BLOG: Blog v Wiki
Technology has been advancing the past decades and it is still advancing as I am currently typing up this blog post. Wikis and blogs are both useful platforms where we can gather useful information quickly and efficiently. All it takes is a few seconds and a few clicks on your mouse or phone to obtain these information. Back in the old days, when there wasn't access to internet, people would have to physically travel to the library to research on whatever they are researching. However, in current days, all you would need to do is wiki it online. This is effective because you are obtaining valuable information and it is efficient because it takes less than one second with the help of "CTRL + F" once you are in the wiki page of your needs. You cannot easily use "CTRL + F" to find what you are looking for in a physical encyclopedia.
Wiki and blogs are similar in many ways. They both contain an endless amount of useful information for everyone with different needs. However, they are also slightly different in their own ways. Blogs can be used to post articles, images, videos and much more. It is usually created by one person who is the admin of their blog page. For example, this blog is currently created and maintained by only me. Everyone can have their own style and theme for their own blogs. No one can edit your blog besides you, however, they can comment on your blog. The convergence of blogs and wikis are useful to society in many aspects. An example of this is the collaboration of a blogger and the NYPD, which led to the arrest of drug dealers and a safer community. According to an article by the New York Times, "Brooklyn Blog Helps Lead to Drug Raid", the information gathered from a blog led to a successful drug raid and the arrest of the suspects. With the help of a blogger, the neighborhood in Brooklyn became a safer place for everyone.
On the other hand, wikis can be edited by almost anyone. Wiki usually allows everyone to access the page and to add content whenever they please. Wikis also allow people to collaborate with each other to post useful information which is the opposite of a blog. However, despite wiki being very useful, many claim that the information it provides is not always trustworthy. According to an article by the New York Times, "Wikipedia to Limit Changes to Articles on People", they plan on implementing a new system called flagged revisions where there are more strict requirements to edits becoming live on wiki. This is because, with the large amount of users for wiki, they must ensure that all information on the website are valid and dependable. Throughout my high school education, I've had countless teachers telling students that we are not allowed to use wiki as a resource for research because it was unreliable in their perspective. I think this new implementation is something beneficial to everyone because that way we can ensure the information we gather are legitimate.
Wiki and blogs are similar in many ways. They both contain an endless amount of useful information for everyone with different needs. However, they are also slightly different in their own ways. Blogs can be used to post articles, images, videos and much more. It is usually created by one person who is the admin of their blog page. For example, this blog is currently created and maintained by only me. Everyone can have their own style and theme for their own blogs. No one can edit your blog besides you, however, they can comment on your blog. The convergence of blogs and wikis are useful to society in many aspects. An example of this is the collaboration of a blogger and the NYPD, which led to the arrest of drug dealers and a safer community. According to an article by the New York Times, "Brooklyn Blog Helps Lead to Drug Raid", the information gathered from a blog led to a successful drug raid and the arrest of the suspects. With the help of a blogger, the neighborhood in Brooklyn became a safer place for everyone.
On the other hand, wikis can be edited by almost anyone. Wiki usually allows everyone to access the page and to add content whenever they please. Wikis also allow people to collaborate with each other to post useful information which is the opposite of a blog. However, despite wiki being very useful, many claim that the information it provides is not always trustworthy. According to an article by the New York Times, "Wikipedia to Limit Changes to Articles on People", they plan on implementing a new system called flagged revisions where there are more strict requirements to edits becoming live on wiki. This is because, with the large amount of users for wiki, they must ensure that all information on the website are valid and dependable. Throughout my high school education, I've had countless teachers telling students that we are not allowed to use wiki as a resource for research because it was unreliable in their perspective. I think this new implementation is something beneficial to everyone because that way we can ensure the information we gather are legitimate.
Citations
Cohen, Noam. “Wikipedia to Limit Changes to Articles on People.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Aug. 2009, www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/technology/internet/25wikipedia.html?_r=1.
Wilson, Michael. “Brooklyn Blog Helps Lead to Drug Raid.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 June 2008, www.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/nyregion/26bayridge.html.
Hi Fullwin,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great explanation on the difference between blogs and wikis. Most people will believe they are essentially the same thing in the sense it is user generated content. But you broke it down on both sides of blogs and wikis with the differences. Breaking down blogs with the example of your website is a great way to really put in perspective what blogs are. And then the ability of anyone to edit which makes it less credible according to many teachers. This is a great informative post Fullwin!