Blog v Wiki
Both blogs and wikis are forms of new media that are changing the way we communicate and collaborate. Although they are similar in the way that they are changing the media space, they are different in their own respect.
Blogs are considered more personal because there is limited collaboration involved. The collaboration comes with the ability to comment on posts but not to edit it. Blogs are the alternative to publishing, as it allows the blogger to post their thoughts and opinions on the web for others to view. One great feature about blogs is that they are in reverse chronological order, so it allows readers to view the blogger's newest content first. Blogs are very convenient for those who regularly want to share their thoughts with the online world. For example, there are people who blog about basketball to share their opinions about who the best players are and which teams are poised to win big. The importance of blogs are evident by Yahoo's acquisition of Tumblr about 4 years ago. At the time, Tumblr accounted for 50 billion blog posts and 300 million active users (Yahoo Acquires Tumblr, Promises 'Not to Screw it Up')
A wiki is a website that allows groups to collaborate to create and modify content. Wikis are helpful for groups to easily bring their ideas together in one place. They are really popular in the workplace, as wikis allow entire teams or departments to create a "knowledge-base" or a complete work that includes everyone's ideas. It can be really useful for groups that want a central location for documents, team notes, or brainstorming sessions. In the InformationWeek article How to Use Wikis for Business, it sites a Gilbane survey that states mostly small businesses were using the wiki technology. This article was written 12 years ago and in my experience, Wikis have made their way to large corporations (at least the ones I've worked for), possibly after the success that small businesses have had with it.
There are situations where it is more appropriate to use a blog or a wiki. But there is no debate that both outlets are making great impacts in media today.
Blogs are considered more personal because there is limited collaboration involved. The collaboration comes with the ability to comment on posts but not to edit it. Blogs are the alternative to publishing, as it allows the blogger to post their thoughts and opinions on the web for others to view. One great feature about blogs is that they are in reverse chronological order, so it allows readers to view the blogger's newest content first. Blogs are very convenient for those who regularly want to share their thoughts with the online world. For example, there are people who blog about basketball to share their opinions about who the best players are and which teams are poised to win big. The importance of blogs are evident by Yahoo's acquisition of Tumblr about 4 years ago. At the time, Tumblr accounted for 50 billion blog posts and 300 million active users (Yahoo Acquires Tumblr, Promises 'Not to Screw it Up')
A wiki is a website that allows groups to collaborate to create and modify content. Wikis are helpful for groups to easily bring their ideas together in one place. They are really popular in the workplace, as wikis allow entire teams or departments to create a "knowledge-base" or a complete work that includes everyone's ideas. It can be really useful for groups that want a central location for documents, team notes, or brainstorming sessions. In the InformationWeek article How to Use Wikis for Business, it sites a Gilbane survey that states mostly small businesses were using the wiki technology. This article was written 12 years ago and in my experience, Wikis have made their way to large corporations (at least the ones I've worked for), possibly after the success that small businesses have had with it.
There are situations where it is more appropriate to use a blog or a wiki. But there is no debate that both outlets are making great impacts in media today.
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