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Explain the functions and importance of the following web based applications and properly cite the references that you use in writing your explanation.(3 marks each) 1. Wikis 2. Blogs 3. Video Conference 4. Feeds (RSS) 5. Podcasts

1.) Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser. Wiki supports hyperlinks and has a simple text syntax for creating new pages and crosslinks between internal pages on the fly. Wiki is unusual among group communication mechanisms in that it allows the organization of contributions to be edited in addition to the content itself. Like many simple concepts, "open editing" has some profound and subtle effects on Wiki usage. Allowing everyday users to create and edit any page in a Web site is exciting in that it encourages democratic use of the Web and promotes content composition by nontechnical users. I got this info from []

2.) A blog is often a mixture of what is happening in a person's life and what is happening on the Web, a kind of hybrid diary/guide site, although there are as many unique types of blogs as there are people. People maintained blogs long before the term was coined, but the trend gained momentum with the introduction of automated published systems, most notably Blogger at blogger.com. Thousands of people use services such as Blogger to simplify and accelerate the publishing process. []

3.) Video  conferencing is a communications technology that integrates  video  and voice to connect remote users with each other as if they were in the same room. []

4.) A **web feed** (or **news feed**) is a data format used for providing users with frequently updated content. []

5.)Podcasts are audio files that are automatically delivered directly to your desktop computer, and can be transferred to your iPod or other MP3 player. You typically subscribe to podcasts using "podcatcher" software. We recommend iTunes, but there are many to choose from. []