What is HoloWiki and what can you find on it?

Updated

HoloWiki (holowiki.org) is the Holography Forum's holography wiki, FAQ, and database, aimed at anyone who makes holograms. It is a reference site paired with the community at holographyforum.org, and John Fisher is listed as the site administrator and chief volunteer. You can browse the forum's discussion threads as a guest, and the site states that signing up as a full forum member costs nothing.

Who runs it and who it's for

The site describes itself as a place for an "eclectic group of holography enthusiasts, experts, amateurs, and professionals." Newcomers are explicitly welcomed. So the intended audience spans complete beginners through working holographers, rather than a single skill level.

What content the wiki organizes

The main page groups its material into four core sections plus a resources list:

Section What it covers
New Stuff and Recent Additions Recently added slides, articles, and guides
Basic Information Beginner's Corner, Dichromated Gelatin basics, Experimenter's Corner, Hints and Kinks, Equipment, Homemade Equipment, Gallery
A Little History History of Holography, History of Dichromate Holography, Biographies of Holographers
Advanced Information Holography Safety, Abbreviations, Holography Glossary, Holography Technology, Hologram Recording Materials, Holography Theory
Other Resources Additional links and material

Notable items listed under recent additions

  • Presentation slides from the Tenth International Symposium on Display Holography, provided by Petr Lobaz
  • An albumen plates experiment by Filipe Alves
  • A Cold Water Processing article by Ed Wesly
  • A compilation of chemistry for holographic developers and bleaches, courtesy of Ed Wesly
  • A DCG Color Tuning guide derived from the Holography Forum archives

How to use it

Start with Basic Information → Beginner's Corner if you are new to holography, then move to Equipment and Homemade Equipment when you need to set up. Before handling chemicals or lasers, read Advanced Information → Holography Safety, which the site flags as a must-read. Use the Holography Glossary and Abbreviations pages to decode terminology in the rest of the wiki. If you want to discuss rather than just read, the forum at holographyforum.org is the companion space, and guest browsing is available before you register.

What it is not

HoloWiki is a community-maintained reference and FAQ, not a store or a course. The source material does not list pricing, paid tiers, or login requirements for reading the wiki itself; it only notes that forum membership sign-up is free. Treat it as a starting library and a pointer to the forum, and verify specific chemistry, exposure, or safety details against the individual articles and current forum discussion before relying on them.