BLOG V WIKI

With the technology we have today, people are constantly sharing information; whether it is on the phone, desktop, or tablet. Two of the most common platforms for sharing and attaining information would be through Blogs and Wikis. 

Now, what are the differences between Blogs and Wikis?

Blogs are generally more personal and opinion-based. They are outlets for sharing feelings and thoughts. People may write a review on movies they have watched on their blogs, talk about their pet cat, or even write reviews on the newest electronics. One example of a blogger, would be Alex Cook from Walmart. He criticized Microsoft's Vista on his blog and yet Microsoft is one of the biggest suppliers for Walmart. However, Walmart saw it as a great way for customers to voice their opinions and buyers to obtain feedback to improve their products. (Barbaro, 2008)

On the other hand, Wikis are more strictly information based. It is a platform for people to collaborate and share updated information. They are also not posts like blogs, but pages for people to easily edit. Schools, classes, students, government organizations, and businesses can use them to help put together their projects.Wikis also allows easy access to references all in one website. For example, Tony Pagliarulo, VP of application development with information technology vendor EMC needed a place to organize all schedules, codes, and details of a knowledge management system project with his team.  He was able to successfully use a Wiki to manage and organize all their information. The Wiki allowed him to make quicker decisions and get through projects faster and he's been using it ever since.(Locher, 2008) Wikis can also be applied to classroom settings, for students to work together on projects or even creating study groups. This way everyone can research a certain chapter or topic to put together a master study sheet for a midterm or final.

Barbaro, Michael. “Wal-Mart Tastemakers Write Unfiltered Blog.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 03 Mar. 2008. Web. 03 Mar. 2015.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/03/business/03walmart.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1425402039-itdjk2lYYn2j11se5Sz43A

Locher, Margaret. "More on How to Build Your Own Wikipedia" CIO. 17th April 2008. Web. Accessed 2nd March 2015.
http://www.cio.com/article/2436789/time-management-productivity/more-on-how-to-build-your-own-wikipedia.html