Blog vs. Wiki

Before diving deep into the differences between blogs and wikis, it is important to be on the same page regarding how each one is defined, as different people may have different definitions for it. In my CIS 3810 course, taught by Professor Pearl Weisel, lecture notes were posted explaining the basics of blogs and wikis, which in reality is enough to understand the differences and similarities between them. I know that the audience of this particular post consists of classmates who have access to the lecture notes, so I will reference them when talking about the differences.
A blog is a platform that anyone can use to share whatever they want to share. It acts as an alternative to published work, which not everyone can do, and most importantly, gives people a voice that they would otherwise not have. For instance, people can talk about anything from sports to political opinions. Wikis are similar in the sense that anyone can create them and write about whatever they want to write about, but are different because they allow for more collaboration. The point of the wiki is that multiple people that are given access are allowed to contribute in different ways. In other words, wikis allow for more team work when compared to blogs.

These days anything and everything is about networking and convergence. This is why wikis such as Wikipedia are becoming more and more popular. They allow anyone to contribute without checking for credentials or background. On a similar note, blogs have a feature called a Blogroll, which links to another person's blog, allowing for collaboration and referencing. One great example of collaboration through blogging is the Brooklyn blog that led to the investigation and eventual arrests of the drug dealers. A simple collaboration through blogging led to a hugely successful raid. More information on this case can be found at Brooklyn Blog Helps Lead to Drug Raid.

It's interesting to mention that in the past wikis such as Wikipedia have been criticised for lacking reliability, as anyone can edit the pages. According to an article in the New York Times titled Wikipedia Will Limit Changes to Articles on People, the biggest issue they faced were with articles about people, as incorrect information about people can be unforgivable by the readers. This is why when reading, editing or creating a wiki, one must always remember the features and their consequences.

Wikis can also be used in other innovative ways, such as for cooking. One person may start a page where they want to perfect a recipe, write their recipe, which they think needs contribution, and other people may add or remove certain ingredients from the list, or change the process of the recipe to bring about the perfect way to make that particular food. Of course this will depend on taste and how each person likes the food, but that can be stated at the beginning of the wiki to avoid confusion!

For quick access to P. Weisel's lecture notes:
Wiki Notes
Blog Notes 

Thanks for reading,
Hope to see you soon!