Does social media simply amplify the way humans work anyway?

Hugh often cites Clay Shirky's quote:

"So forget about blogs and bloggers and blogging and focus on this -- the cost and difficulty of publishing absolutely anything, by anyone, into a global medium, just got a whole lot lower. And the effects of that increased pool of potential producers is going to be vast."

I find this quote can be quite helpful in presenting Web 2.0 concepts to folks who aren't quite as immersed in the fish bowl (as Mitch calls it) of social media. In some way, I hope it gives groups permission to blue sky about the possibilities being presented by Web 2.0 without getting bogged down in the intricacies of the technology itself.

Clay is releasing another book tomorrow called "Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations". Russell has a nice advance review here.

It is interesting to think about how the Internet is impacting our capacity to collaborate and create with others - both in terms of how things get done and what, exactly, are the things getting done. I recall a discussion with Chris Corrigan some time ago where he suggested that one of the things he loved about blogging is that it enabled him to build connections with other facilitators such that when they finally meet in-person as part of a hosting team, they can move into the core of their work together much more quickly.

I think that, in many ways, Web 2.0 simply amplifies they way we work and organize as humans anyway. It is actually a lot more natural than many skeptics would initially consider. Here's a pic of a Facebook user's friends network / social graph:

And here's a picture of Halifax's Farmers' Market:

I think the similarities here are much more than simply visual.

Comments

[Robert Paterson]

Absolutely Carman - I have been astounded by the growth of comment and community - all not formally organized - around the idea of not believing in God. A Taboo subject where having a support community is itself a contradiction. But being human we all need social support - Bingo YouTube!

Same for the Bryant Park Radio show on NPR - many of us can't listen for reasons of time etc - but the use of Twitter and the Blog is creating not a fan club but a community where we all swap ideas and love. No organization - it's easy to drop in and/or leave

I wonder though is there an idea or an object at the centre of each community? Is this the DNA of non organization/organization - that there has to be an object at its centre?

[cpirie]

That is an interesting question, Rob. I think connectedness has many layers... so, the 'idea or object at the centre of each community' may be stated as one thing (not believing in God, per your example) but the real glue that holds it together likely has little to do with that, particularly as the community evolves and grows.

An object or idea (Hugh's 'Social Object', perhaps) may answer the question 'Why connect in the first place?' while Love provides the glue... helping to answer the question 'Why do we continue to connect?'.

What do you think?

[Mark Dykeman]

The resemblance between the two pictures would be even stronger if everyone in the Halifax Farmer's Market was wearing a sandwich board that advertised their interests, their friends, and their contributions, much like the stall owners do.

Crude, but do you get my point?

[Dobvk]

i am gonna show this to my friend, guy