BLOGS VS WIKIS

Before this semester started, if someone asked me "Hey Alex, whats the difference between a blog and a wiki?" I would of told them "Oh those are the same things!" But after doing the assigned readings, I have discovered Wikis and Blogs are indeed not the same thing.

Blogs are like a personal diary for everyone to see, in them you can discuss anything. From your favorite sports team to your favorite coffee flavor and everything in between.  People with similar interests may stumble apon your blog and they can comment, and have a discussion on whatever it might be that you post about.  According to Blogs in Plain English by the youtube channel Common Craft made in 2007 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI) in just four years from the year 2003, over 70 million blogs have been created. Imagine that.. in just a four year time period. It makes you think how many exist in modern day.  A blog is pretty much used for individual work, sure other people can comment on it, but they can't go in and edit your own work.  This makes ut possible for people to collaborate their own ideas on your personal thoughts that you have posted. It brings people together.

Wikis are different from blogs.  A wiki is designed for people to collaborate on. Someone can post something, and someone else could go in and completely change it which often time poses a problem. Many internet "trolls" see this as an opportunity to give out false information and to mess with people's works. In an assigned video in the lecture classed Wikipedia (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFBDn5PiL00) we see a famous character from the show The Office who is known for being funny and dumb say "Anyone in the world can write anything about any subject, so you know yo are getting the best possible information out there." Now if you know this character this is someone who you would expect to say something like this, but it is meant to be sarcastic. It shows that the information you find on Wiki's isn't always correct.  However I do think Wikis are important. In today's networked world, a wiki like this provides us to have a class without ever even meeting face to face.  It is pretty amazing, 20 years ago if you would of told someone that you have an online class they look at you like you have two heads, but nowadays it is common. It makes me wonder what might be in store for the future.  Maybe business' run through wikis, religious meetings, communities can come together and comment what needs to be done.  There is so much possibility for wiki's in the future.