WikiWikiWeb

WikiWikiWeb is widely regarded as the first wiki, created in 1994 by Ward Cunningham while at Xerox PARC. It launched on the wiki hosting site c2.com and functioned as a living demonstration of collaborative hypertext. The project introduced core ideas that define wikis: lightweight, open editing by users, interlinked pages, and a simple revision history. The name WikiWikiWeb derives from the Hawaiian word wiki, meaning quick, and the project helped popularize the term “wiki” for this class of collaborative websites.

The software behind WikiWikiWeb employed a minimal markup and linking model, enabling any user to add or modify content with a standard web browser. Pages were stored on a server, with versions saved to preserve history. Hyperlinks between pages were created by naming or linking to existing pages, allowing rapid construction of a network of knowledge without formal editorial approval. The site included introductory material and numerous topic pages on software development, knowledge sharing, and the concept of the wiki itself, encouraging communities to build on it.

Impact and legacy: WikiWikiWeb is widely recognized as the origin of the modern wiki. It inspired numerous wiki implementations and communities, shaping later platforms and collaborative authoring on the web. Today, the original WikiWikiWeb at c2.com remains a historical archive illustrating the early history of collaborative editing on the internet.