Companies that want to convert from their current company wiki system to Confluence must overcome a few challenges: existing users are used to working with the platform, changing systems always involves trade-offs, and transferring existing content is complex and painful. In the previous article, we described these common challenges in detail. In this article, we will explain why the switch to Confluence is still a good idea and why the exhausting migration process is still worth the effort.
Tag Archives: wikis
Challenges of migrating a company wiki to Confluence and why it is worth overcoming them (part 1)
If you take a closer look at the various company wiki systems available on the market and objectively evaluate them, you will likely come to the conclusion that Confluence by Atlassian is the best and most sophisticated solution out there. Often, such comparisons are made when a company already uses another wiki – a system that grew organically beyond a department, an open-source system introduced as a trial run, or consciously chose the Wikipedia system MediaWiki because it’s the most successful software of its kind.
The Wikipedia of the Company: Yes, but not with MediaWiki
A crucial step in the implementation of a wiki within a company is the selection of the right wiki software. One must assess the major pros and cons of each system in order to make the best choice. In this article, we evaluate the open source software MediaWiki, and draw the conclusion that there is a better option.
Enterprise Wikis: Advantages of Confluence compared to Foswiki and MediaWiki
In our article, “Enterprise Wikis: Criteria and important topics in the evaluation of wiki software” we discussed the diverse and unique requirements an enterprise wiki needs to meet. Decisions about choosing the right wiki system cannot be made using generalizations, but rather only by taking into account the specific needs of the company. In this article, we will draw a concrete comparison between the approaches of the Atlasssian Confluence commercial system and the open source systems Foswiki and MediaWiki. What are the strengths of Confluence compared to Foswiki and MediaWiki?
Enterprise Wikis: Criteria and important topics in the evaluation of wiki software
Wikis for intra-company usage are becoming well established as both commercial and open source applications. This article gives an overview of criteria and requirements involved in the decision making process, along with a comparison of our proprietary Wiki Confluence System and its open source competitors, Foswiki and MediaWiki.
Confluence and Foswiki Plugins – A Comparison
All wiki systems have the same basic functions: opening, editing and saving documents. These functions can be covered in a single Wikipedia paragraph. The functions of a more advanced business wiki, however, are more complex. A business wiki is not simply a web lexicon, but rather is intended to systematically handle a variety of processes in the company.
Company Wikis aren’t Wikipedia
Wikipedia is by far the best-known example of a wiki. This web lexicon is what most people immediately think of when they hear the word wiki. It’s not surprising, since the online encyclopedia is used by millions of people every day. However, Wikipedia is something completely different from a wiki that is used in a corporate intranet.
Technical differences between intranet and Internet
In the first article on the differences between a company’s intranet and website, we addressed organizational questions and described how these systems differ conceptually. From a technical perspective as well, intranet and web projects must be approached differently to meet the various needs of the user groups.
Organizational differences between intranet and Internet
You do not need to be an Internet professional to recognize the basic difference between a company’s intranet and its online presence. An intranet, the internal system, is protected against external access and contains non-public information. Online content, however, can be accessed by anyone. If you take a closer look, it’s clear that many different aspects must be considered and play an important role. We will therefore turn our attention in these two articles to the question of how to differentiate between an intranet and a website. First, we will look at the organizational aspects before dealing with the technical aspects in the following article.
Wikis in an Intranet Part 2: TWiki in Actual Company Practice
In general, the establishing of a wiki must be supported through a series of measures. If these activities are successful, the system – as I know from my own experience – will quickly be accepted and used by employees. At //SEIBERT/MEDIA, TWiki has been used since June 2007, now containing a total of eight Webs. The main Web alone grew to contain more than 1000 topics within just a few months.