1.3. Why the Model of a Static Web is Flawed

In the early days of the World Wide Web the relative simplicity of HTML markup made it easy to learn how to build and publish websites, lowering the barrier to entry and fueling explosive growth. However, most of these sites featured content that was static. That is, completed information was published to the web, but subsequent changes, additions, or corrections could only be made by the website owner. In many ways it still reflected the traditional paper model of create and publish, with just the delivery mechanism changed.

If you wanted to contribute something to the subject covered by a particular website, there were usually only two options:

1. Contact the website owner with your contribution / comments and hope that he or she would add your suggestions to the content of the site. Of course, as this was essentially a one-to-one conversation, no one else who might be interested would know about your proposed contribution. The website owner might also receive multiple messages on the same subject from different people.
2. Start your own website on the subject. Even if you linked to other sites on the subject, creating a true “web” of links among interconnected sites, anyone interested in your subject would still encounter a multitude of resources, many of which might repeat the same information or even contradict each other, with no accessible conversation from subject matter experts on which to base any conclusions.

The wiki model allows direct editing of a web page, which enables a single website to develop into a central resource where subject matter experts can comment, challenge, and contribute within the same web page. The inherent conversation is made visible. It reduces (although will probably never eliminate) duplication of effort and in general means that the information presented is more likely to be timely and accurate.