The term " WikiWiki " ("wiki wiki" means "quick" in the Hawaiian language and is pronounced "wickee wickee") can be used to identify either a type of hypertext document or the software used to write it. Often called "wiki" for short, the collaborative software application enables web documents to be authored collectively using a simple markup scheme and without the content being reviewed prior to its acceptance. The resulting collaborative hypertext document, also called either "wiki" or " WikiWikiWeb ," is typically produced by a community of users. Many wikis (including this one) are easily identified by their use of CamelCase hyperlinks.

The original WikiWikiWeb was established in 1995 by Ward Cunningham, who invented and named the Wiki concept and produced the first implementation of a WikiWiki server. Ward's server is still online at http://www.c2.com/cgi/wiki . Visit that server for additional information. Or read a book Ward (and Bo Leuf) wrote on the concept: The Wiki Way: Quick collaboration on the Web , Addison-Wesley, ISBN-020171499X. Some people maintain that only Ward's wiki should be called "Wiki" (upper case) or the " WikiWikiWeb ".