EMTS already uses an email listserv as a collaborative communication tool. Members typically save EMTS emails to their computers, manually building an archive that is rudimentarily searchable. Social networking software, such as blogs and wikis, do not require client programs, just access to the Internet. Discussions are automatically archived and threaded, and newcomers can easily browse or search back through these archives.
Blogs facilitate community discussions. Information is initially shared as a blog post, and users are allowed to post follow-up comments. Wikis function as knowledge repositories. The information in a wiki can be collaboratively edited, and the focus is less on a discussion and more on consensus.
An additional feature of blogs, separating them from email listservs and wikis, is that members can subscribe using an RSS reader. Instead of navigating to the ten or so blogs that one reads, an RSS reader consolidates the information, receiving updates to the individual blogs as they occur. The result is a sort of personalized newspaper. If a member uses a web-based reader, such as Google Reader, this aggregated information can be accessed from any device with a Web browser.
The advantage of a blog, then, over the current EMTS communication tool is that it is not tied to a single computer, is self-archiving, facilitates ongoing discussions, and can be integrated into the current information-delivery trend of the RSS reader.