DigiDiaries

And you don't even have to be inebriated: Crowdsourcing

I mean, yeah, you could definitely play some loud music while you're at it. Perhaps you could make it happen while you're being groped by a bunch of strangers - I haven't tried it. I won't judge.

But subtract the concert audience, add a digital audience, mix in your blog & your cause:

Crowdsourcing is, literally, the outsourcing of a crowd - in this case, your loyal readers. You ask for help with something; make a petition on your blog; Twitter your wish out into the deep blue of the Intrawebz, and see what curious/generous patrons spit back at you.

• Maybe you need help with a monster project required for an interview you're trying to land, like Joanna Geary....

• Maybe you're the classic college student trying to pay tuition - eager to learn but unbearably broke (join the CLUB) - and you're looking for kind souls to donate just $3, like Brendan (So far, he's collected $5,677.87 more than I've ever gotten from strangers)...

• Maybe you're a contagiously-energetic Marketing Manager looking for a few good intern candidates (or, in this case, a tech superstar whose name rhymes with Shmick Shmenny, with a clever opensource brain and an awesome network)...

Regardless, I think that crowdsourcing pretty much defines the best forward-facing ideals of our time: Being resourceful, digging into and connecting with your community, and helping out another human being.

Posted at 04:50PM Jul 22, 2008 by Bernadette Anat in Blogging  |  Comments[0]