BLOG POST: BLOGS vs. WIKIS

Blogs and wikis are similar in that they both are examples of new media. Both of these forms of media exhibit obvious signs of communication that more than just one way. Both blogs and wikis have spurned the formation of hundreds of communities, as people like to write about their passions. As people write about their passions, other people with the same passions like to comment and respond back, or even criticize and change what might be factually wrong. Blogs and wikis also spurn creativity. As more people comment and submit their input, more ideas are exchanged and even greater perspectives are seen. By having more points of view, people can take the best of all worlds and make incredible innovations.

The difference between blogs and wikis is that a blog is usually a diary or a journal of some sort. It is one person writing about his/her life or thoughts, which are posted in reverse chronological order with the most recent posts first. In a blog, whenever the person makes a post, other people have the ability to comment on that post, and respond back, either positively, negatively, or neutrally. Blogs are mainly a creative tool, as the blog writer posts his points of view, and other people comment back, offering their insights. One of the main appeals of a blog is that most popular ones are often “[written] in their own voice, free from censorship or corporate review” (Barbaro, 2008).
Wikis on the other hand, are more of a collaborative tool. People work together to try to give the most comprehensive and factual information on a subject. Wiki users can change information other posts, as they are all working on one article. Because some wikis are sometimes “open-source projects to the extreme,” people must check the article regularly to make sure it remains factual (Goodnoe, 2005).

Convergence is important in today’s networked world because corporations as well as people cannot stick to just old media. Nowadays, many people rely on the internet to get up-to-date information. Outdated can mean five minutes ago. Companies that focus on reporting the news cannot rely on simply distributing newspapers anymore; they must expand to other mediums of communication. Writers must set up blogs in order to get people to read their material, because people are no longer reading newspapers. The people of today thrive on interaction, which is why it is important to “establish two-way communication between established media and readers” (Gill, 2004).

Blogs can be used for collaboration because when one person makes a post, others reply and comment on that post, whether agreeing, disagreeing, or adding information and knowledge in some way. The original poster could then reply back, offering his other insights on the subject. By constantly replying to each other with new points of view, ideas are exchanged, resulting in collaboration.

I do not know if it has been created yet, but wikis can be used for academic purposes, in which students collaborate on solving homework problems. For example, if the professor gives students a set of problems to study for the final, a wiki page can be created where the students collaborate on an explanatory solution to the problem set at hand.

Goodnoe, Ezra. "How To Use Wikis For Business -- Wikis -- InformationWeek." InformationWeek | Business Technology News, Reviews and Blogs. 10 June 2009 .

Gill, Kathy E. "How Can We Measure the Influence of the Blogosphere?" May 2004. June 2009.

Barbaro, Michael. "Wal-Mart Tastemakers Write Unfiltered Blog." New York Times 3 Mar. 2008.