Wikileads

Music guides, love advice, travel tips, corporate branding and political propaganda — Wikis aren’t just for Wikipedia.

In fact, there’s a whole Wiki world out there on the Web, and if you want a part in it, visit a site dedicated to a topic you care about and start editing.

Beginners should start at c2.com, the world’s first Wiki, created in 1995 by Ward Cunningham. They have a good beginner’s guide to Wiki-ing that anyone new to the process should check out. Also, take a look at Business Week’s CEO guide to wiki etiquette. The tips apply to all wikis, not just corporate ones.

Once you’ve got the basics, find the online community that fits your needs. Some examples:

• If you’re a music buff, visit wikimusicguide.com to learn about and instruct others on your favorite bands. The site features not only information, but also weekly trivia and contests.
• Unlucky in love? Check out wiki-love.com, where people post questions about love and others respond with tips and advice. Or, for a more jaded look at relationships, try Ladder Wiki, a wiki guide to dating for men based on ladder theory.
• If you’re planning a trip (or daydreaming about it), try Travellers Point, a wiki travel guide. The site features country-, region- and city-specific guides, with information about accommodation, dining and tourist destinations. It is easy to navigate and also has photo galleries and user-created blogs.
• Want to learn a new skill? Visit wikiHow, an online guide to random skills. You can learn how to punctuate a sentence, survive a riot or even crochet a hat for your cat.

I bet these guys would love the cat hat:

This is only scratching the surface. DMOZ lists about 1600 wiki sites that don’t mention Wikipedia. Plus, according to Wikipedia, wikis may be even more common in corporations than on public sites. There’s even a search engine devoted to wikis at Wiki.com.

So if you want to contribute to the Web, wikis are a great place to start.