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Typically a wiki like any online community has a mission, a reason to exist. The mission may be explicitely written as a MissionStatement, it may exist unwritten in the head of the founder(s) or as an agreement between the contributors, or it may even be hidden intentionally behind some untrue official statement. So the WikiMission is not the same as a MissionStatement.

The wiki is different to other forms of community because of its is the enormous richness in possible applications and freedom to create content. If you walk on a path you will usually get to some sensible place where others have walked before. The path gives you a direction. A wiki without a mission statement is like a path without direction, like a desert without a compass.

Other communities are different. A chat community is its own mission, to get to know other people, to enjoy communication. You just need a reason to meet. -- A usenet forum must agree on a mission before it can be created. -- A corporation must create profit otherwise it has to close down. -- A non-profit corporation has to declare its targets before it may be founded. -- A married couple should make sure to have a common view of future life...

A mission defines expectations about which people will meet (TargetGroup), about what the people will do and about the directions the community will develop. The mission helps to establish collaboration and to Wiki:PrepareTheWay. In addition, the individual GoalStatement helps to understand each other and fine-tune the relationships and expectations.


Table of Contents

1. A Wiki's MissionStatement is a most important sign post.
1.1. Preamble:
1.2. Each Wiki's MissionStatement exerts a fundamental force.
1.2.1. Stated opinions:
1.2.1.1. "A wiki is first of all a creative work."
1.2.1.2. ...
1.3. Next steps:
1.3.1. Existing pages that express related perspectives


1. A Wiki's MissionStatement is a most important sign post.

1.1. Preamble:

There exists a considerable body of diverse opinions about what a "Wiki" is.

A few the main impressions I have formed during the last six months of participating in WardsWiki and Meatball include:

Obviously, these forces act or resolve themselves in different ways at different times, making it quite difficult for a new-commer to fully understand the environment into which they are entering, especially given the fact that datestamps are not generally available, making it difficult to appreciate the current View or Style of a Wiki.

1.2. Each Wiki's MissionStatement exerts a fundamental force.

Significant sign posts exist that define what a wiki is. The MissionStatement is one that is most important since all Wikis direct new visitors to such a page. And Events frequently conspire to provide additional, clear direction. A specific example I was favoured to elicit while engaging in a series of posts triggered by an "Off Topic" discussion is...



1.2.1. Stated opinions:

1.2.1.1. "A wiki is first of all a creative work."

"A wiki is first of all a creative work. A wiki solicits community to participate in that creation, but it does not exist to create community. Dividing the community into interest groups cannot improve the quality or integrity of the work."

This quote clearly states:

I plan to ponder the implications of this opinion during the rest of 2004, and would appreciate any other Opinions on this subject. Preliminary thoughts:


1.2.1.2. ...

...


1.3. Next steps:

1.3.1. Existing pages that express related perspectives


Discussion

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