The first wiki was intentionally of limited functionality so as to leave little room for the intended community of programmers to criticize implementation choices. Later generations have chosen otherwise.
| feature | original wiki | mediawiki | federated wiki |
|---|---|---|---|
| login | none | optional | ownership |
| links | camel case | square brackets | square brackets |
| edit conflicts | last write | conflict alert | twins |
| text formating | italic bold bullets | templates | plugins |
| page layout | none | templates | lineup |
| rename | none | redirect | none |
| history | previous page | elaborate history | journal per page |
A wiki is a place on the internet where strangers can meet and make something of lasting value together.
The author's own feeling is that there has been a natural progression where community needs have been met with increased complexity but often just enough to satisfy without changing the traditions that make wiki attractive.
Omission: Some available history was soon added simply to correct accidental deletions. Wikipedia has found history indispensable for informed collaboration.
See Forsyth Criteria for agency in collaboration.
Overbuilding: Text formatting was judged to be an important enhancement over the plain text available then in email and net-news groups. I've come to believe that this feature just creates noise in the absence of meticulous copyediting.