Opening keynote: Clay Shirky – Here Comes Everybody

In the emerging world of web-based collaboration and experimentation, organizations are learning that loosely coordinated groups may be the best way to work on large, complicated undertakings. The open source software industry is the most visible demonstration of this phenomenon. Collaborative networks are changing the face of media, entertainment, outsourcing and all technology-based industries. We’re witnessing the migration from an information economy (the work of the individual mind) to new forms of collective intelligence and collective effort. For good or for bad, this is a fundamental change in the way our society is structured. Clay illustrates these fundamental forces at work and how they will change the world’s organizations and ultimately, us.

Group action just got easier, with Sharing, Collaboration and Collective Action. Clay shared examples of each of these areas.

Sharing: example was Flickr and the HDR photo example and conversation.
Collaboration: example was Wikipedia. Interestingly enough, the number of edits and editors was a graph that had a long tail. Just because there were people with only one edit doesn’t mean that their participation was not valid. Pluto example.  
Collective Action: example was Facebook and the “Stop the Great HSBC graduate Rip Off” group created, which led to the organizing of a potential protest, etc.

Heard throughout the day:

Old school – we are the hub, you must go through us.
New school – connect directly to each other. Sideways conversations. Don’t have to go through the hub.

Old school – Gather then share.
New school – Share then gather.

My Closing thoughts:

Twitter, facebook, web 2.0, etc are not about content per se, it’s about creating the connection, conversations, belonging, contributing and community. Web 2.0 creates engagement and helps build trust.

At a deeper level, I think that people have a need to belong and are searching for identity. I think that people also need a cause, will rally around it and will give back.

Wanted to blog more from today but need to work on presentation for tomorrow.

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