First there were summaries, then there were SparkNotes, and now a student or curious mind wouldn't be able to survive without a proper wiki on whatever they're learning about. But how did wikis take over the internet, and what the heck does it mean? Turns out it originates from a silly Hawaiian word.
Wikis are web applications that allow people, anyone, to add, modify, and delete content on any given subject. They are the product of collaboration between everyone on the web, giving them a reputation for providing the most comprehensive information, while also being susceptible to inaccuracies. It's a modern encyclopedia that is constantly evolving.
The first wiki came from developer Ward Cunningham with WikiWikiWeb, originally described as "the simplest online database that could possibly work." Development started in Portland, Oregon in 1994 and was installed at the domain c2.com on March 25, 1995. The word comes from the Hawaiian word for "fast" and "quick." Cunningham remembered a Honolulu International Airport employee directing him to the Wiki Wiki Shuttle. It kept him from having to call the site "quick-web."
