Video: Wikis in Plain English

Another awesome video! I hope it's simple enough for my coworkers to understand it.

I can't tell you enough how much I look forward to these videos. Keep up the amazing work!

http://digg.com/videos/educational/Wikis_in_Plain_English

Now could you please do one about domain names and DNS? I know it's a little off-message, but I've been working with the damn things for years and still get confused every time.

Wll done! I've already sent it along to my more technology challenged friends. And have blogged it. Keep up the good work. I'd like to see a video on SEO, Search Engine Optimization. I know it's a little less on the "social" side, but the general business population could use a little education there.

Another great video!!! You guys have a real knack for explaining these issues plainly. Some other topics I get a lot of blank stares about are podcasting, blogging, and twitter.

Wow, great video! I like the snapping effect!

Awesome! Just perfect.

I agree with Bre. Nice snapping. Other than that, it was OK.... if "OK" equals fabulous!

Hey Lee. Great video, again. I'm excited that you're doing this. One critique. You have a few spots where you can hear some folks in the background talking. You might want to try to re-edit that out.

Otherwise, awesome!

I'm out. *snap*

Great piece...I am a little worried about what they are planning to do with that "knife" and "rope."

Keep up the great work!
Sean
www.communitygrouptherapy.com

Super fun video to watch -- nice job! Wikis for everyday users and everyday purposes are finally becoming practical. Simple, helpful explanations like this certainly help spread the word of the value of online wiki-style collaboration.

Best,

Kevin
Wetpaint

The team at PBwiki just forwarded this around - it's so well done! Congrats! Would it be okay with you if we reposted this video on PBwiki (with attribution)?

I'm glad there are people out there working hard to make the Internet less confusing and more accessible to people. Cheers!

Very shaka!

It seems like lefties inhabit this video in at least the same proportion as righties. Nicely done production.

That is a hand with an attitude.

Are you planning to create aseries? love the simplicity ...

I wrote about this video and the one on RSS in my blog for nonprofits. Thanks much.

http://inprogress.typepad.com/studio501c/2007/05/take_note_of_th.html

Thank you for teaching me the meaning of a Wiki . Our website www.grammology.com is less than 5 months old and my knowledge of the web is the same. I have always dealt with a learning disability which creates frustration, and as I move forward, being determined to comprehend what the web brings to my future, there is always more to learn then my brain allows. You did such a wonderful job on your explanation of Wiki, you made my otherwise stressful day..more relaxed..I hope there is more information out there like expressed in your style.

Regards, Dorothy a 60 year old grandmother, bringing back grandma's to the forefront, by popular demand..

Submitted by celeste w, studio 501c blog (not verified) on May 30, 2007 - 10:15pm.
I wrote about this video and the

Simply SUPERB!!! great job. A precise and clear presentation on the power of the Wiki Technology.

Like many before me, I first would like to thank you and applaud your generosity.

However, a little construtive critisism is always a good thing, so here are a few thoughts:

1- You have moved away from the simplicity and directness seen in RSS in plain english
2- I feel it is to long, to fast and too dense
3- Maybe just show the basics on how to use a wiki and make other videos about what you can do with it
4- the "snap magic" is great, but becomes anoying because of the repetition
5- and lastly, for your next videos, please consider a female actor (hands and voice)

once again many thanks for your work

Where is the inevitable argument and accusations of being a sock puppet?

Kudos!

And Kudos to Beth Kanter.

Beth scores again.

I love this video, I have nothing to say about background noise, speed, etc.

I am pointing folks here.

Catherine

The Wikispaces team are big fans of your work. It's hard to be clear and concise. You manage to be both and entertaining as well. Bravo.

Lee: Awesome. Killer job and you really jam packed the less than 4 minutes. I like the gimmicky Snaps and zippy movement. It's fun!

I am finding the audience for What's a Wiki? at the most basic level is narrowing rapidly. No doubt people who need this. I also find the consumer/personal applications like camping trips and weddings leave business people cold, or still wanting.

I would _love_ to see some Step 2 Videos... How Organizations Use Wikis? How do they get started? What problems do they solve?

And of course I cannot help but note you mention three very consumery wikis. I admire pbwiki for sure, but if you ever want to address business communities with 10,000 - 50,000 users and the myriad of problems they tackle, let me know.

Meanwhile, www.wikipatterns.com is a growing community around some of these issues.

Thanks. You nailed it, mate.

Jeffrey
www.radiowalker.com

Great job. Thank you thank you thank you:) I'm all for honoring the basics, for it's here that lies the beauty of the complex! Y'all rock :)

Overcoming that initial discomfort with new technologies is so difficult, I think your video is a great resource for newbies. We posted it on the tutorial for our wiki in the hopes that potential users will find it to be 3 minutes and 52 seconds of time well-spent. Many thanks for putting this together.

can you do the same for a semantic wiki?

SB

Thank you for presenting what perfection may be. This is one of the best peace of educational material I've ever come to see. It reminded me about a book presenting electronic concepts by animations using thumb wheels. You took it to the next level by use of multimedia.

Lovely, just lovely.

(1) May I use this video to open my presentation to the AACP (Amer. Assoc. of Colleges of Pharmacy) workshop on wikis, July 15th?

(2) May I link to it or re-display it at our business wiki, Centiare.com?

Greg

Thanks Lee. I will be using both this and you RSS video in a Social Media presentation to our directors to aide understanding. Hope you don't mind !
Thanks
S

Your 3 minute video was exactly what I needed to grok wikis. I've used wikis but creating my own was kind of a mystery. The fact that adding a link creates a new page was something so obvious that no one ever mentioned it.

Also thanks for the links to the hosted wiki sites. I'll start with one of those.

I look forward to seeing other videos of simplifying complex subjects. I think you should create various videos like SEO - In Plain English, Blogs - in Plain English as well as all other topics

This will bring you even more link love and you'll love it all terribly. Cheers to you and keep up the good work. Videos like this make the best of the best fabric of the web. Keep on posting =o). I will also be embedding this video on my site -- http://wiki.imarketingguru.com, feel free to give me any ideas as to where/I would love contributions on simplifying the descriptions of complex subjects. So much to say...

Great stuff. Just translated Wikis into French. How can I add a new language to the list? (Breton, my "2nd 1st language, doesn't figure there).
Thanks.

Brilliant, but just take a look @ www.wikimobile.eu. You'll find a way to create your own personnal wiki on your mobile phone and how to share it with others using tiddlywiki.

Best Regards

Great stuff. Just translated Wikis into French. How can I add a new language to the list? (Breton, my "2nd 1st language, doesn't figure there).
Thanks.

I was just punking around the internet and was linked here from educational sites. It all clicked so easily that I decided to start a classroom wiki for my students to collaborate and am using a link to your site for collaboration. Thanks for making wikis make sense in a way that even my students can understand and enjoy.

It was so fun to see you video!
Great Job!

helped translated into Chinese. Great for my students. Thanks.

Just wonderful!

This 'Dummy's Guide' improves on the original in a number of ways, not least of which are its cost :) and its speed. What we all need with a new concept is a simple, no-nonsense foundation and your video provides that.

It is a little crowded at the very end - usually better to slow down a little over the last 15 seconds. I have no criticism about the length. Think about it - a concept explained in an easy to recall format that takes less than 5 minutes. What more could you want?

My experience over the last 20 years on the internet has been that these pages are used to develop a product into a commercially viable product by offering one thing and receiving voluntary help and advice in return. You have every right to do the same but if you are please leave a little over for those who helped along the way.

This almost 70-year-old is in love with this concept! Thank you for introducing me to the creation and use of wikis -- as all the commentators have already said, you explained the need and simplified the process in a brief and lively video. How I wish I had had this capability when I started a book club!

Godd basics, but insufficient time allowed for where to sign up...

Awesome video! I agree that supplying context by describing an application is essential when explaining wikis - I find it amusing that the example I use is also planning a camping trip (because that actually was my first exposure to Wikis). I was a little surprised to see a web 2.0 tool explained with minimal technology (I would have expected similar content, but filmed on an actual webpage, or perhaps an Interactive Whiteboard) but the result is very effective. I will be posting this ideo on my blog, and passing it on to colleagues. Thanks! Cant wait to see the next offering.

Thanks for this great video! I sent this out to my co-workers. You really demystified "the wiki"!

I'd like to use your video in workshops as an introduction to wikis for teachers. You've done a great job of keeping a simple process simple. Thanks!

Please view the site I created for a project on technology Integrations. Is it acceptable for your work to be presented in this manner? If you want my credits page to include links pleas email me and I will add them.

Had the privledge today of sharing your clips with a convocation of Community evangelists (face-to-face kind) who are SAP users and were very engaged and fascinated. Just got a nice note from some of these technologists and business folks, some of who work in educational institutions: MIT, U. of Wisconsin. I was so excited by the "viral" enthusiasm. Hope this brings you lots of link love. I also featured it this evening on our website (properly credited) in this blog: https://weblogs.sdn.sap.com/pub/wlg/6706 . Please let me know if I should provide any further links or credits. Thanks for such inventive, fun and clear communications of ideas.

This is an excellent video that a teacher who is a novice at technology can use explain to the classroom the advantages of using a wiki. It made things clearer to me. Thanks for helping a novice out.

Love it!!

One problem - would love to share this around the organisation but THEY (IT Police) won'r permit access to streaming video sites. Anyone know if we can get the original video?

Once again, thanks - a great way to explain this!

Andy, thank you!
Explaining wikis with words is difficult, also in italian! :-)

I see you are letting the reuse also for businness purposes, but still want to ask permission for Wekey.
Wekey is an italian start-up offering enterprise wikis consulting.

So, may I redisplay it in my blog and in my wiki ?

Thank you!

Giulio

I love this movie!

Why?

You had a great idea, worked it out in an entertaining way, then made digital movie and put it online...
It gets the message across perfectly; It's fun to watch and learn; Even though it's hella simple; I didn't get bored...

And yet you didn't use powerpoint at all!!!!

POWERPOINT SUCKS!

Thanks for the fresh air dude!
Keep it up!

Great job !!!! Is there a possiblity to download your film on PC ? Can you pass me a link ?
thanks in advance

LOVED the ' Wiki in Plain English' info. I am a visual learner and this was perfect!! Thanks JB

I really enjoy your videos, I'm learning a lot. Thanks. Greetings from Chile.

I just saw this video on my sites homepage - apparently a few of our users were sharing it with each other. Just wanted to say, great, great, great video. It does a perfect job of explaining, at least to those who still don't know about wikis, how they been of help. Fantastic job!

Does anyone else find it hard to overlook the fact that Mary is going to be going outside the reach of civilization's institutions with three men? I mean, it kind of tends to raise all kinds of questions about her preferences and the self-control the other members of her party are going to be employing for the duration of the trip. But, maybe I'm odd and such considerations don't distract from following the explanation as much for others.

Thanks for the great explanation. We just had a course about using technology in education, but I was still a little stumped about how to use a wiki. I am going to start a wiki project with my students to make our own online technical terminology. Thanks again for your help!

How would one add comments to a page so that they are seen in edit mode but not when the page is displayed? These would not be comments about the page by users but rather embedded documentation about the page for those that edit.

I've recently created a Videosift-like website just for educational videos. www.classflicks.com

and these videos of yours will be perfect for the kind of audience we have.

I've been posting them there... here is an example:

http://classflicks.com/story.php?title=Wikis_in_Plain_English-1

thank you so much for these amazingly simple and impressively useful videos!

Thank you for posting this video, it came to me throught a post in th Engineers Wihtout Borders site and had excellent references, I can see why :)

It will come very in handy for the group coordination between my team.

Regards,

B. Pimenta, from Portugal

Just happened to find your videos and couldn't resist them, Wikis, RSS and Social Boomarking all explain what can be difficult concepts for some in an easy way.

We run a community computer help site and are often asked to explain these terms, to groups ranging from school children to pensioners. Your videos do a great job and we hope you won't mind if we share the information.

Please keep up the good work.

Brilliant videos ... well done!

Loved it. Thanks guys.

Great work and many thanks.
Do you mind if I post this to teachertube?

Why ?I work in Education and most of our schools have no access to Youtube and may not have access to your blog at this time the best option we have for teachers to access the resource is teachertube.

We would hope to use the link to you and the teachertube link here.
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/teacher/Global/wiki.htm

Great hands on learning.. I found your site while trying to find different perspectives on the comparitive use of blogs, wikis, message blogs, emails and just the ordinary telephone call or direct meeting. The videos in plain english are very effective.
I plan to share these around with my colleagues, some will find it easier to understand and use the technology at work, some may be able to match the techworldliness of thier kids, and some may be able teach their kids a thing or two...
Look forward to seeing more such friendly teaching tools...

Thanks for the simple explanation of wikis. I think your video has helped many people understand what a wiki has and its practical uses.

Simple, straight forward and understandable. What more could you ask for. Well done.

Wikis are cool, but for some business mens (versus a group of technology developers) the concept of text editor with the wild tabs and everything is bad. The Most part of Wiki, I see the need of an interface WYSIWYG more simplified to review or add contents. Example a chief editor fckeditor or something. There are other tools they just aren't necessarily called Wiki's with that regards.

But I agree with this post and I really appreciated these things. This is awesome! They were able convey their point easily! Good point of view Lee. More power! :)

________________________________
from: Buick Park Avenue Axle

thanks for this video on wiki's
I am just writting a 300 word essay on wikis for my uni course and this was great. Puts it in plain english so its easy to understands.

cheers!!

This is an awesome video, I have often had difficulty putting the concept of a wiki across to colleagues in the past, but this little gem is a boon.

I can think of several uses for this - at work and at home.

Thanks!

Great job good video. Nice photography. Good layout.

Great job. It is hard to explain to people how to use the latest developments in a simple manner. Well done guys!
I think I will give my clients a wiki for their business, under a protected password of course.

Definetely I have to admit video content is always easier to follow and to understand. People can easily got bored while trying to read and understand a long article but such great videos are of great help. Thanks again for preparing and sharing this video. Best regards....

This is a good video, very easy to understand. Thanks for that!

This is really clever. It's well thought out, but not over-thought. It's well-communicated without taking itself too seriously.

Nicely done!

a comprehensive video that one can easily comprehend.

Another great video!!! You guys have a real knack for explaining these issues plainly. Some other topics I get a lot of blank stares about are podcasting, blogging, and twitter.

Great job guys!!!

Thank you for explaining the various topics and making it understandable, without making us feel stupid. I will recommend this site to everyone I know, this is real help with websites and blogging.

Great explanation, very easy to understand!

hey
Great effort to create a video like that so that we can understand the concept. Congratulations!
One little thing you forgot to mention: There is little control over a Wiki site and Wikipedia is the best example when it comes to spam and biased information!
What you think?

I swear, you guys put out some of the most clever work out there. Great concept.

Amazing video, so well explained!!!
Congratulations!!!

Nice job & video.

The wiki video is great. Fun, simple, to the point. I will be checking out the others too.

These wikis have been so hard to understands.

I love the way you guys net everything out to simple and also such fun to watch. - Wish all education was like this.

all the videos are great, very simple to follow btw-
respect.

This was a very useful presentation. I've always wondered what this "Wiki" was all about as I seem to be running across it more and more. Thanks for straightening this out for me.

Richard
Dog Beds

Guys, you have the flavor that's required! And you've taken the right approach! Saw most of your videos, and everything is just great work in simple english!

Congratulations!

I just love your videos, so simple, easy to understand and entertaining. Keep em coming please...

I finnally understood what a wiki is. Thanks! I will spread the word.

Just one word: Awesome. Someone put a lot of effort into this video and the result is great.
Thanks

What a great time to discover these videos. We are planning a web 2.0 exploration event for our teachers and the videos on blogging, wikis and social networking will be a great addition. Thanks for the great resources.

Me ha servido para practicar my english :)

This is the best explanation I've ever seen

Hi Lee,

It is so wonderful to see someone that has used creativity and wonderful techniques in making videos for everyone to learn from! I will share your website and youtube info to my clients.

I hope to schedule an interview with you for my blog talk radio show.

Have an awesome day!

Dr. Sally Witt

Thanks Lee
I have only just found your site as I was looking for information about wikis and how to introduce them to the work place as a learning resource.
I had the intention to create a similar introduction but it would not have been so professional or enjoyable so I shall be using your to spread the word.
Thanks and keep up the good work.

Nick

You have such an incredible talent for making obscure stuff so easy to understand for everyone else. Keep up the great work

Awesome video . I like the animation and the "real world" example of why we should use Wiki's for collabarative projects.

I will be forwarding this to workmates and clients.

Thanks again.