Wikinomics: Sharing. Starts with the example of the gold company that opened their operation to everyone and they got back accurate guesses as to where the next gold deposits would be found. It sounds good because it worked. But what if it didn’t work? Is that possible or does sharing mean that things are going to improve and going to work? While this process sounds great in theory, I’d be a little hesitant to share a lot of my business for free with the hopes of it growing and getting better. Hopefully this book will convince me otherwise.
Linux is always the example but is that just the techie way of doing things? Look at apple, the first computer, those hippies that didn’t get rich weren’t upset, they were just glad that they were able to be a part of it. I’m skeptical as to the applications of “wikinomics.” In some industries- for example pharmaceuticals- I think it could be great. We need answer to problems and the best way if for everyone to put their heads together…As the book mentions, companies could still stay profitable b/c of patents, etc. But I’m not sure how this type of collaboration would affect competition in other industries.
As far as Web 2.0. I am fascinated. I started using the internet when I was 12 or 13. E-mail was super fun, but only a few of my friends had email. So my other favorite internet past times were checking out people “homepages,” compiling cool quotes, seeing what went on in the chatrooms I was not supposed to be in, and playing music trivia games. I think that what the internet has become now is a compilation of those chat rooms and homepages. They have merged into “social networking” sites. I think Facebook and MySpace, just to name a few, are changing personal relationships and friendships as we know them. In some ways, they’re great tools to sort of keep tabs on old friends and friends that are spread out around the world. The downside is that it is hard to maintain privacy. Back to technology, I think that these sites are, in a way, a response to the advent of new personal devices (blackberries, PDA, iphones, etc.) A lot of times, new technology has efficiency at its root and so it cuts down on face to face time. As a result, people join these communities to still feel as if they’re getting that human interaction and that they still belong.
3 comments:
FAcebook is great for keeping in touch with people. I am able to let my friends back in Canada know how I am doing, and at no cost. In the past, I would likely have fallen out of touch with them, but not now.
The thing about myspace and Facebook is that it allows you to correspond whenever you want (like email). I never know when it's "a good time" to call people. As a result, I usually correspond electronically. I usually only call people when I am making plans (much easier to do in conversation than by text), need something immediately, or am driving and need to waste time.
I think mass collaboration will be in presence until there occurs a huge crisis, which would make us to abandon that strategy, but until then it will strive and currently the benefits outweigh the costs. As far as Facebook or Myspace is concerned I am not really a big of those as I believe in "personal" touch. But I do use it to find/locate some of very old buddies, in which case these tolls are very effective.
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