Socialtext provides online collaboration for businesses
Socialtext was the first enterprise wiki and has Jimmy Wales, of Wikipedia fame, on its Board of Directors. It aims to keep ahead of the pack in providing easy online collaboration for all sizes of businesses.
Socialtext provider statement
“As the first wiki company, Socialtext is the leader in making web collaboration secure, scalable and easy to use.
A Socialtext wiki is a secure, group-editable website. Instead of sending emails and attachments, Socialtext customers use private web pages to work together.”
Socialtext has wide range of deployment options
Socialtext wiki offers a wide range of options to potential users. These include a free open source version, a range of hosted options and a dedicated appliance.
Developers can download the free open-source version of Socialtext wiki. Socialtext also offers a VMware image of its open-source software that provides a virtual appliance that can be used for demonstration, proof-of-concept or technical evaluation purposes.
Socialtext hosted wikis range from the Personal Edition that is free for up to five users to the Professional Edition that requires a monthly fee based on number of users for larger teams or organizations.
Lastly, Socialtext offers dedicated wiki appliances that can either be hosted in Socialtext’s datacenter (dedicated for individual customers) or deployed behind the firewalls of users’ corporate sites. Pricing for appliances is based on the number of users. The Socialtext wiki appliance option aims to optimize hardware and software integration for optimal performance and reliability. Users receive regular automatic updates of the latest features, a software-as-service model.
Domain names
Your Socialtext wiki is called: www.socialtext.net/YrName. Using this URL takes you to the log in page. Socialtext is not really designed for access as a publicly viewable web site, but this can be arranged, so a specific URL defaults to the Socialtext wiki address. A good example of an active, public Socialtext wiki is Wikinomics.
Permissions for online collaboration can be finely defined
Administrators of Socialtext wikis set up workspaces and can easily add or remove users from these workspaces, as well as define access controls within the workspace for who can view, edit or comment on the wiki pages.
Socialtext has enterprise level security
Socialtext boasts enterprise level security, with SSL encryption for data transfer and automated geographically distributed back-up.
Keeps out spambots - Required log-in
Blocks vandals - Required log-in
Lockable pages - Yes
Can review changes to pages - Yes
Can revert to a previous edition of a page - Yes
Can restore your site from a local back up - Yes - html or text exports
Censored word list - No
Privacy policy - Yes, Socialtext privacy policy
Secure information transfer - Yes
Secure attachments - Yes
Socialtext wiki language options
Socialtext has limited language options.
Translations - Socialtext is in the process of releasing a Japanese version of its wiki, plus through its open-source community and localization bundles, other localizations can be done easily.
International characters - Not supported in WYSIWYG
Right to left writing - Not supported
Help language - English
Editing in Socialtext
Socialtext has a simple WYSIWYG editor plus wiki markup language for advanced editing. If that is not enough you can embed a block of html or widget code (html or javascript). You can send an email to or from any wiki page for easy publishing or notifications of changes.
WYSIWYG - Yes
Markup - Yes
HTML - Yes
CSS - Yes
javascript - Yes
Spellcheck - No
Supported content promotes on-line collaboration
Socialtext has been developed for ease of use by busy non-technical people. You will not find a lot of flashy features not needed in business.
Images - Yes
Flash - Flash content can be inserted into a Socialtext wikis using links, embedded HTML code or widgets.
Audio - Audio content, such as podcasts or mp3 files, can be inserted using links, embedded HTML code or widgets.
Video - Video content, such as YouTube or Blip videos, can be inserted into Socialtext wikis using links, embedded HTML code or widgets.
Chat - Yes, integration for Yahoo, AIM and Skype, so users can determine presence and launch a chat with another wiki user from within a Social text wiki.
Instant messaging - Yes
Mathematical notations - Socialcalc, an embedded spreadsheet supports calculations
RSS feeds -Yes
Diagrams - Not supported
Attachments - Yes
Task lists - Yes
Calendars - Yes
Maps - Not supported
Shopping basket - No
Content restrictions - No
Socialtext is user friendly
Socialtext is very easy to use. Access to CSS allows customisation of Socialtext to match your corporate identity.
Search engine friendly - No, content is usually business related
Access by mobile - Yes
Looks match topic - Limited customisation
Easy to read - Yes
Provider placed Ads - No, not even on free option
Clear navigation - Tags, personal dashboard
Effective wiki search - Yes
Recent activity list - Yes
Wanted pages list - Yes
Custom template for new pages - Yes
email pages to friends - Yes
RSS feeds - Yes
Easy to make and read comments - Yes
Page history available - Yes
Wiki Management
Socialtext is well managed; as you would expect from this stalwart in the Enterprise Wiki field.
Automatic save - No
Site statistics - Daily and weekly reports are available for most viewed pages and most active users of a Socialtext wiki
email notifications - Yes
Income from Ads - Not appropriate
Technical support - Yes
Server support 24/7 - Yes
Stable provider company - Yes
High standard of support available for Socialtext
Socialtext claims users can train themselves within five minutes and offers professional training for advanced use.
Loyal wiki community - Yes, they develop and share resource
Community forum - Yes, the Socialtext Customer Exchange
FAQs - Yes
Help - Yes, as previously detailed
Socialtext has several ways you can try it out. Sign up for a free, hosted package or download a pre-configured edition to evaluate it on your own site. If you are going to be one of the 50% of companies that are predicted to be using wikis by 2009, you would be wise to check out Socialtext.
Tagged with: Socialtext • Wiki
Print
One Trackback
[...] Many providers of enterprise or professional level wikis and other knowledge management, collaboration and communication applications provide Software as a Service. Particularly interested in this model are Cyn.in and SocialText. [...]