Listserv vs. Blog

What is the difference between a listserv & a blog?

I think the main difference is that a blog is more passive and dictator driven, and a listserv is more active and democratic. What I mean by that is that with a blog one person creates it and controlls the content. In general a user needs to make an effort to visit the site to see what is being discussed and participate in the discussion (if that is permitted on the particular site), they may not be quite as passive if an RSS feed is available. In a listserv you sign up to be a part of it and you get every message sent straight to your e-mail account. You can decide to post a question / comment and anyone can respond.

The advantages and disadvantages of both really depend on what your goals are.
If you are looking for a platform that people can consistently check for information from a particular person/organization then a blog is the tool for you. It allows you the freedom to decide whether people get to comment on what you've posted. You have control. You will also find more blogs that are personal in nature than you will with listservs, which tend to be very topic or institution driven.

If you are looking for a more open forum that is more collaborative a listserv is the tool for you. With a listserv you get immediate participation, which can be great. I belong to several listservs because their topics interest me, but I also belong to several for work. They are great tools for posting questions and getting immediate feedback from a community of interested users. If you want a tool that is open to anyone in a community and want the messages sent directly to you then this is a great tool.

A great thing about both blogs and listservs is that they can be about any topic, you can generally find one about anything that you choose. You get feedback from people with varied experience, from a variety of places.