
Ward Cunningham is a pioneer in the world of software development, and his contributions have had a lasting impact on the industry.
He is the creator of the first wiki, which was a revolutionary tool that allowed users to easily collaborate and share information.
In 2001, Cunningham founded the wiki hosting service, WikiWikiWeb, which is still available today.
Cunningham's work on wiki technology has enabled people to share and collaborate on knowledge in ways that were previously unimaginable.
See what others are reading: Wiki Engine
Early Life and Career
Ward Cunningham was born in Michigan City, Indiana, on May 26, 1949.
He grew up in Highland, Indiana, where he completed high school.
Cunningham received his bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary engineering (electrical engineering and computer science) and his master's degree in computer science from Purdue University, graduating in 1978.
He co-founded Cunningham & Cunningham, a software consultancy he started with his wife, and also served as Director of R&D at Wyatt Software and as Principal Engineer in the Tektronix Computer Research Laboratory.
Cunningham is the founder of The Hillside Group and has served as program chair of the Pattern Languages of Programming conference which it sponsors.
He was part of the Smalltalk community.
For another approach, see: Engineering Search Engine
Contributions and Ideas
Ward Cunningham is a pioneer in design patterns and extreme programming, and he's also the inventor of the wiki. He started programming WikiWikiWeb in 1994 and installed it on his website on March 25, 1995.
Cunningham is known for coining the concept of technical debt, which he expanded on in 1992. He also created the Smallest Federated Wiki in 2011, a tool for wiki federation that applies aspects of software development.
Cunningham's contributions to object-oriented programming include the use of pattern languages and class-responsibility-collaboration cards, which he developed with Kent Beck. He also contributed to the extreme programming software development methodology.
A unique perspective: What Is G E O S M I N
Cunningham's Law
Cunningham's Law states that the best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question, but to post the wrong answer.
This law was first coined by Ward Cunningham in the early 1980s, when he advised Steven McGeady to post a wrong answer, knowing that people would be quicker to correct it than to answer an unanswered question.
The law has been used to describe how online communities work, including Wikipedia, where people are more likely to correct an error than to provide an answer to an unknown question.
Cunningham himself relativizes the law, calling it a "misquote that disproves itself by propagating through the internet." He also clarifies that he never suggested asking questions by posting wrong answers.
Collective Ownership
A wiki is a work sustained by a community. This means that the ownership of the work is collective, rather than individual.
In a wiki, one's words are a gift to the community, and to truly collaborate, you have to let go of your attachment to them. This is called refactoring, and it's essential for creating a dynamic environment where people can work together.
Collaboration is deeper than cooperation, as it involves trusting that good will come out of the process, even if we can't see the transaction. In a wiki, you have to trust people more than you have any reason to trust them.
A different take: S Meter

People can and do trust works produced by people they don't know, especially in a low communication cost environment. This is evident in the success of Wikipedia, a fantastic resource that has become a model for collaborative work.
Refactoring friction can be relieved by anonymity, but it can also be abused by spammers. The key is to find a balance between openness and protection.
Here are some key characteristics of collective ownership in a wiki:
- Ownership is collective, not individual
- Words are a gift to the community
- Refactoring is essential for collaboration
- Collaboration involves trusting the process
- People can trust works produced by unknown individuals
Crucible of Creativity
Ward Cunningham's concept of the wiki has revolutionized the way we interact and collaborate. He envisioned a platform where people could come together to create and improve content, and that's exactly what happened.
A key aspect of wiki is that it's a work sustained by a community, not just a collection of static pages. This collaborative nature of wiki is what sets it apart from traditional top-down hierarchies.
Cunningham's goal was to create a platform that would facilitate open communication and trust among its users. He encouraged people to sign their words, but not to sign their names, allowing for a sense of anonymity that fosters collaboration.
Intriguing read: Microsft 404 Web Site Not Found.
To attract a community, Cunningham made the wiki feel like a welcoming space where people could contribute without fear of criticism. He wanted to create an environment where people felt comfortable gifting their words, knowing that others would improve and refine them.
In fact, Cunningham's design of the wiki was influenced by his desire to create a platform that would allow people to collaborate and produce high-quality content without the need for top-down control. He wanted to show that wiki was a viable alternative to traditional approaches.
Here are some key principles that underlie Cunningham's vision for wiki:
- A wiki is a work sustained by a community.
- Anonymity can relieve refactoring friction and foster collaboration.
- People can trust works produced by people they don't know.
- Wiki is a model for a new way of work, driven by reduced communication costs.
These principles have had a profound impact on the way we work and collaborate online. By embracing the wiki model, we can create more dynamic, flexible, and innovative environments that bring people together to achieve common goals.
Publications and Media
Ward Cunningham, the founder of the WikiWikiWeb, has been a prolific writer and publisher. He co-authored a book titled "The Wiki Way" in 2001.
The book, "The Wiki Way", was published by Addison-Wesley Professional and is available under the ISBN 978-0201714999.
Publications

Bo Leuf and Ward Cunningham co-authored "The Wiki Way" in 2001, a publication that's still relevant today.
This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the concept of wikis and how they can be used effectively.
Exploring with Wiki
Ward Cunningham, the inventor of the wiki, wanted to create a space where people could collaborate and create something together.
He encouraged people to write without signing their words, which made them feel like they were part of a large community and more inclined to join in.
This approach allowed people to feel comfortable contributing to the wiki, and it helped to create a positive and collaborative environment.
In fact, Cunningham believed that people were more likely to improve and add to others' work when they didn't know who wrote it, and that's exactly what happened on the wiki.
The wiki allowed people to gift their words, and when they came back to see that their words had been improved, it was like magic.
Cunningham also wanted to make sure that the wiki was open and accessible to everyone, but he didn't guarantee that it was open in the sense that people could keep their contributions.
He was open to the idea of people using the wiki, but he wanted to make it clear that they couldn't keep their contributions forever.
Cunningham's vision for the wiki was to bring people together and allow them to share and collaborate on a global scale.
He believed that people who understand their collective goals and values are pretty good at self-organizing, as long as they are allowed to.
By aligning and self-organizing, people can work together towards a common goal and achieve great things.
Here are some key principles that Cunningham used to create a successful wiki:
- Encourage people to contribute without signing their words
- Focus on creating a positive and collaborative environment
- Make the wiki open and accessible to everyone
- Allow people to contribute and improve each other's work
Ward Cunningham
Ward Cunningham is a name you might not know, but his influence on the internet is undeniable. He's the one who coined Cunningham's Law.
This law states that the best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question, but to post the wrong answer. This tongue-in-cheek advice might seem counterintuitive, but it's a clever observation about how people interact online.
Cunningham's Law was actually coined by Steven McGeady, who was advised by Cunningham himself in the early 1980s.
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