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WikiChampion
MeatballWiki | RecentChanges | Random Page | Indices | CategoriesWikiChampion is the name for an employee of an organisation, who acts as an in-house wiki expert for the wiki that is intended to be used. He supports all the users, which may be a part-time or full-time job, depending on the size of the organisation. Typically the WikiChampion comes from the IT department or from a technical department.
In most cases the wiki serves as a knowledge base to improve collaboration within the organisation, and it is not public.
- Context:
- An organisation wants to start a wiki for in-house use. The overall situation maybe that the organisation wants to improve its KnowledgeManagement?.
- Problem:
- The users don't know enough about wiki and it is too inefficient that each user builds know-how on his own.
- Solution:
- One employee takes the role of an wiki expert, who knows all about the wiki and support the users.
- Connected patterns:
- A WikiKickOffEvent? may be used to present the wiki in its initial form to those involved.
- Alternatives:
- In a more complex situation, especially if the wiki is larger or has a public part and needs quality control, when its goal is to churn out news or articles, an EditorialTeam? may be installed.
- Comments:
- An unimaginative company might name the person in charge "wiki admin" or "wiki sysop". The name WikiChampion is used in literature.
CategoryWikiPatternLanguage
Discussion
NathanielThurston -- Mon Aug 31 09:50:48 2009
It seems like one of the most important tasks of any WikiChampion is to teach InternetLiteracy.
SunirShah -- Mon Aug 31 14:58:14 2009
While I was doing enterprise wiki sales, one of the biggest qualifiers was whether or not the customer had a WikiChampion. If they did not, the probability of a successful project (let alone sale) seemingly dropped to nearly zero.
HelmutLeitner -- Mon Aug 31 15:42:40 2009
Nathaniel, typically the WikiChampion will *not* teach people InternetLiteracy. He will do his job, he will do what he is paid for. Maybe he will do a friendly favour occasionally, maybe show his expertise in his own interest. But his primary interest is not to raise the general know-how of his group, if he has no explicite order to do this. Just as a WikiHost? typically doesn't educate his members beyond the necessary, just as Wikipedians never shouted out loud that wiki is a general system and wikipedia is just one wiki project.
The typical attitude is not to divert attention from the wiki/system/project focused.
JuanmaMP -- Mon Aug 31 16:14:18 2009
In accordance with prior comment (I guess), techies must immunize themselves against a degree of pressure, or whatever it is, exercised from some clients, who prefer techies as instrumental "How-To"s, instead of responsible knowledgable humans "Just Do It"s.
It's not a trivial matter, this can lead to stressful scenarios, therefore (in a sense of contaminated roles) it needs some immunization. So it appears merely a question of regulating business roles.
I think that the precedent comment make a good fit to their context.
(Thanks to FridemarPache for help drafting a fragment of the comment)