Internet terminology is hard to keep up with!

I thought I was pretty Internet-savvy, but I'm beginning to realize that there's a whole different language out there that I have absolutely no knowledge of. Have you ever heard of "crowdsourcing"? If not, do a google search and you'll be up to speed in no time. As a matter of fact, look it up on wikipedia, which itself is a form of crowdsourcing!

Unfortunately, I'm still in the dark ages, but apparentely this word has been out there since 2006 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJD5RrEwrG0&feature=related). However, this concept has been around for ages in various forms, including its name derivation--outsourcing. Yup, crowdsourcing is basically a form of virtual outsourcing and then some. It's also been referred to as
“artificial artificial intelligence” but crowdsourcing is a much catchier phrase so Jeff Howe’s gets a lot more face-time (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s-l1XxZdHY)!

When I first learned of this term (yes, just a few days ago) I thought--wow, what a novel concept! But come to think of it...I've been engaging in crowdsourcing without even knowing it! At work, we're redoing our website and have been trying for months to come up with a catch phrase with our web-designers. We were throwing out ideas but getting no where--so then I had the "bright idea" of sending out an email to the general office and having a contest for the best response. We got a whole slue of creative responses and it only took a week! We also had the added bonus of having everyone participate and feeling included.

So you can just imagine the time and cost-saving results this concept provides to various business that solicit feedback from the entire internet community! Crowdsourcing also seems to provide a sense of community and contribution to areas that you wouldn't have been able to be a part of before. However, don't you think the pride and satisfication of individual ownership seems to suffer? Is this is a good thing or bad thing? I guess it can go both ways. But I can't help but feel bad for some of those folks who now are being replaced but crowdsourcing (i.e. photographers vs. IStockphoto - http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.06/crowds.html). But that's just a reality all of us have to face since everything seems replaceable these days by new-found cheaper and/or efficient options, whether it's outsourcing, crowdsourcing, or the next new thing. That's the price we pay for technology!

So now that I learned this new concept...i'm interested in unleashing my creative juices and can definitely use an extra bit of cash (albeit nominal) in this recession. Has anyone actually tried one of the various crowdsourcing opportunities? If so--let me know your thoughts!!

"potential privacy nightmare" is an understatement

As a Facebook junky, I initially was drawn to the Clive Thompson article by the title and assumed the article would be more about Facebook. Much to my surprise, I learned of yet another social networking method--reality mining. Although reality mining has the potential to gather useful predictive data (e.g. spread of diseases), for some reason George Orwell's character "Big Brother" comes to mind!

I do like the idea of social network analysis and see the potential benefits. However, don't you think that collecting data from email or phone logs is a bit too intrusive? Do you really want someone tracking your every move and every conversation? What if this information got into the wrong hands? Although some of the data may aid in workforce efficiency--can this same data be used against you to perhaps get you fired? I wouldn't be as opposed to aggregate data use vs. individually identifiable information. With the prevalence of social network analysis, I wonder how long before new privacy laws and data protection laws start popping up.

I will agree that the concept is quite exciting. It reminds me of Facebook in that it's really exciting in the beginning--reconnecting with various people and exploring a fun, new medium to be in contact with your social network. But then after the novelty wore off, I did feel a bit exposed and found myself creating "limited profile" views for many in my social circle. I wonder if we can have such discretion when it comes to reality mining.

I browsed the web to gather more information, but I still wasn't clear on whether information obtained through reality mining can be used without an individual's permission or if there is an option to opt out...anyone know? Securely utilizing this information for the betterment of mankind is one thing, but opening up the doors to more abuse of personal information is another.

Business week came out with an article last march entitled There's Gold in 'Reality Mining'
(http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2008/tc20080323_387127.htm) so apparently the business gurus are on board....I probably should try to get on the bandwagon because it looks like reality mining is here to stay. But for now, I'm still on the fence...

First Time Blogging

Hi Everyone--this is my first blog ever! I am excited to explore the world of blogging! I'm a MBA student at American University in DC and this blog is for my ITEC 656 class. Don't have much else to write at this point. I'm required to include the academic integrity pledge so here it goes--“On my honor, all posts on this blog are my own.” Blog to you soon...