Exploration 7: Wikis

Wikis in Plain English gave the example of participants listing "what we have" and "what we need" to coordinate a camping trip.

So here are two list-based ideas:

We could use this approach on a branch basis when coordinating in-house events (volunteer appreciation, going away parties, etc) or on an area-wide basis for the PTH recognition event.

Or how about a craft supply wiki, where branches can list items they need help in accumulating. Right now we solicit supplies in a variety of ways (faxes, programming blog, etc) and one branch doesn't always know what another branch is sending, which can result in some poor crafters being totally inundated with, say, paper towel rolls, until they send out another desperate message that says "Thanks, we have enough." Branches could also list any excess supplies that are up for grabs, perhaps saving another branch a trip to the craft store. A wiki would make it easier to have a central point of communication, although because this application isn't centered around a specific project, the trick would be to remember to check it routinely.

And another idea:

The collaborative aspect of wikis might also be useful for our branch staff meeting minutes. At the moment we take turns being the recorder and we scribble down notes while different staff members talk about their areas of concern. Did the recorder catch everything? Is there something that the speaker would like to clarify after the fact? The wiki approach would make the document very easy for more than one person to edit. We'd just have to decide at what point we were finished editing, and remind everyone to read the final version.