Blog V. Wiki

Both blogs and wikis provide us with relatively new vehicles for real-time sharing of information.  While the goal of this blog is not to discuss the evolution of information sharing technologies, it's important to recognize that these ideas are still novel and have yet to be fully explored.  As far as that goes, there are a few distinctions between the two that need to be recognized.  The first, is that a blog is best for displaying information with an emphasis on chronology.  This makes it best suited for showing progressions of both thought and perhaps individual projects.  On the other hand, a wiki does not maintain this chronological focus and instead allows for (in my opinion) a more powerful attribute: collaboration.
We often give the "internet" credit for group accomplishments - as though the internet was a contributor.  We should, conversely, credit collaboration for many of these feats.  More specifically, because the internet has effectively removed logistical barriers, it has allowed us to work together in ways never before possible. It is this "teamwork" that is responsible for these new forms of thought.
I think both of these technologies are still in their infancy.  After all, collaboration as an idea is nothing new, wikis and blogs simply allow us to accomplish it more easily.  That being said, the progression will be perpetual and so will the evolution of the technologies that support it.
I think the Wiki's should be expanded to better facilitate real time group projects.  For example, it could become a real time portal for constant collaboration in dealing with specific issues. Instead of being a page that shares information, it can transform into a live, working, problem solving vehicle.  By doing this we can effectively have the entire world working on the same problem, at the same time.

Project Proposal: Groupon

• A: RESEARCH. Pick a new media technology to research (see below, also many of them are linked to from our Blackboard course site). Discuss from multiple perspectives, e.g.:, economic perspective; sociological perspective; technological perspective; moral, anthropological, educational, etc. You do not have to use all these perspectives, but you must use SEVERAL.

For my project (research), I've decided to select Groupon.  I think that the company, which is now publicly traded, can be viewed from a number of different perspectives. Given their recent success and novel business model, the analysis of such a company will probably make for a good debate.  The economic, social, technological, and other perspectives lenses are ideal for a start-up of this type.