Linked by David Adams on Tue 29th Sep 2009 14:53 UTC
Forbes has an interesting article that attempts to push Crowdsourcing off its pedestal by pointing out that "crowds" don't actually invent or create anything; individuals do. What the crowdsourcing phenomenon does is put an opportunity in front of a large number of people, some of whom may be uniquely suited to solve a particular problem or achieve a particular goal. The article goes on to discuss Open Source Software, and points out that Open Source's success isn't because of crowds of anonymous people, but the largely the efforts of identifiable virtuosos.
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Member since:2006-01-10
"One individual can not do the job of many."
I think the point is that one individual (or small group of experts) are the people actually doing the job.
The crowd is to an extent just the people who get behind them... once the individual has already come up and implemented most of the idea.
Really not that much different that the free market, except in the free market, to get behind an idea, you actually have to spend your own money.
But again, let's confuse the issue.
It is not consumer or crowds that create the market or idea.
It is the innovators who create. The crowds and consumers just approve or disapprove of the idea.
Edited 2009-09-29 17:21 UTC
Member since:
2006-03-22
Sure, and there's no forest, we have only trees. A forest is an intangible concept. But what difference does it make? You still need the input of the masses. One individual can not do the job of many.