Role Of Recent Changes

RecentChanges is the lubricant behind the social function of wiki. It's what makes wikis a happening, a social place and not yet another source control / shared edit web application.

A secondary role is that it helps WikiGnomes deal with spamming, vandalism, etc.

Because of its important role, it has also become the prime real estate in WardsWiki and an important target in the WikiAttentionEconomy?, so a new form of unethical editing emerged in late 2004, beginning 2005, consisting of adding or removing whitespace - just to bring the page back to RecentChanges / QuickChanges prime real estate position. For folks who have nothing important to say and who would therefore attract no interest with their initial contribution, this is one way to keep repeating the same thing so that maybe somebody will eventually pay some attention to it.

ThingsOnWikisMind, tale of the two wikis

Contributor: DavidLiu

Recently (in 2005), I started to pay attention to MeatBall. I have used MeatBall previously and was generally impressed with the contents and its presentation. BTW, those of you who haven't yet done so should go read the BarnRaising page.

In 2005, lack of access to WardsWiki led me to seek temporary refuge at MeatBall. I started watching its RecentChanges. So quiet that you can hear a pin drop.

Back in the "good old days" at WardsWiki of 2004, missiles were flying everywhere in RecentChanges. Just dodging the sidewinders keep me fit in my armchair. I wished it were more orderly.

So what is RecentChanges? It is a MessagePassing mechanism. It's WhereTheMindGoes.

If the mind goes too quickly in a human, it is termed "seizure"; too slow, it is "suspended animation".

A proper balance between the extremes is probably TheWikiWay.

I would not GaveUpOnRecentChanges unless I GaveUpOnWiki. If RecentChanges turns too quickly, I just reduce my usage of it. Too slow, I go visit another RecentChanges in a different wiki of interest.

Epilogue: Sparring between RoberAbitbol and SunirShah got me interested to visit MeatBall to take a look.

CategoryWiki