Blogs vs. Wikis

Blogs and wikis, both products of what many refer to as “Web 2.0”, provide users a means with which to generate content and collaborate freely.  As stated by Mellissa Gerry from her article Celebrity Blogs: The Impact on New Media, “Blogs are having an effect on where and how people are receiving information.  Through blogs, people are able to write about topics that interest them and comment freely on what is going on in the world around them”, this free state of information exchange is the driving force behind wikis and blogs.  People are free to share the experiences, their knowledge, and their curiosity with a community of like-minded people.   These are both perfect examples of the convergence of information, technology, and society.  

Not only are blogs and wikis changing how we share and collaborate personally, they are now changing the competitive landscape of the corporate world.  Companies are using private wikis to build internal databases of their operations to facilitate access to information throughout their organizations.   In some cases, projects along with operation manuals and employee guidelines are now being managed and distributed using wikis.  It is interesting to see how even in their guarded world, the US military is using blogs to help maintain a positive public image.  James Dao in his article Pentagon Keeps Wary Watch as Troops Blog states, “At the highest echelons of the Pentagon, civilian officials and four-star generals are newly hailing the power of social networking to make members of the American military more empathetic, entice recruits, and shape public opinion on the war.”  Blogs and wikis, along with social networking have become a central focus on how businesses compete.  Companies are using these methods to market and attempt to differentiate themselves by being able to rapidly reach an exponentially broader audience while opening a channel for omnidirectional dialogue

Wiki’s and blogs do have their differences.  A single author typically maintains a blog, whereas a wiki may have many contributors.  Business blogs have become increasingly popular.  They are a good way to share information with employees as well current and potential customers.  With many contributors, one can assume that a wiki will have a more diverse knowledge base of information.   Wikis as intended, feel like a repository of information where contributors continuously keep related information current and fresh. For this reason, a wiki may have more of an evergreen feel than a blog.  Blogs on the other hand are more of an outlet for an individual to express his or her sole opinion while sharing information and collaborating with a social community that may have the same interests.

At this time I can’t really think of a use for a wiki that isn’t already in existence.  Wikis are incredibly flexible collaboration tools that are being used as repositories for everything from medical research to parenting. 

Through the use of wikis and blogs we are now using the Internet to shape the world we live in. One line in the readings seems to sum it all up.  In opening his CNN.com article Wikipedia: No longer the Wild West, John D. Sutter states “ Today’s internet is governed by the idea that crowds of people can create the news, share information and collaborate on online projects.”   When used ethically, these are powerful outlets of communication, which can provide entertainment, educate and empower the masses, and progress social change.