9.15.11 - Respose to Shirky and Howard

Shirky:  Here Comes Everybody

I’m enjoying how straightforward it is to read this book.  It provides excellent examples to illustrate what it’s pointing out.  The examples Shirky has chosen are also interesting enough that I remember them, and in remembering Ivanna’s Sidekick or the Mermaid Parade I’m able to remember the idea they’re presenting.  I appreciate when authors build memory devices into their writing so I don’t have to create them myself. 

I believe it’s important to note that another Tectonic Plate Shift is happening now as society adapts new behaviors to capitalize on changes in technology.  Shirky points this out in saying that

“This change will not be limited to any particular set of institutions or functions.  For any given organization, the important questions are ‘When will the change happen?’ and ‘What will change?’  The only two answers we can rule out are never, and nothing” (23). 

Despite not knowing the exact answers, the reading assignments were paired well this week in that Howard addresses how you can best plan to address these questions.

When reading how Shirky emphasizes that “instead of counting people, you need to count links between people (26)” I couldn’t help but think of the idea of Connectors that Malcolm Gladwell lays out in The Tipping Point.  Connectors are people who have countless connections in their social interactions.  They’re the people who seem to know everyone.  Their personalities ooze charisma because they are social beings who love to collect acquaintances.  As we shift our behavior to utilize technologies that have become available, I wonder if technology is starting to take the place of Connectors.  Of course, you’ll still have Connectors as people in this Tectonic Plate shift.  They’re the ones on Facebook who have over 1,000 friends.  It’s not eliminating them entirely, but is it altering the role they played ten or twenty years ago?    Technology is also now serving as a Connector.  You no longer always have to rely on a person to put you in touch with others.  Technology has shifted into this role.  Flickr served as a Connector for people who uploaded pictures and tagged them “mermaidparade.” 

The distinctions among sharing, cooperation, and collective action are important to note.  Howard’s additional elaboration on of each concept also helps to clarify their differences.  Before technology offered an additional platform for these behaviors, it’s intriguing that people assumed that markets and management were the only two outlets for joining a group.  Most forms of self-assembly were out of the picture before technology allowed for them to happen.  In not considering a third option, organizations did themselves a disfavor; they failed to consider what happens when group action no longer needs formal organization.  We have yet to see the entire potential of this phenomenon but can use it as a reminder to always keep the question “When will the change happen?” at the forefront of our organizational processes.

Howard:  Design to Thrive

Howard’s distinction between social networks and online communities is an important one.  Being aware that these do not have to be Web based is also key in understanding how to best build and maintain these networks and communities.  Furthermore, noting that Listservs, news groups, and bulletin boards do not automatically constitute a community is important when starting to explore the potential of creating that community.

Howard makes an excellent case for investing in social networks and online communities in Chapter 3.  I was most able to identify with his point on improving retention and growing loyalty.  Having taught in a Title I school for three years, I am well aware of high teacher turnover.  I’m part of the 50% of teachers who leave within the first 5 years.  I’d never quantified this cost before.  That it costs over $7 billion per year floored me.  Having been in a district that made budget cuts the norm, I see this as an opportunity.  If you can keep those teachers, you have more money to invest in the students.  You are also in turn, contributing to preserving institutional knowledge by doing this.  No matter which discipline you’re coming from (sounds like a potential cross-fertilization opportunity) I see investment in social networks and online communities moving to assist in saving money.  Bottom line (pun intended):  when implemented well they bring the benefit of reducing costs.