Wikipedia is the best example of what the 'wisdom of crowds' can achieve, although it is not without its detractors. To get an overview of the pros and cons, read the Wikipedia page about Wikipedia itself, and some of the pages linked to from it.

Next, explore Wikipedia yourself - look up some things that interest you and see what Wikipedia says. Look at the references linked at the bottom of the page - whatever the merits of the Wikipedia article itself, it can be a good starting point for research elsewhere on the web.

If it's something you know a lot about, does the Wikipedia entry seem comprehensive and accurate to you? Have a go at editing the page if not! For the vast majority of pages you do not need to sign up for a Wikipedia account in order to edit.

Take a look at the 'history' and 'discussion' tabs for the article (at the very top). These can make very interesting reading, particularly for controversial articles or subjects where there are strong opposing viewpoints, as you can see how the current version (and consensus) has been reached. If you make a page edit, return to the page a few days or weeks later to see if your edit is still there, and if not, check the discussion and history tabs to find out why not. You can, of course, always argue your point and make the edit again.

And finally... write a post on your blog with your thoughts (tag it 'Thing 18')

(Updated for 2011 - new wiki!)

There are quite a few wikis in use in Oxford libraries, and the Web 2.0 Working Party has been using a wiki to collate information about use of web 2.0 tools in Oxford and share experiences among Oxford librarians.

• Go to the Oxford web 2.0 wiki at http://socialoxfordlibs.wikispaces.com and browse through the content there. This site is a perpetual work-in-progress and contributions are always welcome.(NB, there was a previous version of the wiki at http://socialouls.wetpaint.com - this wiki is still available but is closed for editing)
• The site is open to anyone to view, but if you want to contribute you need to sign up. You can either create a user ID on Wikispaces, or sign in with your Google account (choose OpenID as the sign-in method). You have now explored quite a lot of the tools listed, and you may find that information on the wiki is incomplete or out-of-date. If so, or even if not (!), find a page to edit and add your thoughts and examples. To edit a page, once you are logged in, click on the 'edit this page' button at the top. NB, before you can edit, you will need to be approved so you may need to come back to this task later.
• If you have implemented any web 2.0 tools in your library, and you or they aren't listed on the wiki, please create a page for your library in the case studies section. To create a page, click on the case studies page in the left-hand menu, and then click on the 'new page' link just above that menu. Name the page after your library. Once the page has been created, you can edit it in the same way as above. Be sure to return and add more information in future if you introduce new web 2.0 services!
• Write a post on your blog summarising your contributions and thoughts and tag it 'Thing 17'.

• A wiki invites all users to edit any page or create new pages within the wiki website, using only a [basic] web browser.
• A wiki promotes meaningful topic associations between different pages by making link creation almost intuitively easy.
• A wiki is not a carefully crafted site for casual visitors. Instead, it seeks to involve the visitor in an ongoing process of creation and collaboration that constantly changes the web site landscape.