Ward Cunningham (born 1949) is an American computer programmer who invented the wiki and contributed significantly to software patterns and agile development. His work on collaborative tools and development methodologies shaped modern software practice.
WikiWikiWeb (1995)
Cunningham created the first wiki to support the Portland Pattern Repository, a website for discussing software design patterns. The wiki’s radical openness—allowing anyone to edit any page—inspired Wikipedia and countless other collaborative platforms.
Software Patterns
Before creating the wiki, Cunningham was instrumental in bringing design patterns to software:
- Organized early patterns conferences
- Created the Portland Pattern Repository
- Advocated for documenting proven solutions
Technical Debt
Cunningham coined the influential metaphor “technical debt” to explain how shortcuts in code create future obligations, making the concept accessible to non-technical stakeholders.
Agile Development
Cunningham was one of the 17 signatories of the Agile Manifesto (2001). His work on extreme programming (XP) with Kent Beck influenced the adoption of iterative, collaborative development practices.
Legacy
Cunningham’s wiki invention changed how humanity shares knowledge. Wikipedia alone contains over 60 million articles in hundreds of languages. His contributions to patterns and agile development continue to influence how software is built.