Group projects, like collaboration and crowdsourcing, can be really great or a big disaster. Howard Rheingold mentioned a group of people hunting big game. I'm sure they were organized with a game plan and probably a group leader. If they had a group of men that each had their own idea of how to bring down the mammoth the hunt would have ended in failure. Dan Woods says that "most open-source projects are the product of one obsessed individual" not a crowd.
There are some instances of crowdsourcing being used in a positive way. One important example I thought of is a jury. The jury takes the opinion of the group to decide someone's guilt or innocence. Ebay is generally a good crowdsourcing website. It does pose some risks though so you have to be careful. Wikipedia was mentioned in a few of the articles. It also has both good and bad points. You can find information about almost anything on Wikipedia. However, it's not totally reliable. In every report I have ever done the instructor says that you are not to use Wikipedia as a source.
The way Twitter and Facebook were used in Egypt was great. They actually used then for something worthwhile and not "as time-wasting sink holes" as stated in Stephen Balkam's article. Though I don't think Facebook is always a waste of time for Americans. We don't have the kinds of problems they were dealing with in Egypt, but Facebook is often used for worthy pursuits. People use it for reconnecting with long lost friends. Groups can use it to find volunteers or donations for their charity. Humane societies can use it to find homes for homeless animals. All too often Facebook and Twitter are a waste of time, but they don't have to be. It all depends on how you use them.
Melissa, I thought it was very interesting what you said about Facebook and how it was used in the right way throughout Egypt. When I first read the articles assigned, I didn't feel this way at first. But, after reading your blog post for this week, I kinda agree with you now and how Facebook and Twitter are not "as time-wasting sink holes." I don't think Facebook is a waste of time for Americans but I do agree from our last weeks readings that Facebook and other social networking sites can DEFINITELY be a distraction either in class, at work, or even at home. Facebook is a chance for people to connect with long lost friends and I think social networking sites have done a great job in advancing with the technology updates. I also agree in that Facebook and Twitter don't have to be a waste of time and they can actually be productive if you use them the right way!
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