Beyond the Mob: Web 2.0 and Crowdsourcing
May 9, 2008
Power to the masses! That’s the rallying cry of Web 2.0,
the technology that has made it possible for people to
communicate, connive and collaborate. Already, it has proven
to be a powerful source of information and a gift to
marketers and online businessmen. With crowdsourcing and
Web 2.0, mob mentality seems not such a bad thing at all.
In fact, it’s doing a lot of good.
What is crowdsourcing?
Crowdsourcing is the process in which people are solicited
to volunteer or contribute to a group project, usually
content that will be used online. One of the best examples
of this is Wikipedia, the site that has provided reliable
and often comprehensive information about virtually
everything anyone has ever dared to ask about.
Wikipedia is not a creation of just one man or a small
group of individuals. It’s actually a collaborative effort
of numerous contributors around the world. Today, it is
one of the most trusted resources online, frequented by
students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, experts and professionals
as a reference or as a means with which they can contribute
something useful to the World Wide Web.
The uses of crowdsourcing
It’s probably safe to say that crowdsourcing is built on
the wisdom of the masses. It is the result of the effort
of people who took a problem, provided solutions for it and
produced excellent, valuable content. Web 2.0 technologies
are the perfect vehicles for the open call nature of
crowdsourcing. As a technique to create content and fill
a need, crowdsourcing has become the solution for three
major types of problems in the Internet. These are:
Organization of sites and content
Crowdsourcing has harnessed Web 2.0 technology to create a
way for users to organize content and sites. A good
example of this is the popular search engine Google and
social bookmarking sites such as digg, del.icio.us,
StumbleUpon, Netscape and Techmeme.
Google may seem like an engine that runs on its own power
but if you look at its inner workings, crowdsourcing
actually has something to do with what pops up each time
someone makes a search. Google organizes sites based on
their relevance, which in turn is based on links to those
sites. Social bookmarking sites, on the other hand, also
thrive on votes and popularity.
Creation of content and ideas
Other than Wikipedia, crowdsourcing has also used Web 2.0
to produce content and ideas. This is apparent in websites
such as CrowdSpirit and Cambrian House, two hothouses for
ideas that have spawned some popular following online.
People participate by submitting ideas to the sites which
are then launched. These sites are excellent for producing
ideas powered by submissions from users, proof that indeed,
the masses are a limitless source.
To predict trends
Who better to foresee the future than those who live in
the present? As a means to predict future styles and
designs for gadgets, fashion and lifestyle, crowdsourcing
has produced the likes of PicksPal, Yahoo! Buzz and
Marketocracy. The aim of these sites is to provide a
platform for people to create forecasts that others can
use. These sites are currently one of the best places to
go to online to take a peek at future trends in finance,
sports and IT.
The wisdom of the masses
Crowdsourcing in the world built by Web 2.0 has proven once
again that sometimes, two (or more) heads are truly better
than just one. Witness the emergence of technologies and
services that have opened up a lot of possibilities and
opportunities for the rest of us. As to the question about
who came first – crowdsourcing or Web 2.0 – it’s almost
like a chicken and egg scenario all over again.
Crowdsourcing has prompted better Web 2.0 technologies and
yet, Web 2.0 has made crowdsourcing possible. Either way,
it’s an extraordinary partnership that should only improve
from here on.
Here is where I end for today.
I really hope you enjoyed it.
Successful wishes
Angela
Posted by admin under General Stuff, Products, Social Marketing, Web 2.0 |
