Blog v Wiki

Over the past few decades, the growth of media with blogs and wikis have greatly shaped how we go about our day-to-day lives. The internet has changed the way we communicate, interact, work, consume goods and services, and spend leisure time. To succeed in the various aspects of our lives, the importance of convergence can't be ignored. While blogs and wikis can be very beneficial in today's networked world, understanding which one to use requires some consideration. The key difference between them is that blogs mainly focus on communication, whereas wikis are based on collaboration and community, in addition to communication. 

In the workplace, for example, uniting the networks of different departments can make it easier to work on tasks and generate good ideas, as it creates cohesiveness among the various teams. A CIO article points out that with diverse organizations, such as businesses, schools, and government agencies, wikis improve information-sharing, also known as Web 2.0, by making it easier to gather and disperse the knowledge, as well as helping employees improve their processes(Locher, 2008). Wikis are very powerful, but simple to use tools. They have been able to provide so much use for people and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.

Similarly, blogs are a way to add and spread content online. But, they have additionally given a voice to the "everyday" person, as a means to share their thoughts. While blogs allow for limited collaboration, it is amazing how people will find a way to come together to accomplish a common goal. In the instance of the Bay Ridge Talk blog, one person posted about suspicious activity going on in their neighborhood, encouraging others to comment on the situation and add helpful information. A New York Times article explained how "peering turned to blogging, and blogging turned to action", as an investigation began and lead to arrests(Wilson, 2008). This shows how blogs can be just as powerful as wikis, just used in different contexts.