book.chapter The past reborn

Crowdsourcing, facilitated by internet connectivity and new web technologies, has become a significant innovation channel. It allows companies to tap into global talent and ideas, fostering a meritocracy where the best contributions rise to the top. Online labor markets and open innovation models further enhance this approach. However, it's not without challenges, including the potential for exploitation and the difficulty of sifting through numerous contributions. Despite these, the benefits of diverse thinking, unexpected solutions, and customer engagement make crowdsourcing a powerful tool for businesses. . Amateur renaissance Once upon a time, being a professional photographer was a lucrative career due to the high cost of quality equipment. However, the advent of digital cameras and platforms like iStockphoto, which sells images from over 50,000 mostly amateur photographers at low prices, has changed the landscape. This phenomenon of amateurs reaching professional standards is widespread today, thanks to the internet enabling mass participation and crowdsourcing. These amateurs are often driven by passion rather than financial gain, dedicating their leisure time to their interests. This shift is evident in various fields, from the millions of videos on YouTube to the vast number of stories on HarryPotterFanFiction.com, and platforms like Etsy.com generating significant revenue by facilitating the sale of homemade items. Crowdsourcing platforms like InnoCentive connect companies with a global pool of talent to solve complex problems, offering substantial rewards. Similarly, the field of ornithology has seen a surge in amateur participation, greatly enhancing the data available to researchers. Crowdsourcing's success lies in tapping into a global talent pool and allowing meritocracies to emerge, where the quality of ideas prevails over formal qualifications. This approach has proven effective, as demonstrated by an MIT study on InnoCentive, where individuals with less experience in a specific discipline often provide the most innovative solutions, highlighting the value of fresh perspectives. Open source emerges In 1983, MIT's Richard Stallman, frustrated with proprietary software practices, initiated the GNU Project to create an open computer operating system. This led to the formation of the Free Software Foundation in 1985. By 1991, Linus Torvalds, a Finnish computer scientist, was developing a free operating system, marking the birth of Linux, now a globally successful open-source software. Similarly, Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, was founded by Larry Sanger and Jimmy Wales. Initially envisioned as an expert-written resource, it evolved into a public collaborative platform in 2001. Today, it boasts over 2.2 million articles in English, demonstrating the power of open collaboration. Open collaboration has been adopted by other organizations too. NASA crowdsourced the analysis of Mars images, completing two years' worth of work in a month. In 2007, the U.S. Patent Office launched a "Peer-to-Patent" program, allowing public commentary on patent applications, saving millions of dollars and addressing a backlog of applications. These examples highlight the power of crowdsourcing and open collaboration, democratizing access to knowledge and tools, and accomplishing vast amounts of work in short timeframes, a testament to the pioneering efforts of open-source projects like Linux and Wikipedia. Production democratized Over the past decade, the cost of creating media content has significantly decreased due to advancements in technology, accessibility of distribution channels, and increased familiarity with creative arts technologies. Digital equipment and software have become more affordable and user-friendly, enabling more people to acquire creative skills. Distribution channels have expanded, allowing creators to reach audiences directly, bypassing traditional gatekeepers in creative industries. This democratization of creative capacity is reshaping industries and shifting power from centralized institutions to individuals. User-generated content (UGC) has become a key business model, where companies provide creative tools and platforms for individuals to share their work, and monetize the content through advertising. This model has disrupted traditional industries, such as the music industry, where bands now use music as a promotional tool to build a fanbase and earn revenue through alternate channels like concert tickets and merchandise. As a result, the lines between consumers and professionals are blurring, and power is shifting from companies to individuals in the world of user-generated content. Vibrant communities rise Crowdsourcing transforms how work is done, leveraging the Internet and online communities to organize individuals around shared interests, bypassing traditional geographic limitations. These communities, thriving on collaboration and mutual interests, outperform traditional companies in identifying talent and evaluating creative work. They operate efficiently without the need for costly executive oversight, as the best ideas naturally emerge through merit. The collective effort of numerous individuals contributes significantly more than isolated efforts, making online communities a formidable force in achieving large-scale projects. This shift is evident in the changing landscape of employment and corporate structure, with companies like ManpowerGroup leading in employment numbers through outsourcing, and others like HP and Visa decentralizing decision-making. Online communities not only challenge the traditional corporate model but also introduce a new paradigm where recognition and peer respect are more motivating than financial incentives. An example of successful crowdsourcing is TopCoder, which since 2000 has harnessed the collective skills of programmers through competitions to deliver high-quality software efficiently, demonstrating the power of community-driven initiatives over conventional approaches.