====== Leech ======

A leech takes content out of the wiki and sends it to people another way, usually by email. This reduces peoples' inclination to visit it, and potentially creates confusion because information is coming from multiple sources.

===== How do I notice it? =====

Look for email or websites or powerpoint files with content that's been taken from wiki pages but not referenced as such with appropriate URLs.

===== How do I fix it? =====

  * Talk to the leech about the importance of keeping content associated with the wiki. Suggest that instead of taking content from the wiki and presenting it in a different forum, s/he might just email people with a //link// to content on the wiki. Convert them to a [[Spectator|Spectator]] .
  * (Caution, this may been seen as confrontational in some cultures) - Follow-up any broadcast of wiki-originated information with a broadcast of your own indicating where the information came from, indicating something like, "And if you want to have the most up-to-date version of this information, remember to check: ....".

===== Related Patterns =====

  * [[Champion]] - a champion will watch for leeching and talk with people about the importance of keeping content on the wiki to build its value.
  * [[WikiGnome]] - a WikiGnome constantly works to improve the quality of content on the wiki, thus making it the best possible place to collaborate.
  * [[Magnet]] - this pattern involves putting content exclusively on the wiki as a way to build its value.
  * A [[Spectator]] is very similar to a leech, in that they are strictly information consumers on your wiki. However, spectator does not extract information to 'dilute' the value of the wiki, and can more easily be converted into an [[Ambassador|Ambassador]]

===== Further Reading =====

  *  [[http://www.businessweek.com/technology/ceo_tipsheet/2007_3.htm|Tipsheet: Wiki Etiquette @ BusinessWeek]]