Wikis on the WWW

What is a Blog?

A weblog, or blog for short, is essentially an informal online journal or informational site, usually run by one person or sometimes a small group or even a company. It is frequently updated with posts which are typically presented in reverse chronological order. It can contain anything the creator wants it to contain, ranging from personal topics, politics, advocacy, to company information, and everything in between; there is no set format or topic.

What is a Wiki?

A wiki is a collaborative website that allows anyone using it to add to, delete, and edit content. It can be seen as a blog in a way, but one that isn't limited to a single author. Wikis can be as broad as Wikipedia which has articles about almost anything imaginable, or they can be more specific, such as a wiki page about a TV series or a corporation.

Thoughts on Wikis

Wikis, for the most part, are open for anyone to edit the content. Some wiki sites allow restriction on who can or can't edit, and others may require a user to have an account to edit the wiki, but others like Wikipedia, are totally open for anyone to make changes. They do keep a history of all changes to the page, including the date and time the change was made, the size of the wiki after the change was made, as well as specific details about what was changed.

Wiki Edit Screen

Difference between revisions

In my opinion, this has its good and bad points. On the plus side, a very diverse group of people can contribute information. Take, for example, a wiki about a medical condition. If a doctor comes along with information about the medical condition that is not included, the doctor can then add the information to the wiki. The disadvantage of this is that Joe from the local bar could also come along to the same wiki and add false information. There have been cases of people deliberately changing entire wiki entries to include incorrect information, and they can stay incorrect for quite some time, if no one notices the error. One way to help ensure the information is accurate is to require sources be cited.

After Watching the Video

I really enjoyed watching the TED talk about the birth of Wikipedia, it gave me more insight into the process behind the site. It is not a free-for-all like some people make it out to be, but is instead monitored and maintained by people who care about its integrity. I'd love to do some more research and see how the site and its mechanics work now, as compared to what Jimmy Wales described in the TED talk.