Post date: Oct 14, 2014 5:04:29 PM
When did I first encounter the power of collective action? Reflection on this question lead me to think of massive demonstrations by the Chinese in Tiananman Square in '89. The media spread the news of these protests and government responses which caused reactions throughout the world. At the time, there was little or no social media on the internet. Social connections occurred because of the news media and telephone communications - I use this example to reflect about the book Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky. Social action is prevalent in society today and was prevalent "yesterday". Humans are innately social and communication happens via whatever method is available at the time. What is different today is that communication is almost instantaneous. In addition, today this instant communication does not have to be made by someone specially trained to report on events. Today, we can all communicate and share information with just about anyone willing to listen.
Shirky's book has intrigued me because the stories used as examples can all relate to my experiences with technology.
The very first story in the book about the person who lost their Sidekick which was immediately "found" by someone and not returned... could have happened to me. Amazingly, someone with enough connections spread the word via a webpage and friend connections sending out the message of the audacity of the event. Eventually the device was returned because the power of all the connections and support from others made it easier to fight for a cause.
It seems to me that what makes someone successful in communicating via social media today is being relevant and in touch with a passion of a group. I was particularly fascinated with Wikipedia's story detailed in the Shirky book. Wikipedia is managed almost fully by the contributors who are passionate about Wikipedia. Not only are these contributors passionate about the accuracy of the facts but also correcting negligent or damaging posts. It is amazingly self correcting due to the passion of users.
This leads me to ponder what will come of the new endeavors I undertake during the MALT program and beyond. The power of the social group one is trying to reach is important to consider during the creation of any new projects. If enough people think of a resource as important or useful for a certain task, it can become the solution. Collective Action - Powerful then, powerful now - in a faster and more efficient way.