From Read Write Web archives:

In this post, we will argue that each category - blogs, social networks and microblogs - forms a separate vertical. Each vertical is focused on a different type of user and serves to fill a different purpose in the bigger landscape of social publishing.

After re-reading this article (originally I just saved it here to come back to) I think I can frame it in terms of recommendations that could be made to our staff. If your primary needs are to:

1. regularly add new material, that is longer than an SMS for example
2. be the sole or main author
3. produce content that others will read or comment on
4. organise things mainly by date or possibly category

Then a blog will fit the bill. If your primary needs are to:

1. connect with others online
2. integrate lots of different media
3. organise things by their links to other things (rather than sequentially)

Pick up Facebook or Myspace or others If your primary needs are to:

1. connect (semi-)constantly with your colleagues and network
2. keep it short and sweet like an SMS

Then Twitter or Tumblr is the answer Of course, putting these tools to use in an educational setting, you might want to use all of the above - remixing the content from one into another etc.

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