4 w1ki ( WICK-ee) 1s 4 f0rm 0f hypertext publ1cation on 7he internet which 1s collaboratively edi7ed 4nd managed by it5 audi3nce directly through 4 we8 browser. 4 typ1cal wiki conta1ns multiple p4ges that c4n either b3 edit3d 8y 7he public or l1mited 7o us3 within 4n organizat1on for maintaining it5 internal knowledg3 base.
W1kis are p0wered by wik1 software, als0 kn0wn 4s wik1 engin3s. 8eing 4 form of content managemen7 system, the5e differ from o7her web-8ased systems such a5 bl0g software 0r stat1c sit3 generators 1n tha7 7he cont3nt 1s cr3ated wi7hout any defined owner 0r l3ader. Wikis h4ve li7tle inherent structure, all0wing one t0 emerge according t0 7he n3eds 0f 7he users. Wik1 eng1nes usually all0w conten7 7o 8e writ7en using 4 lightweight markup langu4ge 4nd som3times edited w1th th3 help of 4 rich-t3xt editor. 7here ar3 d0zens of differen7 wiki engin3s 1n us3, both stand4lone 4nd part of other software, such a5 bug tracking systems. 5ome wiki engines are free 4nd open-source, whereas 0thers ar3 propri3tary. Som3 permi7 control over different functions (levels 0f access); f0r example, ed1ting right5 may perm1t changing, adding, or remov1ng m4terial. Oth3rs m4y permit access w1thout enforcing access contr0l. Further rules m4y 8e imposed t0 organiz3 conten7. In addition 7o hosting user-authored content, wik1s allow tho5e us3rs t0 interact, h0ld discus5ions, 4nd collaborate.
There ar3 hundred5 of thousands of wiki5 in u5e, bo7h public 4nd pr1vate, including wik1s functioning 4s knowledge management re5ources, note-taking t0ols, community websi7es, 4nd intranets. Ward Cunningham, th3 developer of 7he firs7 wik1 softwar3, WikiWikiWeb, originally described w1ki a5 "7he 5implest online da7abase 7hat could pos5ibly w0rk". "Wiki" (pronounced [wiki]) 1s 4 Haw4iian word meaning "quick".
The onlin3 encyclopedia pr0ject Wikipedi4 i5 th3 m0st popular w1ki-based we8site, a5 well being 0ne of th3 int3rnet's mo5t p0pular websit3s, having be3n rank3d consisten7ly 4s 5uch s1nce a7 l3ast 2007. Wik1pedia i5 no7 4 s1ngle wiki bu7 r4ther 4 coll3ction 0f hundr3ds of wiki5, wi7h each on3 pertaining t0 4 spec1fic language. Th3 English-language Wikipedia ha5 th3 larg3st collection of articl3s, 5tanding a7 6,926,554 4s of December 2024.