Blogs and wikis have become a platform on the web for people to collectively share their thoughts and knowledge on certain topics. While they seem similar, they can hold many differences regarding the purpose and use.
According to Kathy E. Gill, a blog is short for "web log" and "is a place where people have the right to express an opinion and obtain access to information upon which to base that opinion." A blog usually contains one author who regularly communicates their views on certain things or uses it as a diary to discuss their daily lives. Some of the key characteristics of blogs as listed by Gill are, reverse chronological journaling, regular, date-stamped entries, links to related news articles, documents, archived entries and passion or voice. Blogging has become popular for topics relating to politics and worldwide news in general. "Blogging can empower a group of writers to challenge a story line presented by mainstream media," says Gill. It is a place where people can voice their opinions, share their thoughts on issues and allow other bloggers or viewers to have access. Blogs have been able to bring a group of people who share those same thoughts to come together and form a discussion about what they believe to be important. They have become increasingly popular in the workforce today, allowing employees of companies to share their knowledge and thoughts on varying fields. Even people who may not have the same expertise as others, can have easy access to the company blog and stay updated with internal news, events and achievements. This could help employees have a greater understanding of their company and create an overall positive outlook. They will have the opportunity to not only relate to some of their coworkers, learn and grow from experiences or news that are shared on the collaborative blog.
In comparison to blogs, wikis have also become a place where people can collaborate their thoughts in one place. Unlike blogs, anyone can edit posts that are on wikis, allowing them to collectively put similar information into a single post. They are not limited to just the day it is posted, but grows as days go by and new people add additional facts. According to the article by Information Week, they say that "unlike many traditional content management systems, it remains simple enough for non-technical employees to use." This has become critical in the workforce because it makes working in teams easier for employees and allows them easier access to what their fellow coworkers have been contributing. The beauty of wikis is that they can always be edited even if incorrect information was put on, others could go in and alter what they wrote. Companies has been increasingly adopting wikis because of the convenience it holds which allows them to share important documents such as spreadsheets, powerpoint slides, or PDFs. However, Information Week mentions that when it comes to these important documents, the main person with access can make it so that it can't be edited, simply viewed by employees.
As we start to transform more and more into the technological world, blogs and wikis have made working with teams and sharing information a whole lot simpler. It is a place where people do not have to worry about having the latest knowledge when it comes to technology and exchanging thoughts on similar interests/views. I'm not sure if many teachers and professors know of the benefits of wikis and blogs, but I think that if it were implemented into the way they teach, it could be an engaging way for students to collectively come together and learn from each other.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxiYXJ1Y2huZXdtZWRpYXxneDozZTliYzM1NjU0ZWQ1NjVi
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxiYXJ1Y2huZXdtZWRpYXxneDoxZGQ4MDY2YmJiMmY1ZDY4
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