copy of the data in your wiki. Some hosts
make it easy to download everything you would need to run your wiki
somewhere else, by using an open source wiki engine and providing backup
dumps with full edit histories. Other hosts lock you in more, e.g. with
proprietary wiki markup languages, proprietary wiki engines, or limited
backups.
[edit]
Free wiki hosting
Atwiki
Includes a WYSIWYG (What You See
Is What You Get) and Wiki-mode editor. English documentation is minimal
and it is unclear how to backup pages.
BluWiki
Hosts personal wiki pages using
the MediaWiki engine. Claims to be easy to setup. No domain names or
private wikis, though.
Duck Computing
Advertising supported
hosting using whichever wiki engine is requested. Offers .isgeeky.com
subdomains and email support. AdSense links are required at the top of
each page, or in case of Computer related wikis, a link to the Duck
Computing website on the sidebar.
MemeBot
Hosting based on Oddmuse. FTP and
CGI access allows expert users to customize their configuration. Requires
your telephone number for registration and is no longer accepting
registrations from new users.
OddWiki
Hosts wikis up to a certain size
with no advertising. Based on MotherWiki. Simple support for backup and
migration to your own Oddmuse wiki.
PeanutButterWiki
Public or private
ad-supported wikis using proprietary wiki software. Offers quick setup,
.ZIP backups, subdomains, and 1 Mb of free space. Paid wikis are available
if more storage is needed. No one can edit any of the wikis without
knowing a single password shared among all users of that wiki, which
limits participation dramatically, but cuts down on spam.
Riters
Hosting using the MoinMoin engine.
Inactive wikis without any recent page views (past 90 days) or edits (page
150 days) become inactive, but are archived and still accessible;
exporting your site is easy to do. There are ACLs (Access Control Lists)
available but setting them requires some manual intervention from the
administrators.(see FAQ)
Schtuff
Public, private or fine grain ACL
wikis. Has tag, search, and backup options. Supported by Google text
ads.
SeedWiki
Has been hosting free wikis and
paid wikis since 2001 using open source software. Has WYSIWYG (What You
See Is What You Get) editing, bare-bone editing, backup capabilities,
subdomains.seedwiki.com, and CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) support. Some of
the locking/membership/DNS features are only available for paid accounts.
The code base can only run on a proprietary Bluedragon CFML J2EE server or
a proprietary Coldfusion MX J2EE server (although it's currently being
ported to some other more open platforms).
Wikicities
Community support and
development through advertising-supported wiki hosting. Uses the MediaWiki
engine with a number of extensions. Wikis are selected for hosting that
are likely to be successful and will appeal to a wide community. Wikis are
community owned, not owned by the person "founding" the wiki. All content
is freely licensed under the GFDL to make it compatible with the Wikimedia
projects. See Start a new Wikicity. Offers free database backups, full CSS
customization, spam blacklisting, and various access control
levels.
Wikihost
Hosting using the GeboGebo
engine with all its features (as AutoLink, RSS-Feeds, file and image
uploads, etc...). Supported by Google text ads. Offers a scriptable export
function for backups.
WikiSpaces
Run by Tanigent LLC using
proprietary wiki software. New spaces (e.g. spacename.wikispaces.org) are
unrestricted public wikis. Uses tags for organizing pages and topics
rather than categories or fixed hierarchies. Has integrated discussion
areas and RSS feeds for page changes and messages. Supported by Google
text ads; no limitations on number of pages or space usage. Content is
licensed under a CreativeCommons AttributionShareAlike license. Has a
visual editor
Click to go to top of page
