...The Wisdom of Crowds By: James Surowiecki Reflection In The Wisdom of Crowds, James Surowiecki explores the many benefits of collective intelligence in a variety of cases. Through detailed theory, he explains three problems (cognition, coordination, and cooperation), and the conditions necessary for crowds to be wise (diversity, independence, and decentralization). He also includes many case studies that show examples of collective intelligence being successful or floundering. The idea of a crowd is broad in this case. A crowd can span from all users of the internet using a search engine such as Google to a small team of scientist working to find a vaccine for SARS. His general theory includes four main characteristics to what makes wise crowds. They must include diversity in opinion where everyone has their own private information or interpretation of the information. Also, there must have independence of opinion. Opinions can’t be based off of the opinions of others. Next, decentralization where people can draw from their own local knowledge is a key to wise crowds. Lastly, information must be able to be aggregated. This is the ability of judgments to be turned into a collective agreement. With these four characteristics, crowds are able to collectively create a better source of information and decision making. After reading this thought-provoking book, my eyes were opened in terms of how I view business and management. Management cannot be successful without...
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...wide community to solve a problem using either corroboration or competition. Today, companies commonly crowdsource when they outsource tasks performed by an employee, to a large group of individuals or crowd. Crowdsourcing uses the collective ideas and knowledge of the public to complete business tasks that a company would normally perform itself or outsource to a third party. Large companies like Amazon, Netflix and Wikipedia utilize crowdsourcing but it is just as crucial to small companies’ success. Most crowdsourcing is covered by four categories: crowd wisdom, crowd creation, crowd voting and crowd funding. Crowd wisdom or collective intelligence is a common form of crowdsourcing where a group is gathered with conditions and crowd knowledge is shared. Examples are an employee suggestion box or idea jams. Wikipedia utilizes crowd wisdom. Crowd creation is when a business turns to the public to actually create or co-create a product/service. The open source moment is a case of crowd creation. Crowd voting uses the crowd’s vote to organize vast information. Reality TV shows, like American Idol, use crowd voting to eliminate unfavorable contestants. Crowd funding allows the crowd to participate in online micro-lending. By donating a small amount of money the crowd helps a third world country woman trying to start a business or struggling musician produce a new CD. The increase business usage of crowdsourcing is due to their advantages and cheap labor isn’t its...
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...“Developing business and social innovation through creativity and foresight methods" – Crowdsourcing Abstract Crowdsourcing has been around for many years in different forms, but since 2006, it is being increasingly adopted as a creativity technique for development of ideas and problem solving. This essay looks at the history and extant of crowdsourcing and analyses its different types in terms of value creation, along with the typology of tasks to which crowdsourcing can be applied. This essay also explores some key insights and how crowdsourcing helped in HIV research through an online game called fold.it. What is Crowdsourcing? The magnitude of intelligence, knowledge and talent spread throughout the human race has always exceeded our capacity to harness them. As a creativity method, Crowdsourcing is one of the best tools to utilize the collective power of the many to undertake and accomplish tasks that are usually the responsibility of a specialized few. Howe (2006) used the term crowdsourcing for the very first time in a Wired magazine article titled ‘The Rise of Crowdsourcing’, and he later elaborated upon the concept in his book. Howe (2008) defines crowdsourcing as “the act of taking a job traditionally performed by a designated agent (usually an employee) and outsourcing it to an undefined, generally large group of people in the form of an open call.” He primarily describes crowdsourcing as a web-based business model although there are retrospective examples...
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...Marketing Cluster In crowd sourcing, you can outsource the task to not only a small group of person, but also tens of thousands of people. That’s the genuine advantage of the crowd sourcing, bringing in mass intelligence to solve problems of all kinds with affordable price. Jeff Howe coined the term “crowd sourcing” back in 2006, in a Wired article, which described a new way of sourcing people who are willing to help or work on a project. Enough people with sufficient time can transform into a lot of available manpower. For small, manual tasks such as tagging vast amounts of photos, instead of outsourcing to a large company, it’s more feasible and affordable to use a crowd-sourcing marketplace. Crowd sourcing is often used for translation service. For instance, Face book has been using crowd sourcing to translate its website into different languages since 2008. Wikipedia can be categorized as crowd sourcing as well: an encyclopedia written by people from all over the world, professionals and amateurs alike. Crowd sourcing has been with us for a while and now, it just got a catchy name. Companies nowadays not only employ Research and Development (R&D) teams, but also list the problems they’re working on to the public as an attempt to get help from anyone. Certain companies even offer huge prizes for solving a problem on crowd sourcing site like InnoCentive, and the cost is fairly cheap compared to employing a huge R&D team. Crowd funding: Projects are funded by a...
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...(when the job is performed collaboratively), but is also often undertaken by sole individuals. The crucial prerequisite is the use of the open call format and the large network of potential laborers. (2006a: 5) Not only does this method harness crowd intelligence to create innovation, but it also creates unprecedented levels of loyalty. The sense of pride and participation mobilizes the base of users to generate multi-pronged benefits including innovation and marketing advantages. It also provides the firm with an alternative to the market research problem at relatively low costs. This “wisdom of crowds” was coined by James Surowiecki (2004), in his book "The Wisdom of Crowds": “Under the right circumstances, groups are remarkably intelligent, and are often smarter than the smartest people in them’. This ‘wisdom of crowds’ is derived not from averaging solutions, but from aggregating them.” The advent of the internet provided us with a perfect platform to aggregate millions of disparate ideas into hugely successful enterprises. This is exactly what Threadless was able to accomplish. It harnessed the power of the crowd, resulting in reduced costs and increased loyalty. In addition, other “web 2.0” solutions exploit the same power of crowds that has proven itself in Wikipedia, delicious, YouTube,...
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...syed2 syed2 Creative Action in Organisations ENTE 3506 Word Count: 1524 Tutor: Andrew Nicholson Creative Action in Organisations ENTE 3506 Word Count: 1524 Tutor: Andrew Nicholson “Critically appraise the role of crowd sourcing in today’s rapidly changing global business environments and its contribution to innovation.” Assigment 3 “Critically appraise the role of crowd sourcing in today’s rapidly changing global business environments and its contribution to innovation.” Assigment 3 “Critically appraise the role of crowd sourcing in today’s rapidly changing global business environments and its contribution to innovation.” Crowdsourcing is finally coming of age especially with a prominent rise in recent years, it is recognised crowdsourcing is an online phenomena which aims to distribute problem solving and production to impact on the present day’s rapidly changing global business environment. This essay provides an introduction to crowdsourcing, analysed through a theoretical basis in reference to examples, moreover paying particular attention to distinguish and define crowdsourcing from open source production. Furthermore this essay also critically explores the prospects for the paradigm. The potential to exploit and impact a crowd of innovators will be assessed likewise to an evaluation of the opportunity for the use outside ‘for-profit’ organisations. To conclude, this essay recommends an outline and plan for research into the role of crowdsourcing and...
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...INTRODUCTION www.openideo.com is a web-based innovation platform developed by the foremost design firm IDEO.The site is an open innovation platform where people come together to collaborate and design together. Launched in 2010 (IDEO, 2011), the site have received much recommendations from the media, the learning and design community, Due to its effective design, global adoption and ultimate purpose that it has actually helped solve some of the world’s greatest social challenges. The site has become a reference point for effective collaborative-participation and crowd souring for social-good. LETS’S OPEN IT.. Courtesy: ideo.com, 2011 OVERVIEW Openideo.com was designed as a site where people will collaborate, share ideas and draw inspiration from the crowd in the process of solving a challenge. The challenge question often sponsored by a non-profit, represents the purely social nature of the site. The IDEO designers in London observed that there is a tremendous human-resource online (AIGA,2011). The online community spends hour’s facebooking, tweeting and linking-in and they decided to turn that opportunity into a platform for social-good. The site was created with the view of including a wide range of people in the design process. The high-points of the site is mostly the level on which it engages the online community...
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...(Howe, 2005). This paper explores the two sides of crowd sourcing; whether this net-enabled community collaboration is accelerating innovation or exploiting the laborers with menial tasks of little to no benefit through an analysis of Soylent, one of the latest innovations in crowd sourcing using John Rawls’ Theory of Justice, the Veil of Ignorance, I aim to demonstrate how can we all benefit from crowdsourcing and harness the true power of collective intelligence and mass collaboration just by maintaining a fine balance between the two extremes as according to the Aristotle’s Golden Mean. Introduction David Brent once said; “A problem shared is a problem halved, so is your problem really yours or just half of someone else’s?” In terms of an ideal crowd sourced task, the problem would be diminished by half, or even more because it is shared between dozens, hundreds, and even thousands of active community participants eager to solve it to the best of their abilities. Crowdsourcing, as first coined and defined by Jeff Howe, is the concept of mass collaboration of tasks that are outsourced externally typically through the Internet to the community at large. He says it is “the act of outsourcing tasks, traditionally performed by an employee or contractor to an undefined, large group of people or community (a "crowd"), through an open call” (Howe, 2005). Because it is an open call to an undefined group of people, a typical crowd sourced task gathers those who are most fit to solve...
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...define crowd sourcing? Crowd sourcing is the application of the open source idea to any field outside of software, taking a function performed by people within the organization, such as reporting done by journalist. 2. Why does crowd sourcing require a large, "undefined community" to work? Why not a small, defined community of passionate people who you know and have worked with before or with whom you are already friends (think Face book communities which are smaller, and defined)? Crowd sourcing require a large undefined community because it is said to be more accurate and concise. Large aggregates produce better estimates and judgments than smaller groups. Decisions come from diverse backgrounds. Wisdom of the crowd is another type of crowdsourcing that collects large amounts of information and aggregates it to gain a complete and accurate picture of a topic, based on the idea that a group of people is often more intelligent than an individual. This idea of collective intelligence proves particularly effective on the web because people can contribute in real-time within the same forums from very diverse backgrounds 3. Can you think of other examples of crowd sourcing besides photography? Is photography a good example? What kinds of products or services might not lend themselves to crowd sourcing? Mobs, herds and runaway stock markets produce bad decisions from crowdsourcing. 4. What is the impact of crowd sourcing on business? Can a "crowd sourced"...
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...5 Rhetorical Devices in Speeches of Brutus and Antony 1. As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. This line from Brutus’s speech is an example of paralellism because Brutus says I ___ for him, as he was ______. These repeated phrases then form paralleism in the sentence. 2. Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. This line from Brutus’s speech is an example of anaphora because the same groups of words “who is here” and “if any speak, for him I have offended” are repeated at the beginnings of successive clauses 3. For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men— This line from Antony’s speech is an example of antimetabole because the words honourable men are repeated in succcessive lines, in reverse grammatical order. 4. Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more This sentence from Brutus’s speech is an example of antithesis because there is a contrast between loving Caesar less and loving Rome more. 5. There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his ambition. This line from Brutus’s speech is an example of isocolon because each successful clause is...
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...5 Rhetorical Devices in Speeches of Brutus and Antony 1. As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. This line from Brutus’s speech is an example of paralellism because Brutus says I ___ for him, as he was ______. These repeated phrases then form paralleism in the sentence. 2. Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. This line from Brutus’s speech is an example of anaphora because the same groups of words “who is here” and “if any speak, for him I have offended” are repeated at the beginnings of successive clauses 3. For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men— This line from Antony’s speech is an example of antimetabole because the words honourable men are repeated in succcessive lines, in reverse grammatical order. 4. Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more This sentence from Brutus’s speech is an example of antithesis because there is a contrast between loving Caesar less and loving Rome more. 5. There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his ambition. This line from Brutus’s speech is an example of isocolon because each successful clause is...
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...guides Jem and Scout through different types of conflicts by teaching them valuable life lessons. Together, with the wisdom Atticus’s words, actions and thoughts, has made him into a wise courageous aspiring parent. Atticus has motivated Jem and Scout towards the right direction without controlling their actions by educating his children through life lessons in both rough and positive times. Atticus is a good father because he is very compassionate towards himself and his children. An example would be Atticus’s selflessness. For instance, Atticus Finch had risked his own reputation in order to defend Tom Robinson. Atticus defends Tom Robinson, a black man, who has been accused of raping and beating a white girl. Atticus takes a risk by taking on the case. When his...
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...logical reason of the situation.” Brutus continues his speech with, “censure me in your wisdom; and awake your senses, that you may the better judge.” The word censure means severe disapproval. Therefore Brutus is speaking with some logic. He understands that the audience might not believe him so he is saying, “it is okay for you to use your own wisdom against me, but know that I am still talking with reason.” Antony’s speech directly followed Brutus’ speech and he also used ethos to gain the audience's attention. The opening line of Antony’s speech is “Friends, Romans, countrymen.” Referring to the audience by these categorizations expresses that Antony and them share common ground. They are all countrymen. This is considered ethos because it makes the audience feel a connection between Antony and themselves making what he says credible because he is like the listeners. Throughout Antony’s speech he refers to Brutus as ‘noble Brutus.’ By doing this he is relating to the audience's thoughts on Brutus. Once again this makes the audience believe that they have common thoughts so Antony’s thoughts must be credible. Like Brutus, Antony uses emotional appeal or pathos to appeal to the audience. He tells the audience, “He (Caesar) was my friend, faithful and just to me.” Antony’s entire speech is an effort for the crowd to sympathize with his loss of a friend. Antony explains to the crowd “I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?...
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...devalue life, which is what this essay will explore. Human beings have an unusual fascination with violence but the idea of watching people die for sport is still shocking. The practice of watching deaths actually originates from the Christian ‘good death’, wherein friends and family gather to witness a loved one’s departure to a better place. “Death by public execution was an echo, even a mirror, of the Christian ‘good death’” in that it was a public event and was presided over by clergymen. However, the religious and solemn atmosphere cannot be found in a Roman arena. Le Bon suggests that in a crowd “a man descends several rungs in the ladder of civilization. Isolated, he may be a cultivated individual; in a crowd, he is a barbarian – that is, a creature acting by instinct”. Essentially, crowd mentality transforms the sacred ceremony into a boorish and vulgar event because in a crowd, people lose their individual identities and sense of personal responsibility, allowing them to act in an uncivilized manner. Even during public executions, “people danced around the scaffold and fully functional miniature...
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...or take a stand against greater odds. In this book, The Samurai’s Garden, written by Gail Tsukiyama, one character in particular portrays this idea well. That character is Matsu. A man who has lived a life of general solitude, except for his secret interactions with a woman named Sachi, taking care of a business man’s vacation home. However, his quiet way of living is disturbed when a young man named Stephan, who is the business man’s son, battling tuberculosis is sent away from the busy streets of Hong Kong to stay at the little town of Tarumi to heal. Matsu finds it hard adjusting to Stephan’s presence at first, but gradually he warms up to him. Then when Stephan’s father betrays Stephan and his family, he looks to Matsu for advice and wisdom. Eventually Matsu even brings him to the village of Yamaguchi to meet his old time friend Sachi who has leprosy. Then after a bad storm hits Tarumi, Sachi decides to come down from Yamaguchi to help Matsu rebuild his once beautiful garden. Unfortunately, his good friend Kenzo who is also Sachi’s childhood lover finds out which causes a large fight between the two of them and eventually Kenzo’s suicide. But despite all of the conflicts and complications that continue to arise in his life, Matsu never seems to falter in his conviction or honor. With this in mind the author suggests that when faced with life changing decisions, people who exhibit great courage are often able to handle it with integrity and poise. Sometimes we are forced to...
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