Blog v Wiki

As forms of new media, both blogs and wikis offer integrated platforms of communicating and sharing ideas with the world.  Any individual can start either of these by simply signing up and creating an account.  Once that is completed, they are free to voice their opinions and stories on a blog or edit/contribute to an existing wiki with the option of even creating a new wiki page.  Both blogs and wikis create an open environment where groups and individuals can collaborate and post information while also having the ability to provide feedback.

However, they are not without their differences.  Let's begin with blogs.  As indicated in Kathy E. Gill's article "How Can We Measure the Influence of the Blogosphere?", blogs offer a more personal voice in which "bloggers write about the topics that matter to them".  As opposed to wikis that are more open to the public, blogs are solely controlled by the individuals who created them, in other words, the bloggers themselves.  The information which is published is based on the blogger's particular tastes and interests.  They have the power to post what they feel and even limit information (like comments) if they deem to.  Another distinction is that readers/followers can only comment on what is posted, not change the original post, thus limiting the collaborative effort.  But despite this limitation, they are still a way to voice information and opinions that can at times lead to  positive results, as shown in Michael Wilson's article "Brooklyn Blog Helps Lead to Drug Raid" in which a community was able to describe what they witnessed in a brooklyn house on their Brooklyn blog which eventually resulted in the notification of authorities and the arrest of drug dealers.  If used in the right way, good can come out of it, as it made the community a safer place.  Additionally, blogs allow for links to other blogs, articles, and documents that the individual may want to share.

Now let's look at wikis.  The major difference between blogs and wikis is the fact that wikis allow for more team collaboration in which everyone is able to alter and contribute to the existing content.  Any person who has created an account to a wiki has the power to change and/or add to the wiki page.  Also, it allows for more openness, greater communication and easy sharing.  For example, the benefits of wikis are now being found in more professional environments such as that of Margaret Locher's article "More on How to Build Your Own Wikipedia".  In the article, Tony Pagliarulo uses wikis at work because they "allow groups of users to create, edit, and comment on online documents - so that each team member could contribute and access up-to-date information on the project".  A major advantage in establishing wikis is the fact that it not only allows for greater collaboration and sharing, but each individual is able to contribute their ideas and manage the tasks efficiently as the wiki is viewed by others.  If someone catches a mistake or decides to add information, they can do so simply by editing and then saving and then allowing the next person to contribute if they choose.  However, this can also be seen as a negative, as people can post misleading or false information to the wiki which has lead such wikis as Wikipedia to establish its "flagged revisions" feature found in Noam Cohen's article "Wikipedia to Limit Changes to Articles on People".  Because of the freedom to edit the information, it is necessary to have an experienced individual check its validity before allowing it to be seen in the world wide web.

In this era of new media, the creation of blogs and wikis have allowed for newer and faster ways of communicating, sharing, and even managing tasks.  It is important that we have these tools that connect all of us from different cultures and different parts of the world and bring us together, building a community of varied perspectives and voices.  Whether it is a through a blog or a wiki, any of us, no matter the language we speak or the area we live, can build an online presence and share our ideas and opinions to the world.  As for wikis, I think that people could possibly use it to write a book.  With all the freedom that a wiki allows, I think that having individuals share their original ideas and collaborate on a story, could result in the next New York Times Bestseller or just simply something for all to enjoy.  Additionally, I think that wikis should be more integrated in the classroom setting (other than the New Media Class) and allow students to really contribute to the learning experience in a more interactive and hands-on way.

"Social Networking: Better or Worse than the Real Thing"

For my paper, I will be exploring the topic of "Social Networking:  Better or Worse than the Real Thing".  My view on the topic (which side I will argue) is currently pending as I need to gather my information.  However, I plan to delve deeper into the social networking that occurs online today and analyze the benefits and harms it has on society and one's personal self, particularly looking at the fact that it no longer involves knowing the individual or having to even face them.  Additionally, my goal is to focus on social media from an economic, technological, moral, and educational perspective with the possibility of integrating other perspectives.  My main resources for information will come from Google Scholar and Baruch's multiple databases as well as other reliable webs sources such as news/magazine articles.  In the end, I hope to write a paper that shows how social networking has evolved and whether it is truly better or worse than directly meeting people.