Blogs Vs. Wikis

Wiki.Org defines wiki as "the simplest online database that could work" (InformationWeek). Usually, when we see a "wiki", the first thing that comes to most of our minds is Wikipedia.com, where many of us go to when we have little to no knowledge of a topic or may be just finding ourselves wanting to know more about a topic. Wikipedia.com can also be seen as an online encyclopedia that is written by anyone and maintained by anyone. Although this may pose a risk as to if information is correct or not, Wikipedia has successfully cut the cost of publishing and sharing information (InformationWeek). Some of us however, have never considered owning or running a Wikipedia page. We may think that it may be too much work, too tedious, or just not worth investing into. However, when working in a team, running a Wikipedia page for informational and or business purposes may not be so bad after all. Cio.com writes that to maintain a Wikipedia page, delegate an individual to run and manage the page. To create the outline of the Wikipedia page, run an outline with a team. What goes on the Wikipedia may grow and may be used for future business purposes. Creatively, Wiki's could be used as an online forum like Reddit, where there can be real-time discussion while also having the ability to cite your sources and or reason with other people with the availability of other Wikipedia pages.

Blogs on the other hand, can be seen as allowing anyone to become a reporter and publisher of News and their opinions for free (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI). Because it allowed people to do this online, it also allowed to Blogger, the person who writes the Blog, to choose what they want to talk about and what audience they want to target. Blogs foster communities by allowing readers to comment on postings, which allow the reader to not only become an author themselves, but also allowing them to interact with the blogger (Kathy E. Gill). In addition, because blogs may foster a community of any size, it can empower people to move from the observer status that they have been to someone who actually asks questions and talks about what is happening. This causes the reporters who ask questions to be questioned. (Kathy E. Gill). Blogs can also be used for collaborations of different sorts; whether it may be used to promote an event between two people or entities or just a group of people working together on one blog. Usually when Blogs are collaborating with someone or something else, the goal is to promote themselves and or promote the other person or being.

Sources"How to Use Wikis for Business," by Ezra Goodnoe, Information Week, August 8, 2005, http://www.informationweek.com/news/management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=167600331

Wiki While You Work; The technology popularized by Wikipedia can help companies gather and manage their own collective knowledge. Here's how to get started by Margaret Locher. CIO, May 1, 2008. Vol. 21, Iss. 14. Available at: http://www.cio.com/article/336818/More_on_How_to_Build_Your_Own_Wikipedia

How Can We Measure the Influence of the Blogosphere? by Kathy E. Gill. Workshop on the Weblogging Ecosystem, May 2004. available from:http://faculty.washington.edu/kegill/pub/www2004_blogosphere_gill.pdf

The Social and Political Influences on Social Media

For my term paper, I decided to write on the Social and Political Influences on Social Media. Currently, Social Media has not been something that is optional in many people's lives. Rather, it has been ingrained as part of one's everyday routine and lifestyle. In the Social aspect of social media, people can reach out to one another, keep updated with one another, and overall just be more informed about what is going on throughout their neighborhood and even their city. In the Political aspect of social media, it allows the individual to keep up with current politics, current news that are important and may affect our lives, and how we as a society are functioning alongside with other. However, both of these influences have downsides. Socially, individuals become so attached to social media that their lives rotate around social media platforms and impressing others through it. Politically, it can politically sway an individual's political opinion and what is being shown to push political agendas. Through this term paper, I would like to explore the positives and negatives of these influences and how they affect not only social media, but our lives as well.