Wikis and blogs are both great mediums to help deliver a message, whether it be a personal opinion, community list, or general information. However either means each have their own strengths and weaknesses which need consideration before using to push a specific message. Blogs messages can become stagnant over time so there is a need for constant updating while wikis information can become diluted over time with constant revisions from multiple authors.
Blogs are extremely easy to use. It has allowed for nontechnical writers to reach their audiences in a new way. Journalists have benefited the most out of blogging. In the article "How can we measure the influence of the blogosphere?", Kathy E. Gill writes:
"Participatory journalism is a concept that embraces an expanded two-way communication between established media and readers, allowing readers to interact with journalists and news organizations. Today’s practice of blogging embodies these concepts of journalism."Blogs allow the audience to comment on the message without altering it. A journalist or an author can also limit who sees the information they post. They also have the ability of limiting who can comment on their message.
However, wikis can have multiple authors. Wikis can be used as a centralized location for information that a work group can all provide the input. The article "How To Use Wikis For Business" by Ezra Goodnoe defines wikis for use in business environments:
"Wikis are designed to facilitate the exchange of information within and between teams. Content in a wiki can be updated without any real lag, without any real administrative effort, and without the need for distribution — users/contributors (with wikis, they're one and the same) simply visit and update a common Web site."The question is what is it you are looking to accomplish in your message? If you are looking to arrange some sort of group assignment task list, it would be wise to utilize wikis mulitple authors ability to edit the list in a centralized location. If you are writing something persuasive and looking to gauge the opinions of an audience without corrupting your message than create a blog.
Sources:
http://www.informationweek.com/how-to-use-wikis-for-business/167600331?pgno=1
http://faculty.washington.edu/kegill/pub/www2004_blogosphere_gill.pdf
