Here we describe the ways wiki is designed for actively writing and, in addition, for modelling. In both these respects wiki moves beyond the characteristics of familiar wiki forms like Wikipedia, handbooks, etc.
Passive reading and publishing have become the norm in earlier wiki modes. The familiar kind of wiki aims for consensus (eg Wikipedia) or universality (eg a handbook). A design intention of federated wiki is to facilitate conscious elaboration and assembly of "a chorus of voices" (both the author's voice and others' voices). This can lead to features that may seem puzzling to a new reader.
wiki displays numerous pages in the same browser tab, as an evolving 'lineup' resulting from clicked links. Because the layout in the browser is different, it's possible to get lost in a multipage lineup (in separate browser tabs, keeping track might be simpler). This affordance to view pages alongside each other is a great feature. But passive readers need to have a feel at least for how to navigate in wiki. Navigating in the wiki page lineup
However, wiki is primarily **for writing**. Writing in wiki
**Wiki is for modelling.** wiki was also designed (thro plugins optionally included within a page) to facilitate calculations, and processing of data contained within pages of a site. This is a principle similar to Apple's legendary Hypercard. This **page-to-page federating** within a wiki enables a model to be written, and data to be supplied, as a series of wiki pages, and results to be displayed in some other pages. This use in modelling is advanced use, to be covered under Advanced writing. Advanced writing