Comments on: Which should I use, a blog or a wiki? http://www.nirak.net/2007/05/29/which-should-i-use-a-blog-or-a-wiki/ Karin Dalziel Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:32:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Scott http://www.nirak.net/2007/05/29/which-should-i-use-a-blog-or-a-wiki/#comment-56 Scott Sat, 02 Jun 2007 23:41:11 +0000 http://www.nirak.net/2007/05/29/which-should-i-use-a-blog-or-a-wiki/#comment-56 I get this question a lot as well. The best way I can think of to explain it is to say something along the lines that a wiki is for "book-like" content and a blog is for "newspaper-like" content. That seems to get the big idea through so more of the details could be talked about in a proper context. The analogies may not be the most accurate, but I find it sets the table in a good way. I get this question a lot as well. The best way I can think of to explain it is to say something along the lines that a wiki is for “book-like” content and a blog is for “newspaper-like” content. That seems to get the big idea through so more of the details could be talked about in a proper context. The analogies may not be the most accurate, but I find it sets the table in a good way.

]]> By: Michael http://www.nirak.net/2007/05/29/which-should-i-use-a-blog-or-a-wiki/#comment-54 Michael Wed, 30 May 2007 19:00:50 +0000 http://www.nirak.net/2007/05/29/which-should-i-use-a-blog-or-a-wiki/#comment-54 Oh, man - this is the kind of thing I love to think about. To some extent, the question seems similar to, "I want to build a thing, which should I use: A hammer or a screwdriver?" I think you hit it on the head: A wiki provides organizational latitude that a blog doesn't, which is clear when it is considered that some blogs are implemented on top of wiki infrastructure. Blogs are typically linear, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stack_%28data_structure%29" rel="nofollow">stack-like</a>, and linked to external resources, while wikis are more densely linked internally, and more <a>graph-like</a> in structure. In a blog, the information presented is organized chronologically, though the imposition of categories and search provide alternate, possibly dynamic organizations. The organization of information in a wiki is much more dependent on the semantic content information presented. On the other hand, wiki pages mutate over time, while blog entries tend to be relatively static. A blog can be collaborative, with many authors (e.g. Boing Boing), comments, etc. A wiki can be restricted to having a single editor. I would use a blog for reporting events, making announcements, a diary. I would use a wiki for documentation, "information with an emergent structure" (that is, a bunch of related stuff I'm not sure how to organize), an encyclopedia, a quick-and-dirty content managment system (like the <a href="http://www.hartleyneighborhood.org/" rel="nofollow">Hartley Neighborhood Association site</a>). Oh, man - this is the kind of thing I love to think about. To some extent, the question seems similar to, “I want to build a thing, which should I use: A hammer or a screwdriver?”

I think you hit it on the head: A wiki provides organizational latitude that a blog doesn’t, which is clear when it is considered that some blogs are implemented on top of wiki infrastructure.

Blogs are typically linear, stack-like,
and linked to external resources, while wikis are more densely linked internally, and more graph-like in structure.

In a blog, the information presented is organized chronologically, though the imposition of categories and search provide alternate, possibly dynamic organizations. The organization of information in a wiki is much more dependent on the semantic content information presented. On the other hand, wiki pages mutate over time, while blog entries tend to be relatively static.

A blog can be collaborative, with many authors (e.g. Boing Boing), comments, etc. A wiki can be restricted to having a single editor.

I would use a blog for reporting events, making announcements, a diary.

I would use a wiki for documentation, “information with an emergent structure” (that is, a bunch of related stuff I’m not sure how to organize), an encyclopedia, a quick-and-dirty content managment system (like the Hartley Neighborhood Association site).

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