Blogs vs. Wikis

*Compare and contrast blogs and wikis.
Blogs:
On the article of Celebrity Blogs by Melissa Gerry, the author talks about how blogs are a great opportunity for entertainment and gossip since it can “create a faster buzz”. Information on blogs and in the internet as a whole, are available 24/7 by anyone in the world which means that there will always be readers.
Blogs are:
-posts made on a website
-monitored by an individual or a group
-one can post news, ideas, current events etc… (has focus on various topics)
-videos and pictures are also posted
-it can be a personal diary
-readers can leave comments

Wikis:
From Wikipedia on Wikis, we get that wikis mean “What I Know Is” which is the meaning of a wiki, if I know something that other people don’t know I can share that information and other readers can benefit from it.
Wikis are:
-a website that grows with information
-anyone can contribute information
-its very broad (there are specific wikis as well)
-there is no limit in the amount of information posted
-users can correct biased information

Blogs and Wikis:
-both are New Media mediums
-very popular
-anyone can create a blog or a wiki
-it is FREE

*Comment on the importance of convergence in today's networked world.
Convergence in todays world is inevitable because new medium can have different functions but they are connected to the same network “the internet” which makes them dependent in the internet. Having new media connected with one another give its users the ability to be more efficient in their work. For example, companies are using blogs, wikis, twitter and facebook to advertise new products, promotions and so on.

*How can blogs be used for collaboration?
Blogs are currently used for collaboration in which the creators of the blogs can have links to other bloggers that share similar ideas. Users can also leave comments with their opinions and can also share additional information providing links to websites that relate with the blog entries. The blog that the community in Brooklyn have to find out a bout news and events happening in the neighborhood is a great example of the use of collaboration in blogs.

*Can you think of a new use for a wiki that has not been done yet?
I think that wikis will evolve and people will slowly start creating new media. Wikis can be implemented into new technologies. I don’t know what new technologies are going to be created but I think that it will be nice to have a wiki option in our tvs or cable boxes, for example if i want information on a show, episode, news etc… I can just select it from the tv and find out more about the actors, directors or other interesting facts.