Blog v Wiki
In today’s world, convergence
technologies and strategies are really important in staying connected to what
is happening around yourself. Blogs is a platform that plays a significant role
in convergence and individuals who look to collaborate with others. In my
opinion, blogs serve multiple purposes and is not confined to one. For example,
public figures that want to spread their branding or promote other brands that
they believe in, can use blogs as a way of marketing. (Wainwright) There are
certain metrics like web traffic that can help an individual gain a bird’s eye
view of their influence and find ways of improving on that. But on the other
hand, there are individuals who have blogs, simply to share their opinions on
current topics, or even just share what currently happening in their personal
lives. For the latter individual, blogging is similar to the functions of a
social media platform like Facebook.
Aside from
blogs, there are wikis, which serve a similar purpose in terms of convergence
and staying connected. Wikis are different in that multiple users have the
ability to edit and build upon the work that is always there. Unlike blogs,
where readers are unable to edit content, wikis host a more collaborative
environment. (Wunningham) A more innovative way of using Wiki would be to implement
the system into medical fields. When medical students are aiming to receive their
doctorate, they are required to submit dissertations and research papers. If
medical students are using Wiki, it allows future medical students to update
the research so that there is an accurate representation of the current
research. Not only does this keep past research current, it may also spark an
interest in current students within the medical field.
Sources:
Hi Ava,
ReplyDeleteIt was great reading your post on blogs compared to wikis.
I specially liked your point about blogs serving multiple purposes. As a fan of multiple sports, I've seen journalists utilize blogs early on in their careers to display their expertise and acumen in their area of expertise to gain traction and build a portfolio of articles to land jobs at prominent publications.
On the other hand, I started a blog about cricket earlier this year where I reviewed games and posted opinionated blogs with the sole purpose of putting my thoughts in to words. Neither am I pursuing a career in journalism like the person I mentioned above, nor do I expect to be contacted by a publisher requesting me to write for them.