Blog v Wiki
Society now has a vast amount of outlets available on the internet to share ideas, thoughts, and essentially anything else that may be of importance on a personal scope. In this list of outlets which include most social media websites are also blogs and wikis, communities that may seem similar in nature but have some differences which set them apart from each other.
Firstly, while the emergence of the World Wide Web promised new users the creation of communities of sharing and the new ability of easily shaping the world (Gill), blogs, formerly known as web logs, encourage audience participation with the availability of comment sections. While the official author of the blog may be a single contributor or a group of people sharing ideas on a certain topic, the audience has the ability to become authors in their own way, by adding their thoughts or additional information in response to posts on this medium. This back-and-forth between author(s) and audience certainly fosters a community of exchange, as well as an increasing significance in personal commentary and opinion.
Wikis, on the other hand, are built with the assumption that the audience may easily become direct contributors to the page through the acceptance of one (or more) of many roles. These roles include layout editors, page editors, graphics editors, content auditors, and simply, contributors. By just creating an account, an internet user gains the ability to create or edit a wiki which is available to all for reading. As mentioned by CIO, a number of organizations use wikis to their advantage when working on or planning projects which require a more narrow focus, which in turn leads to a more specific collection of relevant information. On the other hand, because a wiki may be edited by all contributors, the consequent elimination of the comment section allows for direct editing of incorrect content- should the issue arise- as opposed to corrections through feedback.
Media such as blogs and wikis work very well in the scope of creating a community atmosphere on the World Wide Web. Each type of collaborative media allows for the exchange of information and ideas which would simply not be possible without the presence of the internet. While blogs and wikis have basically been used for more causes than many can probably think of, it would be interesting to see a college-wide (or course-wide) wiki available to students and checked by faculty, which would allow for easier access to information when studying for exams. Many students already exchange information through study groups or sharing review sheets, so an official wiki created by students for students would most likely be incredibly successful.
Sources: Blogosphere, Build Your Own Wiki
Firstly, while the emergence of the World Wide Web promised new users the creation of communities of sharing and the new ability of easily shaping the world (Gill), blogs, formerly known as web logs, encourage audience participation with the availability of comment sections. While the official author of the blog may be a single contributor or a group of people sharing ideas on a certain topic, the audience has the ability to become authors in their own way, by adding their thoughts or additional information in response to posts on this medium. This back-and-forth between author(s) and audience certainly fosters a community of exchange, as well as an increasing significance in personal commentary and opinion.
Wikis, on the other hand, are built with the assumption that the audience may easily become direct contributors to the page through the acceptance of one (or more) of many roles. These roles include layout editors, page editors, graphics editors, content auditors, and simply, contributors. By just creating an account, an internet user gains the ability to create or edit a wiki which is available to all for reading. As mentioned by CIO, a number of organizations use wikis to their advantage when working on or planning projects which require a more narrow focus, which in turn leads to a more specific collection of relevant information. On the other hand, because a wiki may be edited by all contributors, the consequent elimination of the comment section allows for direct editing of incorrect content- should the issue arise- as opposed to corrections through feedback.
Media such as blogs and wikis work very well in the scope of creating a community atmosphere on the World Wide Web. Each type of collaborative media allows for the exchange of information and ideas which would simply not be possible without the presence of the internet. While blogs and wikis have basically been used for more causes than many can probably think of, it would be interesting to see a college-wide (or course-wide) wiki available to students and checked by faculty, which would allow for easier access to information when studying for exams. Many students already exchange information through study groups or sharing review sheets, so an official wiki created by students for students would most likely be incredibly successful.
Sources: Blogosphere, Build Your Own Wiki
Hey Emily, just like what you mentioned about Wikis, I completely agree with you on it. Wikis establishes such an ease for users to learn about topics in a short period of time. With the simple and efficient use of it, the accuracy of the information is quite questionable at times.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, if we use Wiki as a platform to study, especially during the exam week, it will help students a lot. If students are confused with particular section, they can post their questions on Wiki, then a lot of students will help you out. You also can learn a lot when you read their posts. However, because everyone can edit the page and post commands, it is difficult to know the accuracy, especially if you don't know that topic. If other students agree, then there is a higher chance that the answer is correct, but there is a risk.
ReplyDelete