A Guide to Wikis

Wikia hosts many great wikis. (Image of Wikia)

Those new to the world of wikis can find the prospect of searching for information in the Web 2.0 equivalent of reference manuals a little daunting. While the actual use of wikis is relatively simple with a straight forward interface proven to be easy to use, finding the right wiki to search can be like finding a needle in a haystack. And the list of wikis continues to grow at an increasing rate.

Most people have heard of Wikipedia, which has become one of the most used websites in the world, but the world of wiki goes far beyond Wikipedia and other websites making up the Wikimedia Foundation.

Much like the encyclopedia we would look through at a library, Wikipedia is a great source of information, but it will often fall short on the level of detail we might require. This is where individual wikis stand out.

Comparing an individual wiki to the Wikipedia is like comparing the encyclopedia entry on dogs to a reference book about dogs. The encyclopedia entry is great for a quick summary, but if we want to get details about individual dogs, or the care and feeding of dogs, or the breeding of dogs, the reference book is a much better choice.

This guide lists wikis by category, from wiki farms to reference wikis to wikis covering entertainment, travel, and other subjects. Each entry comes with example wikis and a list of wikis in that category.

A wiki farm is a host of wikis run from a single website. They usually allow single login access to multiple wikis, and often allow a global search across all hosted wikis.

Wiki farms are a great way to get involved in a wiki community and the perfect place to start for those wishing to create their own wiki.

Wikia. Founded by Jimmy Wales, who co-founded Wikipedia, and Angela Beesley, a member of the board of trusties for the Wikimedia Foundation, Wikia offers subdomain and RSS support.Wetpaint. Originally named Wikisphere, Wetpaint features a WYSIWYG editor and RSS support.PBwiki. Also known as PeanutButterWiki, this wiki farm supports password-protected private wikis and focuses on business and educational wikis.Wikispaces. Beyond having a WYSIWYG editor and supporting subdomains and RSS feeds, Wikispaces also boasts an import feature for Blogger.com and Typepad.

View the full list of popular wiki farms.

The Wikimedia Foundation is a non-profit organization operating several collaborative projects including Wikipedia and Wiktionary. Run by an almost entirely volunteer staff, the Wikimedia Foundation operates some of the most popular wikis in the world.

Wikipedia. A wiki encyclopedia with a strict ruleset. It is among the most popular websites in the world.Wiktionary. An online wiki dictionary.Wikiquote. One of the largest free collections of quotations in the world.Wikibooks . A collection of open-content educational textbooks.

View the full list of Wikimedia Foundation wikis.

Reference wikis include encyclopedias, dictionaries, quotations, how-to articles, tax almanacs and language reference guides. Easy access to information that is of immediate use makes these wikis an invaluable tool and among the most popular wikis in the world.

Tax Almanac. A free online resource to tax information sponsored by Intuit.Genealogy Wikia. A wiki focused on genealogy with articles on ancestors with links to where and how they lived.About Us. A wiki focusing on information about people, organizations and companies.1911 Encyclopedia. A wiki for the curious, the 1911 Encyclopedia is a community project to restore the 1911 Edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

View the full list of reference wikis.

Product and shopping wikis range from wikis devoted to consumer reports to alert shoppers to potential problems with a product, to wikis focused on product reviews or comparisons, to wikis centering on a particular type of product like cars or motorcycles.

Consumer Information. A wiki dedicated to information that people and small business shoppers need to spend their money wisely.ProductWiki. A resource of product reviews and informations written and maintained by the public.ShopWiki. A comprehensive guide to over 200 million products with product comparisons and price comparisons.

View the full list of product and shopping wikis.

A list of funny wikis including wikis based on popular comedies such as the Family Guy or the Simpsons.

The Uncyclopedia. A parody of an encyclopedia, the Uncyclopedia is a great place to go to catch the giggles. The most comprehensive resource for funny fictions about real-life facts, Uncyclopedia is a content-free encyclopedia.Homestar Runner Wiki. A compliment to the popular flash cartoons, the Homestar Runner Wiki is your resource for all things Homestar. Learn all about Homestar Runner, Strongbad, The Cheat and your other favorite characters.

View the full list of funny wikis

Continue to Entertainment, Game, Sports, Food and Drink, Health, Travel, Religious and Political Wiki Lists.

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