BLOG: Blog vs. Wiki

As a person who rarely relies on blogs and wikis for information, I find this blog post to be a fresh new perspective of these two types of media. One major similarity I find between the two media is that users can edit, post, and comment without having much-credited knowledge on the topic at hand. This can usually lead to biases and the spread of false or opinion-based information that might not reflect the truth. It can blur the lines between what is true and what is not, creating a divide in the information the public receives.

But, blogs and wikis do have their differences. Wikis are a knowledge-sharing page consistently updated by a group of people. Blogs are often opinion-based pages run by one or two contributors who update the blog sporadically. Both blogs and wikis allow user collaboration in the forms of discussion forums, comment sections, etc. Another key difference is that the content of blogs are usually protected from unauthorized editing by outside people while content on wikis can be modified. 

I see blogs as a method of collaboration. Blogs can be a safe zone where authors and commentators can share their thoughts and opinions without the fear of being judged. By letting imaginations run wild, blogs can be places where solutions to problems are solved or places where ideas evolve. Police in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn, combed through a blog where residents provided small details over a course of several years and were able to piece together enough evidence to arrest five suspects on a drug raid.

I use Wikipedia if I want to view general information about a person, company, etc. I see a way to take wiki's a step further. Wiki pages written about a certain company, agency, organization, etc., can be directly linked to their website. This automatically updates information in real-time. Authors and contributors can help fill in the blanks and add content they deem are important. Wikis are large databases of information but not yet credible sources (as referenced by our college professors). Perhaps one day they will be.

 https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/nyregion/26bayridge.html
https://www.wooster.edu/offices/web/how/scotblogs/wiki-blog/


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