Lately, I have been noticing a proliferation of Web sites that authors would have you believe are not actually Web sites. Oh, yes, they know that their pages are Web pages and they know that they are hosted on Web servers and viewed by Web browsers, but if you call their page a Web page, they'll be quick to correct you and explain that their site is not a Web page, but actually a Wiki or a Blog.
What Are They?
- Wiki
According to Wikipedia a Wiki is "a website that allows users to add content, as on an Internet forum, but also allows anyone to edit the content." In other words, instead of being a page built only by one person or by a team, it's open to the public. Anyone can edit any page of a Wiki - usually all they have to do is sign in. - Weblog or Blog
According to The Weblogs Guide at About a blog is "a chronologically organized website updated by an individual (or a group of individuals) with entries/posts." In other words, instead of being a page built with generic text entries, the entries are chronologically posted. According to Wikipedia, a weblog is "a web application which contains periodic posts on a common webpage. These posts are often but not necessarily in reverse chronological order." Which loosens up the rules a bit, allowing blogs to be any type of Web site where there are periodic posts on the page.
The thing these definitions have in common is that they both define wikis and blogs as Web sites or Web pages. So why do the definitions matter? To some people they do. I have received emails correcting my usage when I linked to a Wiki and called it a Web site or to a blog and called it a wiki, and so on. I can understand not wanting to be called a wiki by mistake (as that might give the impression that anyone can edit the site, when they can't), but beyond that, they're all Web sites.
Do Your Readers Care?
The average internet reader doesn't know that he or she is reading a blog, a wiki, or something else entirely. Why do you care so much about what your site is called? If you're providing the information that your readers want (or, in the case of a wiki, your readers are providing it), then whether you do it in a fancy blog program, using a self-designed Web layout, or with the help of a wiki, it's all good.
I'm not against using the words when it makes sense to use them, but if I'm told to find the top 10 wikis on a topic for my boss, I would fight back. Why does it have to be wikis? Blogs are just as useful, and Web pages often have a lot of great information. Don't get hung up on the details of your page, keep the content flowing instead.
