Using Wikis to Organise and Share AM Knowledge2013 International Local Government Infrastructure and Asset

Management ConferenceWednesday 29 May – Thursday May 30, 2013

Wayne Eddy, Strategic Asset Planning Coordinator - Whittlesea City Council

My HypothesisA wiki and more particularly a wiki-based encyclopaedic knowledge base is the best value for money tool that a Council could possibly implement or support.

What is a wiki?A wiki is a collection of web pages designed to enable anyone (or specifically designated users) to contribute or modify content, using a simplified markup language.

What is a Wiki-based Encyclopaedic Knowledge Base?

A wiki-based encyclopaedic knowledge base is a wiki that is organised so that each page is about a single subject that matches the name and title of the page.

What’s so good about wikis?

Use Cases

Wikis enable you to:• Store, save, dump information• Organise information• Augment your memory• Develop ideas• Collaborate with others• Transfer knowledge

Potential Users

• Individuals• Organisations• Communities of Interest

Personal Knowledge Bases

Oops

Council Knowledge Bases

http://www.lgam.info/blog:how-bundaberg-regional-council-uses-its-wiki

Public Knowledge Bases

http://lgam.wikidot.com/

Asset Management

Search for

LGAM

https://www.google.com.au/

LGAM Membership Graph

LGAM Contributors

LGAM Contributors

Frequently Asked Questions

What wiki software should I use?There are several dozen wiki software options out there, which option should you be using?

Wikimatrix.org has an extensive list of wikis and their pros and cons.

How much does wiki software cost?

• Wikidot – 5 sites up to 300MB in size hosted for free. • MediaWiki – Free to host on own servers.• Drupal – Free to host on own servers.

How hard are wikis to use?

1. It is possible to learn the basics in a couple of hours.2. Even my six year old son has a wiki.

Editing a page

What if someone accidently deletes content or deliberately adds incorrect or inappropriate content?

What happens if I’m hit by a bus?

Won’t I just make myself redundant if I document all my knowledge on a wiki?

How can I justify spending time sharing my knowledge with other Councils?

I already have an Asset Management System and a GIS. Why do I need a wiki too?

Homeworkhttp://lgam.wikidot.com/my-favourite-tool

Questions?