The Net Generation and Weapons of Mass Collaboration

Chapter 6 of Wikinomics addresses what the authors call “The New Alexandrians.” Using the historical account of the first library established by the Alexandrian Greeks, Tapscott and Williams argue that information sharing has been around for thousands of years. They believe that through the Internet and online community the culture of the world can benefit from collaborative knowledge. New Alexandrians are defined as “individuals, companies, and organizations that recognize the power and importance of openness in today’s economy.” (p.157) They go on to say “They are building rich collaborative environments and open knowledge infrastructures of all kinds, including open standards, open-content initiatives, open scientific networks, and open research-and-development consortiums,” all of which Tapscott and Williams compare to the ancient Greeks’ quest to learn from on another. The credit the web with helping to transform the realm of science into an “increasingly open and collaborative endeavor.” (p. 156)

Chapter 7 explores the profitability of collaborative products. The chapter begins with the story of the “mashup” or combining of two existing web tools to form a new useful web product. For instance, combing google maps with the listings found on craigslist. This mashup allowed for users to see a map of a neighborhood combined with the current listings of houses available in the area. Through the evolution of the web and application programming interface (API) new web services are able to be more easily created. I found myself very interested in this chapter as it relates to a project I am currently involved int. As mentioned in earlier posts, ISupportThisMessage.com is a video based web platform that incorporates social networking, polling and blog features to political messages. The evolution of this project has allowed for us to develop API technology that can take the ISTM platform and apply it to any other topic or existing website. The ASP model of business has been exciting for the ISTM brand. We are working to help Washington DC based associations, coalitions, and corporations upgrade to Web 2.0 technology using this interface. ISTM is an evolution from the YouTube model in that it also for content control. In a sense YouTube is the wild west of video technology. You put your message out there and have no control over what happens next. ISTM allows you to control who views it, whether or not you want comments and polling. ISTM leaves you in charge. Examples:

• Essential Worker Immigration Coalition
• American Moving & Storage Association

Chapter 8 explores the business adoption of out sourcing. Tapscott and Williams detail the stories of BMW and Boeing, both of which combine strengths of partner companies to produce superior products. Using BMW and Boeing technology and design, these companies work with outside resources to complete the task of constructing their brand products. Tapscott and Williams provide the following lessons:
• Focus on critical drivers (p.235)
• Add value through orchestration (p.236)
• Instill rapid, iterative design processes (p.236)
• Harness modular architectures (p.237)
• Create a transparent and egalitarian ecosystem (p.237)
• Share cost and risk (p.238)
• Keep a keen futures watch (p.238)
Chapter 9 uses the story of the Geek Squad and Best Buy to detail the importance and adoption of technology in the workplace. Geek Squad is able to harness the energy of their employees to advance business with Best Buy. Peer production in the workplace consists of the following:
• Teams
• Time Allocation
• Decision Making
• Resource Allocation
• Corporate Communications
• Peer to Peer Collaboration
Tapscott and Williams predict the following changes to the modern workplace as a result of wiki technology:
• New workplace environments
• New economics of work
• New sources of identity and security
• New intermediaries in the talent market

Chapter 10 summarizes the power of collaborative minds. “These new forms of peer production enable firms to harvest external knowledge, resources, and talent on a scale that was previously impossible.” (pp. 269-270) Tapscott and Williams point out several design principles:

• Taking cues from your lead users
• Building a critical mass
• Supplying an infrastructure for collaboration
• Take your time to get the structures and governance right
• Make sure all participants can harvest some value
• Abide by community norms
• Let the process evolve
• Hone your collaborative mind

Using new technology allows for people socialize, entertain, innovate and transact with their peers in new ways. This form of mass collaboration allows for more opportunities.