Internet enthusiasts have predicted that Internet technologies would facilitate global and multi-directional information sharing, promote political participation, increase global awareness of injustice, and allow the construction of an ‘electronic global village’. In this paper, I argue that in spite of early revolutionary claims, simple Internet connectivity has not brought about any radical break with the values and power structures of modernity. I suggest, however, that recently emerging Internet-dependent open content and open source technologies (such as wikis), promise to fulfill some of these earlier revolutionary claims by decentralizing production of online information, and challenging current definitions of “authoritative” knowledge.

Univ., Diplomarbeit, 2006--Frankfurt (Main)

Stuttgart, Univ., Diplomarbeit, 2007.

Zugl.: Potsdam, Universiẗat, Diss., 2008.

Zugl.: Tübingen, Univ., Diss., 2010

This master's thesis aims to develop own wiki module for information system of our faculty based on knowledge of known wiki systems. The project introduces the basic information and syntax of three wiki systems, specifically MediaWiki, DokuWiki and WikkaWiki; introduces also the WikiCreole project, which tries to set up easier way for users to contribute to different wiki systems that defines common syntax. Then it deals with design and implementation of own wiki module to the information system of faculty. The project also introduces with universal wiki system concept. At the conclusion there is th results evaluation of this master's thesis.

Within society Information Technology (IT) is becoming pervasive. This is no more pronounced than in Higher Education where IT is almost ubiquitously used. Current developments have also seen Web 2.0 tools such as wikis being used in pedagogical contexts. Research in computer anxiety has identified that quality of initial experience may be important in the onset of anxiety towards IT. However the concept of computer anxiety is too vague to reflect likely reactions to specific IT scenarios especially in interactions with social technology such as wikis. Although wikis are growing in popularity little is known about users‟ emotional reaction towards contributing to them, how their experiences shape these emotions as well as the users‟ view of usability above that mentioned in qualitative research. Due to the interface, social and flexible nature of wikis users may be anxious towards editing. This research aims to offer causal insight into the influence of wiki site design characteristics on anxiety towards wiki editing and users usability evaluation of wiki editing experiences. Three experiment-based studies are presented addressing the effects of site characteristics such as in-built training spaces (i.e. tutorials and sandboxes commonly used on wikis), user editing identity as well as aspects inherent to wiki sites such as content flexibility, on anxiety felt by users in editing scenarios and users usability rating of their editing experiences. The research also aimed to identify whether initial experiences affected anxiety about further editing, as suggested by computer anxiety research, or whether emotions are only affected during editing experience. The findings of the initial study on in-built training spaces suggest that the concept of wiki anxiety measured in this research more accurately reflects anxiety experienced during interaction than computer anxiety. Additionally the in-built training spaces using tutorials were seen to lead to better first experiences for novice users in using the wiki markup interface than those without (such as when experiencing sandbox training spaces and no training). Similarly the presence of a tutorial reduced wiki anxiety during interaction but did not affect anxiety towards future editing. From these findings the work advanced to study the effect of identity salience on wiki anxiety during editing and wiki usability focusing on contributing content using a user group with experience editing wikis. This was so as to explore the effect of wiki characteristics on user experience variables above that from first exposure anxiety likely in novice users. The research found that participants were less anxious when editing the wiki anonymously than when editing using a pseudonym and full name identity. There was however no effect of identity salience on usability rating. Additionally the type of edit conducted by participants, in terms of addition or deletion and replacement of content, did not have a significant effect on either anxiety during editing or usability evaluation. Further research exploring the effect of flexibility and other user behaviour on user anxiety and usability evaluation when contributing subsequently found that there was no significant effect of flexibility on the wiki user experience variables. The work demonstrates successful empirical evaluation of the wiki user editing experience can be achieved and can lead to important causal insight into the effects of wiki site design on the users‟ experience. It also identifies aspects of the site that can lead to the reduction of anxiety towards editing during interaction and influence usability rating towards the system.

Studierende von zwei verschiedenen Universitäten erforschen gemeinsam ein konkretes Thema. Ihre Forschungsergebnisse diskutieren, veranschaulichen und überarbeiten sie in einem Wiki. Diesen Weg des forschenden Lernens verfolgte das Projekt Exegese- WerkstattWiki, das an den theologischen Instituten der TU Dresden und der Universität Leipzig durchgeführt wurde.

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo melhor dimensionar a chegada de novas tecnologias e as mudanças no fazer jornalístico com a chegada dessas ferramentas. Procuramos demonstrar que as abordagens teóricas tradicionais, como o funcionalismo norteamericano (décadas de 30 e 40) e as teorias da Escola de Frankfurt (análise marxista da comunicação) - não são capazes de explicar as mudanças sofridas pelo Jornalismo na última década. Há um problema de ordem epistemológica e metodológica: qual deve ser a abordagem teórica para compreender a chegada de ferramentas tecnológicas como os wikis e os blogs? Essas ferramentas estão alterando as rotinas de apuração, produção, edição e veiculação de notícias. A idéia é a de refletir sobre o surgimento de outros referenciais teóricos mais eficientes para dimensionar o quadro atual; a saber, a teoria de sistemas emergentes e a teoria da complexidade. / This research aims to discuss the arrival of new technologies and how these new tools are changing the way journalism is done. We try to demonstrate that the traditional theorical approaches are not capable of explaining Journalism after its changes in the last decade. There is an epistemologic and metodologic question: what is the appropriate theorical approach to understand the arrival of technologic tools such wiki and blogs. They are changing the way news are investigated, produced, edited and vehicled. The main idea is think about the rise of new theoric references in the endeavor of understanding all these changes: the complexity theory and the theory of emerging systems.

Darbo tikslas – Wiki technologijos panaudojimo galimybės elektroninių dokumentų valdymui ir saugojimui. Analitinėje dalyje buvo apžvelgti siūlomi problemos sprendimo budai: dokumentų valdymo sistemos ir internetinių programų sistemos. Sistemų įvertinimui buvo atlikta apklausa. Nustatyta, kad dokumentų valdymo sistemos tinka stambioms įmonėms, apdorojančioms didelius dokumentų kiekius bei reikalaujančioms sudėtingo dokumentų valdymo, o internetinės sistemos - smulkiam verslui. Pasiūlytas universalus problemos sprendimas, kuris tinka ir stambioms, ir smulkioms įmonėms - wiki technologija. Atlikta wiki technologijos galimybių ir wiki programinės įrangos analizės. Projektinėje dalyje suprojektuota siūloma wiki sistema. Eksperimentinėje dalyje aprašytas bandomosios wiki sistemos diegimo procesas bei vartotojų atsiliepimai. / Project‘s goal is to show how the same technology used in Wiki, can be implemented as a means to administrate and store e-documents. “Analytical approaches” – this is where solutions to project problems are analyzed, such as systems for administrating documents and free services provided by the Internet. To determine usage of each solution a survey have been done: documents administration systems are more preferred by large companies that need to process huge amounts of information and need advanced document control capabilities, while smaller companies are satisfied with simpler and free systems which provided by the Internet. A universal solution is presented, that both types of companies can find acceptable – document administration system based on Wiki technology. Tests were made and then performed to see what can be achieved with it, such as capabilities and actual systems already based on Wiki technology. After analyzes a draft is made of the planed system. The install process for trial version of the Wiki based system and user comments about it are at the end of this document.