[olug] Wiki for non techies...

[Bill Brush]

The Windows server license does cost, but Sharepoint Foundation
doesn't have a CAL.  One caveat that I did neglect is that it requires
a 64 bit server OS for 2010.

As far as my experience with "normal" users goes, well in my
experience, college educated doesn't really mean a lot other than they
have sufficient skills and discipline to get through about 8 semesters
of college.  Implementing a new tool, in any environment, is going to
be met with resistance even if it's a good tool.  A tool who's benefit
is unclear or poorly sold will meet with proportionally great
resistance.  Introducing a change to work process will *always* cause
a loss of productivity as people adapt to it.  If you have good
training and a motivated work force which wants the change that loss
of productivity will be shorter in duration and less severe than a
change that doesn't include training or poorly motivated workers.
This is why introducing a tool with familiar interface is an
advantage.  Less training needed equals less loss of productivity.

Wiki's in general in business seem like a great thing.  In practice I
am not sold on them yet.  Even among technically proficient users to
whom the UI is no barrier will not spontaneously start putting
documentation into a wiki and getting it linked if they aren't
motivated to do so.  I see this even in the IT department.


On Wed, Feb 16, 2011 at 11:54 AM, Rob Townley <rob.townley at gmail.com> wrote:
> The windows server license isn't free and neither are the Client Acess
> Licenses.  With so many open source WIKIs and blog systems out there,
> it is hard to make a choice.   Advertising makes the choice for you.
>
> There are millions of people that edit various wikipedia like sites
> each day.  If what you guys are saying is truly coming from work place
> experience, that your average American worker (many of them college
> educated)  can not figure out wiki editing with or without a GUI, no
> wonder executives are offshoring.
>