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Lecture Six

In the lecture we discussed the problems associated with Crowd Sourcing. Before I’ll talk about this I’ll just give a brief definition of what exactly crowd sourcing is.

According to a site I found (click here to view) crowdsourcing is “

a subset of what Eric von Hippel calls “user-centered innovation,” in which manufacturers rely on customers not just to define their needs, but to define the products or enhancements to meet them. But unlike the bottom-up, ad-hoc communities that develop open-source software or better windsurfing gear, crowdsourced work is managed and owned by a single company that sells the results.”

Crowdsourcing is very important to Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is where the users generate the content. Site such as Wikipedia and blogs are both examples of UGC and crowdsourcing. The site administrators rely on their users to generate the content that keeps the site up to date and interesting.

I worry, however, that while crowdsourcing is good in some respects, ie it is the democratisation of the internet, it can also limit the potential of the evolution of the net. With crowdsourcing comes mob rule. Whatever the majority of society think interesting and useful becomes just that. The more people use a UGC, the more it is likely to be used in future. This may have the effect that new ideas and innovations struggle to gain a footing, while older sites become stronger and stronger.

All you have to do is ask somebody what search engine they use. Most respond that they use google. If asked why they use google, I have found that people at first don’t really know, then they say, “because everyone uses it and its the best.” Is it the best? I’m not really sure… it must be if everyone uses it.

This creates a problem. What if someone has a better idea? the new idea has to gain in popularity, before it can gain in popularity. This is really hard, unless something that is already popular recommends or creates the innovation.

Check this out. I like it. It sums up how the crowd works and its problems.

While I am a strong believer in democracy, I’m somewhat fearful of the consequences of crowdsourcing. The net will move only as fast as the most average user. Think of what we could be missing out on!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I’m back to thinking about free agents. I found this site about free agents in the business world.

I like to think I can be a free agent like this. I’m not sure if its a generational thing, but I don’t want to just have one job. I want to have many things on the go. I want to be a free agent as described in the this blog.

I have included the relevant quote.

“A “free agent” according to Pink includes entrepreneurs, consultants, contract/1099 individuals, temps or basically anyone who approaches work as their own microbusiness. Many authors such as Robert Kiyosaki in his Rich Dad-Poor Dad book series in his E/B/S/I model hint at this type of individual, which has only recently become much more prevalent in society.

Just look around you. A lot of people I know in the corporate world are involved in a side venture, or something they do in their spare time for either fun or money or both.”

Lecture Five

Well today I got myself in a complete mental mess! There were times when I thought I was right on track and then seconds later I was way out in space. Our group discussed the issue of being a free agent. We began with the argument that in 99% of situations individuals are free agents. We decided this because in most situations there is an element of choice. The choice may not always be very big, but most of the time there is at least more than one option to choose from. We then moved from this argument to revised version. Being a freed agent is on a continuum. It is to simplistic to say that one is either freed or not. We came to the conclusion that there is varying degrees of “freedness” The more resources one has the more freed they become. Resources do not only includ monetary items, it also includes time, knowledge, physical ability, ect. Obviously the more resources one has, the more choices and options one has, so the more freed they become. I’m not entirely sure what all this has to do with the internet. All our group could come up with was that the above rule regarding the level of freedness applies to all things including an individual’s use of the net and technology in general. If someone has a dialup connection they are freed to an extent, but not to the extent of someone with a highspeed connection, who can use more Web 2.0 sites such as YouTube.I really enjoyed todays lecture. The discussion was not only fun, but having the oportunity to talk F2F about the issues of the lecture really helpped my understanding of the subject.

We should do it again.

Lecture Four

Web 2.0 vs Web 1.0? How does one tell the difference?

I think it is strange that the concept of Web 2.0 “began with a conference brainstorming session between O’Reilly and MediaLive International.” I see the two versions of the Web much like two decades, ie the 1980s and the 1990s. No one simple said the 1980s and everything associated with that decade simply just stopped with the advent of the 1990s. It isn’t until years later that we look back and can see the defining characteristics of the 1980s as being separate from the 1990s. Things didn’t just stop being “80s” on 01.01.90 – I think this same principle applies to the Web.

One cannot just decide that one generation of the web suddenly comes to the end and another is born. Its just not that simple. It is because of this that I believe the concept of Web 2.0 is floored. When this concept was dreamed up in 2001 I think it was at a time that was too close to Web 1.0 to really be able to identify any real changes between the two generations. In 1990 for instance people would not have talked about “big hair’ as specifically belonging to the “80s”. Now enough time has past for us to make this observation.

I think within a few years the web will be so different from what it is today that the “differences” between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 will be looked apon as trivial in the overall development of the web. There simple has not been a very big shift.

I would propose that we talk about Web 1.0 and Web 1.1.

Well this is food for thought. I’d be interested in what others think about this.

Radical!!!!

I found this video on youtube (a web 2.0 site) Well I’m still not convinced there is a big enough change from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0. You be the judge

Lecture Three

Well I think I’m starting to understand something now…

The topics discussed in class about business moving from “silos” to “networks” made a lot of sense to me. I’m not sure if its my personality or simply my generation, but I must admit I prefer living in a world concentrated around networks rather than silos. I don’t have much capital, but I do have time and a brain so I can come up with, and then implement an idea in the new knowledge economy.

The knowledge economy is truly the economy of the masses. There has never been a time when the average individual has had so much information and does not require huge amounts of capital to turn an idea into a money making venture. This has to be good for the individual, the consumer, and society.

If the future is now, then we all have the ability to mould our destinies!

Communities of Practice?

I’m struggling with this concept. I feel as though I’m missing something here. In my understanding, the Soci245 blog is a community of practice. It is a group of people coming together “who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavour”

Am I on the right track? Comments please

Lecture Two

Today’s lecture was harder for me to understand!

I’m not a very theoretical person by nature. I like to see things working in the here and now, rather than just the theory behind it. I think this is why I’m struggling with this concept. In the past I’ve never really used internet forums. On some occasions I have looked at forums in order to get some specific information, but I have never contributed. I thought now would be a good time to change this. Last week I bought a new car. I needed some info about the stereo. I thought instead of simply doing a google search, I would join a forum and add a post.

I googled and found an appropriate forum. I then registered and posted a post. To my surprise many other members have replied. I have found the exercise interesting. My initial request has remained unanswered, but my seemingly innocent post has created controversy. It has gone beyond me and my initial post. There seems to be real anger between users. I am watching with interest as to what will happen next… and I would like an answer to my question.

I started off as the star, but there has been a pivot point.

Until next time.

P

Lecture One

Well this is my first post for this blog. Its a little late. I couldn’t write it in the lab like the rest of the class as I had no money on my Canterbury card. I ran over to the library to upload some money but the machine was broken.

This annoyed me at the time. I guess it was because I couldn’t be the agent of my situation. The technology that controls my Canterbury Card account was deterministic, as was the machine in the library. I was unable to participate in the lab due to limitations placed upon me by the technology of the University.

Hey I guess I did learn something in the first lecture after all! It didn’t make a lot of sense to me at the time, but like most things, give it some time, mull it over and it all becomes clear.

Hopefully I can be the agent of my destiny in the second lab!