Wiki What!?!

In the past several days, I've had a few people ask me, "What's a wiki?" or "What is the difference between a wiki and a blog?" and my common response has been Google it or check on Wikipedia. This is severe slacking on my part as a "techy" because there is a reason that people are asking me this: they know I know and they want a human answer for a very human question.

So for anyone out there who happens to be reading blogs and running across more and more wikis in their everyday searches and online escapades, here is a quick definition with my twist.

A blog: You are reading my blog write now. This is a place that an individual, such as myself, can review products, report news, express thoughts, show emotion, literate displeasure, publish ideas and overall add their own personal opinion and twist to the ever growing world of the Internet and the World Wide Web. A blog has a standard site that is used by a large number of bloggers and is not necessarily 100% reputable or factual. Think of blogs as the editorial page within the Internet's newspaper. Fortunately, bloggers are gaining more and more of reputation as reputable and the information they provide is becoming a vital source of success or failure within many of the major industries such as business, film, and technology.

A wiki: Similar to a blog in ever regard except it is usually received as an open document that can be edited by any user with an account through the wiki provider with no one person being received as the sole author. Wikis are usually regarded as complete (or as close to complete as possible) entries into the data and facts of the Web. Wikis tend to have an encyclopedia feel that in all regards works very well. Wikipedia is a prime example of this. This particular wiki is the source of a lot of written material provided by high school and college students, journalists and published writers alike!

Both blogs and wikis work incredibly well in every regard that they were intended to be used for. Keep in mind that wikis are meant to be factual and were created in order to assist users in receiving the correct information. They are not blogs are not meant to be manipulated to express the opinions of bitter users or the like. Keep opinions in the blogs and express the truth in wikis!

There you have it, a blogger's opinion on the difference between blogs and wikis. Let me know your thoughts and correct me if I'm wrong.

Have a great day!