Blogs vs. Wikis

First, let's define what exactly is a blog. A blog is a type of website that is maintained by an individual who will frequently create entries on topics of his or her choice. Blogs can be commentaries, description of events, or even a video. They usually have a feature which allows readers to leave comments at the end of each entry. Blog comments can be used as a form of collaboration. In a sense, comments and opinions are shared. On the other hand, a wiki is a website that allows easy creation and editing of various interlinked websites through a web browser using a markup language such as HTML. Wikis usually run on wiki software which enables the user to create collaborative websites that are open to the community. Registered users have the ability to create and edit the content on wiki websites such as those on Wikipedia.com. A NY Times article names another wiki, Diplopedia, which is open to all of those who are employed in the State Department. The wiki was described as efficient, especially in saving paper, and has the ability of containing articles that can reflect a large range of the staff's interests.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/04/business/media/04link.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1267239641-IW3/vTDsoCcbSAX8kIXvbg

Old Media vs. New Media

Old media is considered to be more on the traditionally side and are the means of communication that have existed before the appearance of the new medium, the internet. How would one distinguish whether the media presented is old or new? Typically, old media is more costly to produce such as broadcasting through the television, the radio, or publications in newspapers, books, and magazines. New media on the other hand, is more digitized. Thoughts and comments are shared and recorded through the internet on various blogs, wikis, and other social communities. With the introduction of the internet, new media has been evolving on a global scale. The expansion of globalization has enabled people worldwide to express themselves on any type of new media. In addition, blogs, articles, and other various medias can be created by a professional or amateur alike and can cost little to nothing.

New Media Research Topic

Basically I will be conducting research on social networking. I will explain how new media was made possible, what it is, and who uses it. I will discuss the topic from various perspectives and provide many different point of views. I will be concentrating heavily on the technological, sociological, economical, and ethical perspectives of new media.

What is New Media?

New Media can be thought of as media in transition. Rather than having a concrete answer, new media can be more clearly defined by the various technologies that compasses it. Most of the credit can be attributed to technology such as Web 2.0, improved mediums in terms of telecommunication services, the increased use of digitization, the innovation of mobile internet, and the creation of various revolutionary websites such as youtube, facebook myspace, bittorrent, wikipedia, and etc. Of course, new media would not have been possible without the use of the internet. New Media in a sense, revolves around the internet. The internet or going online has become a social trend that is easily accessible, and is the foundation of new media. New media isn't exactly replacing the old media. Instead, it is actually forcing the old to evolve and adapt to the new. For example, newspaper companies have been forced to establish online presences in addition to concrete brick presences.1

1. Friedman, Linda Weiser and Friedman, Hershey H.,The New Media Technologies: Overview and Research Framework(April 2008).