First of all a big thank you to Ken (KCPoole) who has spent many hours seeding the new AusBonsai wiki with content. The AusBonsai Wiki is launching today with over 1050 articles thanks to Ken’s selfless donation of his time to our community.
The AusBonsai forums are a great place to mingle, ask questions, share the cool projects we've been working on, find out what is coming up in your area and show off our bonsai adventures. But they're really not designed as a structured place to learn or to provide information as a quick and accurate reference. Also, I’m sure everyone gets a bit tired of the same basic questions being asked over and over again!
The new AusBonsai Wiki is designed to solve those issues plus more.
What is a Wiki?
The name "Wiki" (pronounced "wicky" or "weekee") was chosen by Ward Cunningham - the creator of the first Wiki. It is a shortened form of "wiki-wiki", the Hawaiian word for quick.
A wiki is a web site that is generally editable by anyone with a computer, a web browser, and an internet connection. Wikis use a quick and easy syntax to allow users to apply formatting to text and create links between pages. This simple formatting syntax means that authors no longer need to learn the complexities of HTML to create content on the web.
The main strength of a wiki is that it gives people the ability to work collaboratively on the same document. The only software you need is an Internet browser. Consequently, wikis are used for a variety of purposes. If you make a mistake, it's easy to revert back to an earlier version of the document.
The largest and most talked about Wiki on the Internet is Wikipedia.
Here is a link to a great YouTube video that explains how a wiki works in plain English.
The only requirement to edit and add to the AusBonsai Wiki is that you sign up for an account and that the RULES of the wiki and AusBonsai are to be followed. Viewing content and pictures does not require registration. We do not moderate what you type in the wiki, we trust and believe that the community will contribute in good-faith, in order to improve the encyclopaedia, not to ruin it. IPs are logged and pests will suffer banishment!
To learn how to edit our wiki, SEE THIS LINK
For a more in depth users guide, SEE THIS LINK
I assure you that the forums will continue to be the same friendly community they are now. The AusBonsai Wiki will just enhance the free sharing spirit and provide an excellent educational tool for all who are interested in learning the art of bonsai. Plus when frequently asked questions are asked on the forums, we'll be able to point folks to the AusBonsai Wiki.
Thank you all so much for your AusBonsai community contributions, both past and future!
Regards,
Steven
This looks like it'll fast develop into an invaluable and easily accessible resource for everyone, especially as a "first port of call" for "newbies". Great idea guys! 
