A Christian apologist says...
| Wikiweb pages are blogs because they "are statements of your particular views on different matters." |
So perhaps I should explain...
The difference between Wiki pages and a blog
The essential difference is that a wiki page provides content that can be changed (Wikipedia is perhaps the ultimate example) whereas a blog consists of discrete posts, rather like entries in a journal, but listed in reverse chronological order with the most recent at the top. Blog entries can't be changed as they represent an opinion in time - a snapshot. Comments can be aded to a blog entry, but the blog entry itself shouldn't change. Wiki articles have no chronological sequence and will often cross-refer to each other.
It's also useful to consider what a discussion board is at this point, namely a site where people can hold virtual conversations by posting a message that responds to a previous message. This is similar to the comments that are added to a blog, but different because only the blogger can start a new "topic" on a blog. Anyone can start a new topic on a discussion board.
Long running discussion boards can end up covering the same ground repeatedly over time, and posts can become repetitive as the same arguments are made on a regular basis. Time and effort can be saved by preserving previous arguments (or entire discussions) on wiki pages, which can then be cross-referenced in the discussion as opposed to posting the same lengthy text over and over again. This prevents "reinventing the wheel" but can also help to avoid two fallacious arguments... the Argument from Gibberish, and Argumentum Verbosium. Obviously, a wiki page could consist of gibberish and verbosity! But at least it can be improved, whereas a blog post or discussion board post often cannot.
There are also examples of Christian apologist blogs posing as academic sources. One example is the so called "Christian Think Tank" http://christianthinktank.com . A Think Tank is defined a body of experts providing advice and ideas on specific political or economic problems. The Christian Think Tank is the work of one person, a former IT salesman from Florida, who writes long winded justifications and interpretations of the Bible which are classic examples of Argumentum Verbosium. Perhaps his use of the term "think tank" is just his misunderstanding, rather than a deliberate attempt to add gravitas to his blog.
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