Crowdsourcing seems to be a new popular idea that many companies are taking advantage of. Some companies have found the best way to utilize crowdsourcing to its fullest, while others haven't gotten the results they were hoping would come from crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing is both a problem solving model and a business model where companies can leverage the power of online crowds for profits. But can crowdsourcing influence our interpersonal relationships? I think that it can.
For example, once I had found out about the Threadless website, I instantly had a few ideas pop into my head. I texted my friend, and asked him if he wanted to design a shirt since he is a very talented artist. He was a little skeptical about the whole idea and even the website, but eventually agreed to give it a try. We have yet to submit the drawing for the shirt, but it has been a fun process. I think crowdsourcing brings together people with similar interests which can allow relationships to build based on certain commonalities.
Although crowdsourcing is more commonly viewed as a business model, it is also an example of participatory media. Participotory media allows for a crowd of people to be part of the decision making process, creating an idea, or even deciding on the finished product. The tv show American Idol utilizes a crowdsourcing model to some extent in which anyone can try out for the show, and the audience of the show votes on who they think should win. This tv show has brought many families, friends, and strangers together to either watch or maybe vote for a friend on the tv show.
I think social capital is a huge part of crowdsourcing, and may be what actually keeps crowdsourcing working. I had not known about crowdsourcing prior to this class, but had found out about it through word of mouth. I then told other people, and found a chance to get involved myself. Most people hear about these opportunities through word of mouth whether it be in the form of an advertisement, a friend, an email,a class, or a news article. When people start talking about something, it reaches others who may or may not check it out depending on their interests, but the people who do also will tell their friends, thus the new information reaches a vast amount of people.
Crowdsourcing also brings people together who have similar interests. On the website threadless, people who are creative and want to create t-shirts are brought together. I have been helping my friend with the website, while he created a design for a shirt; through this process we have bonded more than we might have if we hadn't decided to do this.
A new crowdsourcing model was recently introduced, in which "Organizers of the X Prize, who have set up contests for space travel, DNA research and super-efficient cars, said on Tuesday they are offering $10 million to the winner of a contest to transform the health of people in a small U.S. community." It will be very interesting to see what ideas are proposed for this model, since it involves helping other people out, rather than making an actual physical product people will like. This project not only will have to propose a plan that will transform the health of a community, but also will have to propose a way of involving a community to improve their health together. I think that this crowdsourcing model could provide many opportunities for a community to connect on many levels, but more importantly will connect people who want to stay healthy. In our nation, staying healthy has become an increasing problem for many people. This model of crowdsourcing may find an answer to help our nation become more healthy than it has been in the past.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30229724/
Crowdsourcing can bring people with similar interests together in both the creating process, and the use of the product. Crowdsourcing is not always used for the creation of t-shirts, policies, or tv commercials, but also can be used for our own well being (like improving health in a community). Will there be more crowdsourcing models posed in the future that we as humans may actually benefit from? Will the crowdsourcing model mentioned above to improve a communities health even work? And if it does, what changes might we see in our own society? Will we turn to crowdsourcing to solve more of our societies problems or issues?
Interesting post Amber - I had not heard about the X-prize health care challenge, and I will be interested in the result. The only issue which may impact the outcome that I see is that these plans were not sifted through and chosen by "the crowd" and were instead picked by the contest holders. I think this greatly affects the outcome because the crowd is who ultimately has to accept or reject the plan, so their input in the process is just as relevant as the solutions posed. I also think that the vetting process is a huge part of the creating relationships through the contest. I know others have mentioned crowdsourcing in different venues such as cha-cha - but my feeling really is that crowdsourcing is both posing the problem to the crowd and letting the crowd decide. When they don't have control over the later we see results like Chevy Tahoe and Heinz commercials and "the crowd" slaps back. Good -
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