photo by Jon Metcalfe
I had completely forgotten about a REAL LIFE example of crowdsourcing that takes place away from our computer screens, one that I took part in while traveling in Australia in March 2007. My Aussie friend's facebook status recently reminded me as they just celebrated Clean Up Australia Day! Even though Clean Up Australia is an organization created before the internet, I wanted to write this entry because more and more I think the internet will make people come together away from their computers as it reawakens the power of the people!
So what is Clean Up Australia Day? Well, their website has lots of extra information, but I can imagine the name is pretty self-explanatory. On the first weekend of March since 1989, millions of Australians have gotten together to help clean up their communities, their water fronts, their entire country.
But those are volunteers! Crowdsourcing offers $$$
Not necessarily, librivox certainly doesn't offer a salary to their contributors yet they still demonstrate an amazing work ethic. Nor are the creators of many open source software programs rolling in bank notes when their program hits number one on CNET.com
Consider Earth Hour, another example of volunteers working together for change. Earth Hour started in 2007, also in Australia, but blew up all over the world in 2008 because of the internet. Many of us have seen videos of No Pants Subway Rides or mp3 raves in downtown New York, all organized by individuals on the internet. Not exactly socially responsible, but still fun. Or how about Critical Mass which has spread to over 300 cities with the help of the internet? The point is, we shouldn't just see crowdsourcing as an opportunity to make some money, but as an opportunity to make a difference.
No comments:
Post a Comment