Blogs first developed from online diaries and journals and were
first known as “web log” and then “weblog” and finally to just “blogs” (Balkhi,
2019). However, the very first blog can be traced back to the ’90s on Links.net
with the first blog post being created by Justin Hall, but back then it wasn’t
referred to as a blog, instead, his posts were called a personal homepage
(Balkhi, 2019). In the article, “Blogs and Wikis in the Business World Definition
and Solutions” by John K. Waters (2007), he had stated, “Blog is a contraction
of Web log, which is a website where users post journal-like entries that are
displayed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent posting at the
top of the page” (para. 1). Blogs can in some ways be considered online
journals but the activity of updating a blog is called blogging and those who
publish blogs are commonly known as bloggers and they usually publish regular
updates about their personal lives, opinions, views, thoughts, news reports,
and social commentary. Additionally, Blogs typically cover a particular topic
or issue and it's run by one individual or sometimes by a small group, but they
are written in an informal or conversational style. However, now more
corporations are using blogs, also known as ‘corporate blogs,’ to share product
reviews, company information, and events by employees who share their thoughts
and knowledge in order to connect with customers, suppliers, and readers. This
is effectively illustrated by the articles we read for class on blogs titled,
“Wal-Mart Tastemakers Write Unfiltered Blog” by Michael Barbaro (2008). Blogs
can also be used for collaboration among like-minded people and groups such as
academic professors who can share parts of their research papers and
information or areas they are struggling with in order to get feedback from
their colleagues, but without their notes being changed or altered. It can also
be used by college students to connect with professors and classmates when
creating group projects or asking for help with finding information or feedback
on research topics and papers.
When most people hear, see or
think about the word 'Wiki' usually the first thing that might come to their
minds are the more popular Wiki known as ‘Wikipedia,’ the online encyclopedia or
more recently ‘WikiLeaks’ which has been in the news repeatedly due to the
controversies created by Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder (LeBar, 2017).
However, the word Wiki comes from the Hawaiian word that means “Quick” and was
first used by a computer programmer named Ward Cunningham who created a new
software called WikiWikiWeb (Dennis, 2018). In the article, ‘Wiki Inventor Ward
Cunningham Dishes on the Future of His Creation’ by Fredric Paul (2016), he had
asked Cunningham what a wiki was? in which he replied, “It’s basically a way of
writing where you’re reading. On the Web before that, you would read something
in one place but if you wanted to write more, you would have to go through a
completely different mechanism. You couldn’t author through the Web before
that” (para. 9). In other words, a Wiki is a website containing text-based
content that can be edited collectively by different users at will and unlike a
blog, in which the authored posts remain unaltered, with a Wiki, documents can
be modified by anyone with access to the website (Waters, 2007, para. 2).
Some of the main differences
that set a blog and a Wiki apart are that most blogs are controlled by the
blogger who created the content and the posts can’t be changed, altered or
modified. But, because blogs are posted online and in public spaces, anyone can
view them and add their own comments to the blog. Additionally, because most
blogs are individually personal by nature and unique in style they are
considered historical content because they depicture people in a particular
time and are a snapshot of what’s occurring at that moment (Baruch New Media
Wiki contributors, n.d.). Furthermore, you can add graphics, pictures, and even
music and video clips to blogs and also link one blog to another blog or
website. Wiki’s, on the other hand, is a software that allows multiple users to
freely create, edit, modify, change, update and organize web page content in a
collaborated approach that can be accessed through different web browsers.
Wiki’s are perfect for coordination and partnership since everyone is working
together as a team and because Wiki’s are accessible to all, people can combine
their ideas, knowledge, and thoughts in one single location that anyone can see
and improve on and even create connections with other wiki users and groups.
Unlike blogs, you don’t need to ask for permission to make any changes on
a Wiki page and they don’t have one person who controls the page or
content but there are different jobs and roles that those working within the
wiki can do, such as Layout editors, Contributors, Page Editors, Graphic
Editors and Content Auditors (Baruch New Media Wiki contributors, n.d.).
However, within corporation run Wiki’s, there can be a manager who can control
the content. Both Blogs and Wiki’s are mostly free or low cost to use and easy
to work with and anyone with little or non-technical experiences can operate
them. They are great tools for anyone who wants to express their creative side
and also want to create something new to freely share with the public and the
world.
In the future, Wiki’s and Blogs
will eventually merge together to create a new kind of collaborated hybrid that
will utilize the best tools from both. However, I think that there will also be
a convergence between blogs, Wiki's and other forms of new media
technology such as social media networkers (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and
vlogs (YouTube) and video conference technology that would create a global collaboration
that is more influential, powerful and robust and it will allow people
across the world to collaborate in new and different ways. However, It would be
interesting to see what would happen if Facebook or Instagram offered a Wiki
type service to its users for collaboration among their friends, family and
colleagues and where they can change, edit and manipulate the contents on the
pages to create something distinct and even more personal.
Citation
Balkhi, S.
(Ed.). (2019, March 1). What is a Blog and How is it Different from a Website?
(Explained).
Retrieved from https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/what-is-a-blog-and-how-is-it-different-from-a-website-explained/
Baruch New
Media Wiki contributors (n.d.). New media. Retrieved from
Dennis, M.
A. (2018, August 1). Wiki. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/wiki
LeBar, Z. (2017, April 3). What Are Wikis, and Why Should You Use Them? Retrieved from
Paul, F. (2016, February 11). Ward Cunningham on the Future of the Wiki. Retrieved from
Waters, J. K. (2007, July 6). Blogs and Wikis in the Business World Definition and Solutions.
Retrieved from https://www.cio.com/article/2438542/blogs-and-wikis-in-the-business-world-definition-and-solutions.html
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