Michael Shanks on running wikis:

Wiki software is now very well developed (this is a superb system by Mark Roseman. The basic functions are clearly accessible. But this doesn't mean it is easy to get a team of people to join in a collaborative project, building a web site, publishing research and opinion around a common interest.

the basic principle of linkage, rather than simple stand-alone statement, is often counter-intuitive

users of a wiki are often reluctant to take up the basic principle of editing each others' work - we often feel more comfortable in leaving someone else's work to stand on its own

we are so used to management systems that use a hierarchical system of organizing and getting things done - an overarching design and authority - wikis actually work best with no one in control

So what can be done to make a wiki work?

how to make collaborative authoring and research work

pre-constitute the group - don't expect the software to get people to work together as a team - you need other ways of getting people to get to know each other

prime the system - don't present the team with blank pages

ensure a critical mass of people in the team - we have found that a minimum of 8 team members is needed to have people react creatively to each other

have a manager or facilitator who will help with menus, loose links, summaries, re-edits

some tips on authoring collaborative hypertexts and systems like wikis

think and write microtextually - in units of 200 words or so

spend at least half of your time on edits of your own and others' work, and on links within and outside of your local project

pay conspicuous attention to signposts, headings, highlighting, using spacing, color and any other kind of highlight

layout is crucial in hypertextual microcontent - breakup blocks of text and use imagery wherever possible

use concrete examples wherever possible to prevent the microcontent becoming too abstract