wikiHow is a wiki-based community with a database of how-to guides. All of the site's content is licensed under Creative Commons (by-nc-sa); and the site uses a modified version of MediaWiki 1.9.3. The site started as an extension of the already existing eHow website, and has evolved to host over 25,000 how-to articles. wikiHow's mission is to build the world's largest how-to manual and help it grow. In May 2007, wikiHow had 5.39 million unique readers. [1]
| wikiHow Main Page | |
Type of site | Wiki format How-to Manual |
|---|---|
| Hauptsitz | California |
| Owner | wikiHow |
| Created by | Jack Herrick and Josh Hannah |
| URL | http://www.wikihow.com/ |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Optional |
History
In January 2005, the two owners of eHow, Jack Herrick and Josh Hannah, started wikiHow—a collaborative writing project striving to build the world's largest how-to manual. While eHow already contained instructions on how to do thousands of things, wikiHow allowed a community of volunteer contributors to build something even bigger and better. On April 28, 2006, eHow was sold and wikiHow was launched as an independent site on its own www.wikihow.com domain.[2]
As of September 2007, the number of registered wikiHow users stood at slightly more than 61,000.[3]
Content and article format
wikiHow is a wiki, which (similarly to wikipedia) is a website that anyone can edit. wikiHow operates on open source software and an open content licensing model allowing free use and community ownership of the content.
Any visitor to wikiHow can create a new page and write about how to do something. Articles posted to wikiHow follow a standard format consisting of a summary, followed by steps to complete the activity, along with required items, warnings, tips, ingredients, and sometimes links to related how-to articles. Pictures may be added to the articles to illustrate important points or concepts. Once the page is submitted, other visitors can edit, improve, or change the page. Anonymous contributors and the wikiHow user community work together to improve the quality of information provided on the site, fix or remove incorrect instructions and revert vandalism.
Finances
The site's initial start-up costs were to some extent financed from Herrick's sale of eHow. It is now funded from advertising on its pages, on the grounds that "...tasteful advertising is the most unobtrusive way to fund our operations."[4] It does not seek contributions, asserting that solicitations are annoying.[5]
wikiHow has been set up as a for-profit company, but is not making a profit.[6]
Criticisms
Usefulness of information
But some criticize the validity and usefulness of a number of these how-to articles. Examples of questionable articles include How to Stop Cutting Yourself[7], How to Taste Dark Chocolate[8]
Many critics of WikiHow have focused on what they claim is institutionalised patronism and condescension, trivialising serious issues such as in articles about 'How to be a Hobo' and 'How to Panhandle.'[citation needed]
Andy Rutledge has a post about how social media can be boring and devolve into mediocrity: "Mediocrity is the only possible result of a wide sampling of opinion or input. The only idea that can survive such a mechanism is one consistent with the lowest common denominator. The mob works to ensure that all other results are weeded out. Now, we might think that it is the highest common denominator that is promoted in this environment, but it's just not so. The 'highest' anything is largely held by the masses as being discriminatory and elitist. So only the lowest common denominator wins out. The point is that in this sort of environment excellence does not survive."[9]
While the editorial process does work by some objective standards (e.g., censoring hate speech, profanity, and correcting obvious spelling and grammatical errors), critics echo Rutledge's observation by charging that in the absence of traditional "objective" editorial standards, basis and personal preference of the WikiHow community ultimately decides what is published.[10]
Censorship
WikiHow's censorship policy prohibits articles on topics that are "sexually charged", illegal activities, drug use. and potentially destructive things,[11] which critics argue undermines the very idea behind an educational resource.[citation needed]
Controversies
Some articles on have been known to offend certain people and create major controversies and conflicts. wikiHow allows worldwide views on many subjects including how-to's on different religious views, current events like abortion and same-sex marriages, stereotypical fashions and attitudes, and politics. In addition to creating articles on these topics, users may discuss the topics and content of the articles on the article discussion pages.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Herrick, Jack (Apr. 2007). "WikiHow Site Traffic Statistics". wikiHow. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Herrick, Jack (Sept. 2006). "History of eHow and wikiHow". wikiHow. Retrieved 2006-10-26.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "wikiHow Statistics". Retrieved 2007-09-20.
- ^ http://www.wikihow.com/About-wikiHow
- ^ http://www.wikihow.com/WikiHow:Is-wikiHow-a-Non-Profit
- ^ http://www.wikihow.com/WikiHow:Is-wikiHow-a-Non-Profit
- ^ Addelman, Rebecca. "How to do absolutely everything". MacLeans.ca. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
But as Leslie Regan Shade, associate professor of communications at Concordia University, points out, "Why go here for health information when I can go to an excellent resource such as the Mayo online?"
- ^ Addelman, Rebecca. "How to do absolutely everything". MacLeans.ca. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
Relevance is an even bigger issue ... wikiHow's advice is too niche and fragmented for most people to find useful.
- ^ http://www.andyrutledge.com/anti-social-media.php/anti-social-media
- ^ http://www.helium.com/tm/333502/contributing-wikihow-social-media
- ^ "wikiHow Deletion Policy". wikiHow. Retrieved 2007-03-08.
External links
- wikiHow.com
- wikiHow to Open Content
- "How to do absolutely everything", Macleans, October 16, 2006