I have been asked about the "Thanks, Wikipedia" logo on the blog site... why do I have it here. Basically the answer is that I use Wikipedia as a first line, quick overview site for questions that come up in my life at least ten times a week... some times more often. If I am reading an article, a book, or just cogitating, and I don't understand something... I type the item or question into Google and up pops Wikipedia in the first or second place in the page one listing. It gives me guidance as to whether this is worth exploring, and where to look.

Wikipedia was first developed by Ward Cunningham... and it is now supported by a foundation. Below is an outline of the start of Wikipedia, "WIKI" meaning speed in a Hawaiian language. I like the functionality, the fact that each subject has been built by individuals that 'contribute' information... and there may be errors... but I have not found errors that have sent me in the opposite direction of what the item for which I have searched, should take me.

Interesting, useful, free, developed by a foundation... that occasionally asks for donations...

Howard G. "Ward" Cunningham (born May 26, 1949) is an American computer programmer who developed the first wiki. A pioneer in both design patterns and Extreme Programming, he started programming the software WikiWikiWeb in 1994 and installed it on the website of his software consultancy, Cunningham & Cunningham (commonly known by its domain name, c2.com), on March 25, 1995, as an add-on to the Portland Pattern Repository. He currently lives in Beaverton, Oregon and is the chief technology officer for AboutUs.

He has co-authored a book about wikis, titled The Wiki Way, and also invented Framework for Integrated Tests. He was a keynote speaker at the first three instances of the WikiSym conference series on wikiresearch and practice.



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