Contributed by Paul Seaburn, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

Quick – what’s a wiki?

If you had to look it up, you probably used a web site that allows users to add, modify or delete content easily and quickly. You probably found out also that “wiki” is a Hawaiian word meaning “quick” and the first wiki software, WikiWIkiWeb, was created by Ward Cunningham and named after the Wiki-Wiki Shuttle at the Honolulu Airport which he rode between terminals.

Quick as a wiki, here are the top free wiki sites.

10. Wikimapia

Wikkimapia was created by two Russian entrepreneurs inspired by the slogan “Let’s describe the whole world!” It combines the features of Google Maps with Wikipedia to allow contributors to add information about any location, from geographic info to restaurants to any new category that might be of interest. The info is searchable or available just by clicking on a map location.

9. Wiktionary

The Wiktionary is more than just a great online dictionary – it also has a thesaurus for writers, a rhyming dictionary for poets and extensive etymologies and other info for word freaks. There are also dictionaries for other languages – caution, the Latin dictionary won’t help you in Latin America.

8. LyricsWiki

You’ll never sing “There’s a bathroom on the right” again when singing along with your favorite Creedence Clearwater Revival song after checking out the correct lyrics on LyricsWiki. Search by song, artist, album or by the hometown of the artist – did you know that Nuuk, Greenland is the home of rock band Chilly Friday?

7. RecipesWiki

Don’t visit RecipesWiki if you’re hungry because you’ll spend the next hour printing off recipes for great dishes posted by its contributors. It has links to more specialized wikis (recipes for bacon, best food trucks) and groupings for various cuisines. A search by ingredient is great when you’ve got too much kale and no ideas.

6. ProductWiki

If you’ve got an experience to share about a TV you just bought or want to check out what other people have to say before buying one, ProductWiki is the place to visit. Besides being a place to review products, it is also a social site where users can create lists, share rants and raves and promote their own products for sale. The reviews can also have links to a manufacturer’s web site or related blog posts.

5. WikiHealth

WikiHealth is a collection of articles about health and wellness topics. From ADD to Zinc supplements, it provides unbiased information and prescriptive advice on a long list of topics that is updated by users. It is partially funded by ads for health-related products and should not replace seeing a doctor.

4. WikiTravel

WikiTravel allows travelers to share their experiences with fellow travelers, providing info about the location, weather, lodging, food and sights to see that is more up-to-date than print travel guides. Wikitravel covers the world and is a great resource for coming up with new places to visit.

3. WikiBooks

Wikibooks is a repository for free textbooks, courses, manual and public domain books on any and all subjects for students, teachers and schools. Wikibooks has two “sub-projects” – Wikijunior containing ebooks for children and Cookbook for ebooks devoted to cooking and the culinary arts.

2. WikiHow

The goal of the founders of WikiHow was to build the world’s largest how-to manual for do-it-yourselfers. The articles follow a standard format showing a summary of the activity, steps on how to complete it, tips, warnings, pictures and sources. The articles can be updated and improved by other users.

1. Wikipedia

The biggest wiki site and one of the most visited, Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia maintained by volunteers around the world. As of this writing, it has over 20 million articles and is available in over 280 languages. While the entries are checked by volunteer editors and usually contain references and footnotes, it’s still advisable to check other sources for accuracy.