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I wrote the first wiki in a week. Why has it taken me a year to write another? Short answer: when something is already surprisingly simple its hard to make it simpler.
This last year I set out to do for numbers what I had done for words, give them depth and meaning that ordinary people can depend on every day. A wiki, like a glossary, defines the terms we choose to use. A data-wiki makes those choices more complex. Its no longer one click to check a definition. Its more like one more study to check a dataset, to see if the data says what we think it does. Not a simple process.
My quest has been to make knowing and using data an everyday thing. This means the study of data must be an everyday thing too. To this end I've pushed visualization, I've pushed domain specific markups, I've pushed streaming measurements. But through this I've retained wiki's greatest strength: the ability to create with those who we have just met and don't yet have reason to trust. Finding trust on the modern web may be this year's biggest accomplishment.

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In his talk at the MountainWest RubyConf 2013, Ward Cunningham discusses his journey toward simplifying and enhancing the concept of wikis, particularly in the context of sustainability data. He reflects on the challenge of making complex data accessible and understandable for ordinary people, similar to what Wikipedia has accomplished with words. Cunningham's journey began when he committed to giving depth and meaning to sustainability numbers, creating a platform that promotes trust and usability among users. Throughout the presentation, he emphasizes key areas of focus for his 'Federated Wiki' project, which integrates visualizations and interactions to improve user experience.

**Key Points Discussed:**
- **Distinction Between Raw Data and Meaning:** Cunningham explains that while accountants can decipher the story behind numbers, the average person struggles to extract meaning from raw data. He cites weather data as an example where visualization can greatly aid understanding.
- **Significance of Data Visualization:** He shares his admiration for engaging visualizations, such as those found on hint.fm, which portray complex data in an accessible format. D3.js, a JavaScript library for creating data visualizations, inspired him to enhance data representation.
- **Vision for a Federated Wiki:** The core idea is to allow users to share and visualize data collaboratively across multiple wiki sites, shifting the burden from server-based to client-side sharing for greater flexibility.
- **User Interaction and Dynamic Content:** Cunningham elaborates on the ability to edit data visually, navigate through related content, and dynamically refactor wiki pages, highlighting the continuous updates needed for enhanced user experience.
- **The Role of Curiosity and Agility:** Curiosity drives innovation, while agility in development allows for responsive adjustments to community needs, emphasizing balance between user interests and personal experimentation.
- **Emphasis on Community and Open Source:** He advocates for a commons-like approach, prioritizing collaborative open-source methods that boost user trust and understanding within the community dynamics.

At the conclusion of his talk, Cunningham encourages viewers to explore the synergy between curiosity and trust in creating cohesive experiences within federated environments, underscoring the importance of fostering connection and engagement through innovative technology.

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