What’s a Wiki?

Continuing from the last blog post, here’s the second part of digital journalism terms and definitions.

If I’ve missed any terms please email me (wired@sfu.ca) and I’ll add it.

Mobile Optimized: A mobile optimized website is a website that is optimized for mobile devices. Meaning, it has been designed and formatted to read and navigate easily on the small screens of mobile devices – Yellow Schmello.

Mobile Web: The mobile Web refers to the use of the Internet through handheld mobile devices. Increasingly, smartphones and other devices with wireless data access structures access the same “full” Internet traditionally accessed on desktop or laptop computers – Techpedia.

Multimedia journalism: The collective use of many media types–such as text, audio, graphics, animation, video, and photographs–to convey information –The Multimedia Journalist.

Open Newsroom: Open newsroom involves inviting online readers to become a part of the story process – Columbia Journalism Review.

Paywall: A system in which access to all or part of a newspaper website is restricted to paid subscribers – Dictionary.com

RSS: Really Simple System allows subscribers to receive updates, such as news headlines and blog entries. from websites and blogs.

SEO: Search Engine Optimization is the use of methods and techniques to improve the visibility of a website. It uses natural means to achieve natural listings on search engines – SEO Best Tools.

Smartphone: A cell phone with built-in applications capable of Internet access.

Social Media: A variety of Internet-based tools and platforms that allow users to share information and interact.

Tag: A common type of metadata used to describe a piece of content that associates it with other content that has the same tag. Tags can be specific terms, people, locations, etc. used in the content it is describing – Poynter.org.

Wiki: A wiki is a website which allows its users to add, modify, or delete its content via a web browser usually using a simplified markup language or a rich-text editor. Wikis are powered by wiki software. Most are created collaboratively – Wikipedia.

To learn more about digital journalism, enrol in the New Media Journalism Certificate program offered by Simon Fraser University Continuing Studies.

For more discussions and articles on digital journalism, go to SFU’s New Media Journalism on Twitterand Facebook .

Do not feed the trolls

News websites protect online forums from trolls like this scary cave troll from the Lord of the Rings.

“Why don’t you write a letter to the editor,” used to be the automatic response from reporters when a member of the public took issue with an article they had written.

It was a polite way to say “Leave me alone. I’m on deadline.” But it was also the only way the public could get their viewpoints published.

Online forums on news media websites have changed that. Don’t like the way a labour strike was reported? Got your own viewpoint on the latest conflict in the Middle East? No problem, forums let you have your say and hold the news media accountable.

Unfortunately, some people are going to abuse this opportunity  – lacing their comments with four-letter words, rascist and sexist remarks and statements that make lawyers cringe (or smile). These people are sometimes referred to as trolls. Despite some of the negatives of online forums, news media websites keep them up and running as they try to build and facilitate online communities. That’s why news organizations hire editors to moderate forums and keep things civil.

AdWeek has an interesting article on the important role of the online moderator.

To learn more about digital journalism, enrol in the New Media Journalism Certificate program offered by Simon Fraser University Continuing Studies.

For more discussions and articles on digital journalism, go to SFU’s New Media Journalism on Twitter and Facebook .