Wikispaces

Like many others, the majority of my exposure to wikis was through Wikipedia.  Wikispaces seems to offer a much more dynamic platform - one that is both more visually pleasing and, by allowing for the creation of multiple pages, better organized.  The user interface is quite easy to use, making Wikispaces quite valuable for libraries that are attempting to update their Web 2.0 presence quickly.

One of the most appealing features of wikis is the ability for groups to work on the same page without having to meet physically.  Our experience, in Group Charlie, exemplified the potential for group work at a distance provided by Wikispaces.  After settling on a topic, Contemporary Dystopian Fiction for Young Adults, we set to work on creating the pages and adding content.  The finished project offers a very useful place for readers interested in this genre - it offers introductory information and summaries of some of classic and contemporary literature and film.  It also is visually appealing and well organized, thus inviting the reader in.  Of course, central to group work, especially that conducted at a distance, is clear organization of tasks, and it would help if Wikispaces provided a more useful means of communication.