Crowdsourcing 101

If you’re like me and surprised how little you know about social media, I recommend you listen to this CBC podcast.  In about 12 minutes you’ll learn most of the terms and societal ramifications of the phenomena.  The focus of this interview between the CBC’s Nora Young and Queen’s University media professor, Sidneyeve Matrix, is Crowdsourcing.  It’s sort of a catchall phrase for the seemingly spontaneous and chaotic group behaviors we witness on the Internet, whether they be for good (like response to natural disasters) or for retribution (against celebrities and public figures saying the wrong thing) and vigilantism (against alleged criminals). But the interview goes broad as well and in an easy and relaxed manner portrays social media as a general force for good in the world. 

I think we’re still at the early stages but it’s hard to argue at this point that society is not better off now that we have ubiquitous connectivity and mass participation.  Groups can at times be scary but groups that make room for individual expression are not.