Writing can be a need to many. Barely understood, but almost as necessary as breathing at times. Writing just to write, though, doesn't really suit you. Your personality/psyche needs a 'reason'. Wikis, and blogging, can help you answer those needs. This article will help you to make that decision.
Think about your personality . What type of things interest you. What do you like to do? There are wikis for many ability levels and topics.
Introspect. Are there things that you like to do? That you need to do? Some people feel the need to help others, to teach others, to share knowledge, etc.
Look online for wikis. Wikimedia is a good place to start, but there are wikis for many special-interest topics. For example, if you're a big star wars fan, Wookiepedia might be for you. If gardening is your passion, search for a garden wiki. If possible, choose a subject that you can both contribute to and learn from.

Use a search engine for further searches. As DIY (do it yourself) becomes more popular, so do wikis.
Look around the wiki once you have found it. Make sure that it's a good 'fit'. Does it seem like there are things you could contribute? Did the community notice and appreciate your presence, if you tried editing? Does it seem like there is a thriving community and the wiki is active?
Understand how the materials you publish to the wiki are licensed. Most wikis publish under some sort of a free license, meaning that the material there is copyrighted but published under a license that permits sharing, usually with certain conditions.
- If you want your writing to be truly "yours", a wiki may not be the right place to publish it. On the other hand, if you don't mind having others share and improve your writing, you can learn many things by posting your writing to a wiki and watching how it changes and expands.
Learn about the editing process, both the methods (e.g. the markup language, the simple code that makes formatting work inside a wiki) and the editing conventions.
Take a look at the policies of the wiki, and decide whether you can work within them. All active wikis will have a bit of politics, simply because a diverse group of contributors typically brings a diverse set of opinions.
- Policies on a wiki are not static. They may evolve as needs evolve. While you shouldn't join a wiki planning to make sweeping changes to the policies, you may be able to suggest improvements as you become a respected and established member of the community.
Tips
- Try writing for a wiki that interests you. It need not be an all-or-nothing proposition to edit a wiki. Do a few sample edits, get your feet wet a bit, get to know some of the people in a community. You will soon know whether or not that wiki is for you.
- Edits may be small or large. Wikis benefit from writing, but they also benefit from simple cleanup tasks. Fix a little thing if you don't feel ready for big things yet.
- Remember that your work will be published immediately. This can be immensely gratifying to some and intimidating to others. Remember, too, that your work can always be changed, either by yourself or by somebody else. It doesn't have to be perfect the first time out.
Warnings
- Many people find wiki participation addicting. It's fun to write something and see how others react. Participate in wikis to a degree that suits your lifestyle.
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