Today is Wiki Communication Day it seems… first Wetpaint, now PBwiki

Earlier today Wetpaint announced that they have added the ability for private messaging for their Wiki clients. Now, PBwiki has announced that they have partnered with YackPack to provide a new widget for their Wiki clients called WalkieTalkie.

YackPack has created the WalkieTalkie, a widget that you can install on your PBwiki in about two minutes. Then, each and every human or humanoid who visits that PBwiki of yours can simply click-and-hold the YackPack button and, through the miracle of “Technology,” talk to anyone else visiting the page. It’s like an online virtual intercom and it adds the power of voice to any collaboration.

“There is something magical about hearing someone else's voice,” said Ramit Sethi, PBwiki co-founder. “It takes collaboration to an entirely different level. It's more personal and takes away the OMG FLAMER LAMO stuff that you see on IRC. It brings people closer together.”

With these communication changes, I stand firm that 2007 is more Wiki than Mashup. Of course neither of these tools, Wepaint nor PBwiki are available for install on your server, but only as an ASP model. As I noted to Ben from Wetpaint, they should package it up and offer it for a nominal fee. Just look at Vbulletin for a great example of how this can work.