This post originated from an RSS feed registered with Agile Buzz
by James Robertson.
Original Post: Does Blog + Wiki = Bliki?
Feed Title: Richard Demers Blog
Feed URL: http://www.cincomsmalltalk.com/rssBlog/rademers-rss.xml
Feed Description: Richard Demers on Smalltalk
I've been using BottomFeeder to read the RSS feed of Martin Fowler's Bliki for the last couple of weeks. He defines his bliki as "A cross between a blog and wiki ", but frankly, it doesn't work very well as either a blog or a wiki.
First as a blog, the bliki does consist of timestamped entries, but that's where the similarity ends. Each entry is actually more like a separate webpage whose new versions are entirely republished with a new timestamp. This leads to a nicely interconnected set of persistent entries that together express his "ideas on software development" -- no complaints with that (and his ideas are worth reading!) The problem I have is with republishing an entire entry every time it is changed without indicating what has changed. That puts the burden on me, the reader, to plow through the same stuff over and over and try to remember what's different from the last time I saw the same entry. Sorry Marty, but I ain't gonna do it!
This same problem occurs in blogs that allow entries to be updated by their authors. However, it isn't much of a problem because few blog entries are ever updated. Still, it would be nice to see changed text highlighted in some way. It also occurs in wikis that allow updates, but other wikis I've used have a way for readers to ask to see what has changed.
Second as a wiki, this bliki doesn't jive with any definition I've ever seen of wikis. The essence of a wiki is the ability of readers to edit each page and even add new pages. Wikis are about collaboration between authors and readers, but Fowler's bliki is a simple one-way publication. There isn't even a way to communicate with Fowler via e-mail (actually there is, but he says he won't answer!).
Well so much for criticism. Is there any merit to the idea of a bliki as a cross between a blog and a wiki? Absolutely. Think of blog entries that readers can edit (subject to good wiki manners, of course), with each change automatically highlighted and annotated by a timestamp and the updater's id. Then republish each version as a blog-style journal entry.
A final question is how this would affect RSS aggregators like BottomFeeder. Initially, there need be no change, each version of a bliki entry would continue to generate an RSS entry. Looking further, though, it might be worth while for aggregators to recognize that some RSS entries are editable by readers and support that capability.
Sent by e-mail to Martin Fowler in case he doesn't read my blog ;-) I don't expect an answer.
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