Blogs vs. Wikis

Sorry this got so backed up, I just got power back. These past weeks have been really hectic, and I'm slowly but surely catching up. Anyway....

While both Blogs and Wikis are both social outlets that can provide information and communication, the driving principle behind them are completely different. Wikis mostly serve to inform, and try to give a broad overview of any given topic. While some common or popular opinions might be referenced or cited, Wikis generally retain a neutral tone. Wikipedia's own page on Wikis cites Ward Cunningham, and defines wikis as "the simplest online database that could possibly work." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki) In this respect, Wikis are very different from blogs, which are designed to be more personal. Nick Agarwal, a Wal-Mart employee responsible for Wal-Mart's blog, seems to agree with the personal aspect of blogs, saying “We are real people, and that gets lost in the to and fro of business... It puts real personality out there in a real conversation.” (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/03/business/03walmart.html)

Despite these differences, they still both prove themselves as vital social collaboration tools. Wikis provide general information, and can quickly and concisely convey information to whoever may be interested. For this reason, there are Wikis dedicated to just about any topic. Blogs provide a first hand account and opinions, and a major benefit of a blog, as proved by this class, is the ability to quickly respond to these opinions.