# Universal Edit Button

> software

**Wikidata**: [Q1046333](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1046333)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Edit_Button)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/universal-edit-button

## Summary
The Universal Edit Button is a free software browser extension and application designed to enhance the user experience on wiki-based websites. Invented in 2007 by a collaborative team of wiki enthusiasts, including Ward Cunningham and Jack Herrick, it was publicly launched on June 19, 2008. The software serves as a tool for end-users to easily identify and access editing capabilities on supported platforms.

## Key Facts
- **Publication Date:** Launched on June 19, 2008.
- **Inception:** The project was initiated in 2007.
- **Developers:** Invented by a collaborative team including Ward Cunningham, Jack Herrick, and others.
- **Software Class:** Classified as free software, a browser extension, and an application.
- **Mozilla Extension ID:** `button@wikihow.com`
- **Firefox Add-on Slug:** `universal-edit-button`
- **Programming Language:** Q2407 (JavaScript)
- **Official Website:** http://universaleditbutton.org/Universal_Edit_Button/
- **Wikidata ID:** /m/04n086z (Freebase ID)

## FAQs
### Q: When was the Universal Edit Button created?
A: The concept for the Universal Edit Button was conceived in 2007, and it was officially launched the following year on June 19, 2008.

### Q: Who invented the Universal Edit Button?
A: It was invented by a collaborative team of wiki enthusiasts. Notable contributors include Ward Cunningham and Jack Herrick.

### Q: What type of software is the Universal Edit Button?
A: It is a free software browser extension and application designed for end-users.

## Why It Matters
The Universal Edit Button represents a significant, community-driven effort to standardize the user interface for editable websites, particularly wikis. By providing a consistent visual indicator, the project aimed to lower the barrier to entry for editing collaborative content, making it more obvious to users when a page could be modified.

The initiative is notable for bringing together prominent figures in the wiki world, such as Ward Cunningham (the inventor of the wiki concept) and Jack Herrick. This collaboration highlighted the demand for better usability in open-source knowledge sharing. As free software, it embodied the ethos of the community it served, allowing users to freely run, study, and distribute the tool to improve the collective knowledge ecosystem.

## Notable For
- **High-Profile Collaboration:** Invented by a team that included Ward Cunningham and Jack Herrick, key figures in wiki history.
- **Usability Focus:** Designed specifically to signal editability to end-users, addressing a common usability issue in early wiki interfaces.
- **Free Software Ethics:** Distributed as free software, aligning with the open-editing philosophy of the platforms it supports.
- **Browser Integration:** Implemented as a specific Mozilla Firefox extension (`button@wikihow.com`) and general browser add-on.

## Body
### Origins and Development
The Universal Edit Button was invented in 2007 by a collaborative team of wiki enthusiasts seeking to improve the discoverability of edit functions on websites. The project officially launched on June 19, 2008.

The development was led by a group that included Ward Cunningham and Jack Herrick, among others. The tool was designed to function as a browser extension, specifically integrating with Mozilla Firefox via the ID `button@wikihow.com`.

### Technical Classification
The Universal Edit Button is defined strictly as **free software**. This classification means it is distributed under terms that allow users to freely run, study, change, and distribute it and any modified versions.

Technically, the software is categorized as:
*   **Application:** A software program designed for end-users.
*   **Browser Extension:** A module that adds specific capabilities to a web browser.

### Availability and Resources
The project maintains an official website at `http://universaleditbutton.org/Universal_Edit_Button/`. It is listed on Mozilla Firefox Add-ons under the slug `universal-edit-button`. The source and assets are associated with the "Universal Edit Button" category on Wikimedia Commons.

## References

1. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/universaleditbutton.org/Universal_Edit_Button/#History_of_the_Universal_Edit_Button)
2. [Source](http://www.wikisym.org/2008/06/19/wiki-this-site-the-universal-edit-button-launches-today/)