Who is the person responsible for introducing the world to the first wiki? Howard G. “Ward” Cunningham that’s who! Born in 1949 this American computer programmer installed the first version of a wiki onto his own website in 1994. Ward himself describes a wiki as “The simplest online database that could possibly work” (What is Wiki). Since 1995 Ward’s site hosts over tens of thousands of pages.
In a conversation with John Gage, Ward states that “he was developing a data base that was “ragged and irregular” to track all the ideas that had floated through the company!” (An evening with Wiki Inventor Ward Cunningham) Ward had to let this idea which he developed using “HyperCard” form into what it wanted to be! (An evening with Wiki Inventor Ward Cunningham) Ward’s idea was “if a person can read a page then they can modify the page with the same tools they read the page with” (Wikipedia). As a designer he was aware of this.
Is Ward an architect or a designer? Ward says, “I move between both!” (An evening with Wiki Inventor Ward Cunningham) At WikiSym2006, Ward gave a keynote speech on the Principles of Wiki: “How can so little do so much? Simplicity is the key says Ward!”
Makice (2006) states that, “the structure of a wiki needs to be able to grow and evolve with the community that use it”. Ward himself describes Wikis as a work of public art! It takes a community to sustain it argues Cutter Summit (2006). I have used Wikipedia and am dubious about some of the information presented on it as it appears anyone can edit it once they have set up an account and received a password. I inform my students to look for supporting information elsewhere and not depend solely on Wikipedia. I haven’t contributed to a Wiki and I’m not sure I would even know how to set up an account! With that in mind, I would have to say I have never had a shared experience with a Wiki.
Adam Curry who is he? Born in 1964 he was known as a video jockey on MTV, during the late 1980’s and the early 90’s. He helped develop podcasting and according to Wikipedia is known as the “podfather”.
Podcasting arose from Curry’s experimentation with “audio blogging”. Curry started off with a tiny application which was a combination of a blog and an Apple MP3 player, referred to as the iPlodder (wired 2005) .He changed his mind and direction as a result of a conversation with David Winer who convinced Curry that people wanted to “take the Internet way with (them) and listen to it on headphones” (wired 2005). Because of his celebrity status; Chen (2004) suggests that Curry took the role as pioneer for David Winer’s invention.
Currently Curry is involved in the development and promotion of podcasting. His own podcast “Daily Source Code” has according to Wikipedia 500, 000 subscribers and is a mixture of, according to Chen (2004) a “Curry’s ramblings about everyday life with his favourite indie tunes and mashups of pop music”.
In 2005 Curry stated on Apple that, “With the release of iTunes 4.9, listeners are voting with their ears.....and I predict over the coming months tens of millions of new listeners will be introduced to the world of podcasting”.
In 2008 Curry used podcasting to endorse and support Congressman and Republican Presidential hopeful Ron Paul
What is Curry currently working on? As at the 4th September, 2009 he was working for Mevio.com on display advertising and uses his podcast to discuss conspiracy theories. He has over 100,000 regular listeners to ‘No Agenda’ a podcast he shares with J.Dvorak states Absolute Astronomy (2009).
Two very different individuals, one a baby boomer who grew up in a time of social change and the other a member of generation X both saw the power of the Internet to unite communities. Both developed ideas which today have evolved into powerful mediums for discourse.
In a conversation with John Gage, Ward states that “he was developing a data base that was “ragged and irregular” to track all the ideas that had floated through the company!” (An evening with Wiki Inventor Ward Cunningham) Ward had to let this idea which he developed using “HyperCard” form into what it wanted to be! (An evening with Wiki Inventor Ward Cunningham) Ward’s idea was “if a person can read a page then they can modify the page with the same tools they read the page with” (Wikipedia). As a designer he was aware of this.
Is Ward an architect or a designer? Ward says, “I move between both!” (An evening with Wiki Inventor Ward Cunningham) At WikiSym2006, Ward gave a keynote speech on the Principles of Wiki: “How can so little do so much? Simplicity is the key says Ward!”
Makice (2006) states that, “the structure of a wiki needs to be able to grow and evolve with the community that use it”. Ward himself describes Wikis as a work of public art! It takes a community to sustain it argues Cutter Summit (2006). I have used Wikipedia and am dubious about some of the information presented on it as it appears anyone can edit it once they have set up an account and received a password. I inform my students to look for supporting information elsewhere and not depend solely on Wikipedia. I haven’t contributed to a Wiki and I’m not sure I would even know how to set up an account! With that in mind, I would have to say I have never had a shared experience with a Wiki.
Adam Curry who is he? Born in 1964 he was known as a video jockey on MTV, during the late 1980’s and the early 90’s. He helped develop podcasting and according to Wikipedia is known as the “podfather”.
Podcasting arose from Curry’s experimentation with “audio blogging”. Curry started off with a tiny application which was a combination of a blog and an Apple MP3 player, referred to as the iPlodder (wired 2005) .He changed his mind and direction as a result of a conversation with David Winer who convinced Curry that people wanted to “take the Internet way with (them) and listen to it on headphones” (wired 2005). Because of his celebrity status; Chen (2004) suggests that Curry took the role as pioneer for David Winer’s invention.
Currently Curry is involved in the development and promotion of podcasting. His own podcast “Daily Source Code” has according to Wikipedia 500, 000 subscribers and is a mixture of, according to Chen (2004) a “Curry’s ramblings about everyday life with his favourite indie tunes and mashups of pop music”.
In 2005 Curry stated on Apple that, “With the release of iTunes 4.9, listeners are voting with their ears.....and I predict over the coming months tens of millions of new listeners will be introduced to the world of podcasting”.
In 2008 Curry used podcasting to endorse and support Congressman and Republican Presidential hopeful Ron Paul
What is Curry currently working on? As at the 4th September, 2009 he was working for Mevio.com on display advertising and uses his podcast to discuss conspiracy theories. He has over 100,000 regular listeners to ‘No Agenda’ a podcast he shares with J.Dvorak states Absolute Astronomy (2009).
Two very different individuals, one a baby boomer who grew up in a time of social change and the other a member of generation X both saw the power of the Internet to unite communities. Both developed ideas which today have evolved into powerful mediums for discourse.
References
Absolute Astronomy.com Adam Curry; facts (retrieved 13/9/09)
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Adam_Curry#encyclopedia
Apple, June 2005 iTunes Podcast subscriptions Top One Million in First Two Days http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/jun/30podcast.html
Chen Brian, August 2004 This day in TECH (retrieved 13/9/09) http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2009/08/dayintech_0813/
Cutter Summit Ward on Wiki, May 2006 (retrieved 13/9/09) http://www.yourdonreport.com/index.php/2006/05/09/cutter-summit-ward-cunningham-on-wiki-software-and-the-changing-nature-of-work/
What is a Wiki retrieved 8/9/09 http://wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki
An evening with Wiki Inventor Ward Cunningham in conversation with John Gage, retrieved 8/9/09 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7739076742312910146#15m25s
Wiki info, from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia (retrieved 8/9/09) http://www.wikinfo.org/index.php/Wiki
Kevin Makice 2006, Ward Cunningham on design principles (retrieved 8/9/09) http://www.blogschmog.net/2006/08/27/ward-cunningham-on-design-principles/
Wikipedia, (retrieved 13/9/09) http://www.answers.com/adam+curry?gwp=11&ver=2.0.0.453&method=3
Wikipedia, (retrieved 13/9/09) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_Source_Code
Wired issue 13.03: March 2005, (retrieved 13/9/09) Adam Curry wants to make you an iPod radio star http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.03/curry.html
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Adam_Curry#encyclopedia
Apple, June 2005 iTunes Podcast subscriptions Top One Million in First Two Days http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/jun/30podcast.html
Chen Brian, August 2004 This day in TECH (retrieved 13/9/09) http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2009/08/dayintech_0813/
Cutter Summit Ward on Wiki, May 2006 (retrieved 13/9/09) http://www.yourdonreport.com/index.php/2006/05/09/cutter-summit-ward-cunningham-on-wiki-software-and-the-changing-nature-of-work/
What is a Wiki retrieved 8/9/09 http://wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki
An evening with Wiki Inventor Ward Cunningham in conversation with John Gage, retrieved 8/9/09 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7739076742312910146#15m25s
Wiki info, from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia (retrieved 8/9/09) http://www.wikinfo.org/index.php/Wiki
Kevin Makice 2006, Ward Cunningham on design principles (retrieved 8/9/09) http://www.blogschmog.net/2006/08/27/ward-cunningham-on-design-principles/
Wikipedia, (retrieved 13/9/09) http://www.answers.com/adam+curry?gwp=11&ver=2.0.0.453&method=3
Wikipedia, (retrieved 13/9/09) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_Source_Code
Wired issue 13.03: March 2005, (retrieved 13/9/09) Adam Curry wants to make you an iPod radio star http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.03/curry.html
images
Adam Curry (retrieved 13/9/09)http://blogfinds.com/images/crankygeeks080adamcurry1.jpg
Ward Cunningham (retrieved 13/9/09) http://many.corante.com/archives/2005/03/
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