Blog v Wiki

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Blogs and wikis are forms of new media that anyone can utilize. A blog is a website where a person or group of people share their views on a specific topic that intrigues them. Blog posts are usually displayed with the most recent post at the top of the page. Many bloggers use this platform as their daily journal. Fun fact is that the name blog is a short version of weblog. Some of my favorite blogs to read vary from food to fashion to what is happening in the stock market. 

A wiki on the other hand is a website where users can collaboratively modify content directly on the site. They are typically written very simplistically, for anyone to be able to read (“Wiki”). If I went on to Wikipedia right now, I would be able to change information on a particular site. Most corporations and businesses utilize wikis. “Wikis are great tools for helping people to come to consensus quickly, whether about what to put on a meeting agenda or how best to meet customers’ needs” (Morse 2). Many people, including myself, will Google what something is, and it will take us directly to a wiki page. Blogs and wikis are similar, but they have their differences. 

The main difference between the two is that blogs are run by one person or group, and wikis are edited and collaborated on by anyone who has some access to it. Blogs also tend to be more personal than wikis. Both forms of new media are informative to whoever is reading. 

Convergence in today’s networked world is incredibly important because it can have both positive and negative effects. Published in 1921, the Rorschach test is a series of 10 inkblot plates created by the Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach for his book “Psychodiagnostik.” The responses to this test have been found on Wikipedia. “Psychologists have registered with Wikipedia to argue that the site is jeopardizing one of the oldest continuously used psychological assessment tests” (Cohen 2). These psychologists suggest that these diagnostic tools should not fall into the hands those who have not been trained to administer them. In this case, the information is posted without the consent of the original users. 

Blogs can be used for collaborations if there is a group of people controlling that one page. If you create a blogroll on your own blog, it creates a small community based on topics. This can be seen as a form of collaboration. If someone wants to create a platform for collaborations, wikis are better suited for this task since many users can contribute to it. 

Wikis have been implemented in every topic and industry that you think of. A new use of wikis could be in the healthcare sector. Patients can write about their experience at a clinic or with a specific doctor. It is a great way to get reviews if you are deciding on visiting a certain place. This is also a great outlet to create an online company culture for each practice and location.  

Citations: 

“Wiki.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Sept. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki.

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales on making the most of company wikis. A Conversation with Jimmy Wales by Gardiner Morse. Harvard Business Review, April 2008. 

"A Rorschach Cheat Sheet on Wikipedia?" by Noam Cohen, The New York Times, July 28, 2009. 

Comments

  1. WilliamOctober 3, 2018 at 1:00 PM

    Hi Allysia,

    Something that really stood out to me as I was reading your post was your differing perspective on convergence. While convergence is obviously important in this new media era, we may have some preconceived bias that since it's important, it must be something positive. However, I love how you mentioned that while yes, it is important and has positive effects, it can also bring about negative results at time. And like you stated, within the realm of "psychodiagnostik" inkblots, issues like copyright and licensing rights are at the helm of the debate. It really makes you wonder: to what extent can we continue pushing the boundaries without ultimately tipping over to the case in which the negatives outweigh the positives?

    Additionally, I think your idea about using wikis in the medical sense is great! It could be a great platform for users to share their own personal narratives and really help develop their own sense of agency. Since wikis are global, it can really nourish an ethnographic study about the approach of health and well-being from various cultures and provide some insight not only to medical professionals, but also patients as well.

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