Comments on: Crowds Are No Wiser Than They Ever Have Been http://redcatco.com/blog/leadership/crowds-are-no-wiser-than-they-ever-have-been/ Connecting People With Technology Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:00:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Socialreporter | Clay Shirky: online crowds aren’t always wise http://redcatco.com/blog/leadership/crowds-are-no-wiser-than-they-ever-have-been/comment-page-1/#comment-8707 Socialreporter | Clay Shirky: online crowds aren’t always wise Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:41:00 +0000 http://redcatco.com/?p=1116#comment-8707 [...] and wise, shift from his previously utopian view of what could be achieved. I’ve posted about crowds not providing the wisest answer for every situation before. When we think about the idea of direct access into the political [...] [...] and wise, shift from his previously utopian view of what could be achieved. I’ve posted about crowds not providing the wisest answer for every situation before. When we think about the idea of direct access into the political [...]

]]> By: Questioning the wisdom of the crowd | socialmediainfluence.com http://redcatco.com/blog/leadership/crowds-are-no-wiser-than-they-ever-have-been/comment-page-1/#comment-8486 Questioning the wisdom of the crowd | socialmediainfluence.com Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:19:09 +0000 http://redcatco.com/?p=1116#comment-8486 [...] and wise, shift from his previously utopian view of what could be achieved. I’ve posted about crowds not providing the wisest answer for every situation before. When we think about the idea of direct access into the political [...] [...] and wise, shift from his previously utopian view of what could be achieved. I’ve posted about crowds not providing the wisest answer for every situation before. When we think about the idea of direct access into the political [...]

]]> By: Mass Collaboration - Snow Joke | redcatco blog http://redcatco.com/blog/leadership/crowds-are-no-wiser-than-they-ever-have-been/comment-page-1/#comment-8450 Mass Collaboration - Snow Joke | redcatco blog Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:17:20 +0000 http://redcatco.com/?p=1116#comment-8450 [...] wise, shift from his previously utopian view of what could be achieved. I’ve posted about crowds not providing the wisest answer for every situation before. When we think about the idea of direct access into the political [...] [...] wise, shift from his previously utopian view of what could be achieved. I’ve posted about crowds not providing the wisest answer for every situation before. When we think about the idea of direct access into the political [...]

]]> By: Benjamin http://redcatco.com/blog/leadership/crowds-are-no-wiser-than-they-ever-have-been/comment-page-1/#comment-7494 Benjamin Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:00:22 +0000 http://redcatco.com/?p=1116#comment-7494 Hello Anjali. Probably an interesting debate on the title. Yes, we have the ability to share, etc.. But Sir Tim Berners-Lee and others would probably argue about that making us smarter - hence the debate about rating systems for websites and so on. 'More' does not mean better, it just means more. When research comes back from how the blogosphere handled the US elections, we might have some quantitative data. Until then it is a subjective feeling that we are smarter - a whole other post, but a good point! Two reasons for my comment about adding in to the mix if you have a different view. I didn't mean disagree for the sake of disagreeing, that's not smart. It is more about: 1) Don't be afraid to say Y, just because 100 people say X. Better to start the debate or to stand corrected. 2) Avoid <a href="http://psysr.org/about/pubs_resources/groupthink%20overview.htm" rel="nofollow">groupthink</a>. When leading decision making exercises, this can be a major issue. Echoing an opinion to show support is a nice thing to do. However, echoes add apparent authority to a point, without additional supporting data. By all means bring additional data to a debate, but the strength in numbers thing is how bad decisions happen. Hopefully you see more of my rational now. Hello Anjali. Probably an interesting debate on the title. Yes, we have the ability to share, etc.. But Sir Tim Berners-Lee and others would probably argue about that making us smarter – hence the debate about rating systems for websites and so on. ‘More’ does not mean better, it just means more. When research comes back from how the blogosphere handled the US elections, we might have some quantitative data. Until then it is a subjective feeling that we are smarter – a whole other post, but a good point!

Two reasons for my comment about adding in to the mix if you have a different view. I didn’t mean disagree for the sake of disagreeing, that’s not smart. It is more about:

1) Don’t be afraid to say Y, just because 100 people say X. Better to start the debate or to stand corrected.

2) Avoid groupthink. When leading decision making exercises, this can be a major issue. Echoing an opinion to show support is a nice thing to do. However, echoes add apparent authority to a point, without additional supporting data. By all means bring additional data to a debate, but the strength in numbers thing is how bad decisions happen.

Hopefully you see more of my rational now.

]]> By: Anjali http://redcatco.com/blog/leadership/crowds-are-no-wiser-than-they-ever-have-been/comment-page-1/#comment-7474 Anjali Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:02:44 +0000 http://redcatco.com/?p=1116#comment-7474 Hey Benjamin: Must say I don't agree with the title of this post: crowds, in fact, are MUCH wiser than they ever have been, because the internet has given them the power not only to share, but to refine their opinions based on knowledge from experts. There will always be a role for experts, without doubt, especially as you say, in medicine. When you say "So, read widely, find diverse opinions, and add your own opinion into the mix if it is different to what you see", I think the first part makes sense - that of 'reading widely, finding diverse opinions, and adding your own opinion into the mix', but 'if it different to what you see' seems very limiting. I may agree with a certain viewpoint by principle - I'm not going to disagree just for the sake of saying something contrary if it doesn't make sense to me. Besides, there is strength in numbers. But if I don't agree with a viewpoint in principle, then I will say so and say why. Hey Benjamin: Must say I don’t agree with the title of this post: crowds, in fact, are MUCH wiser than they ever have been, because the internet has given them the power not only to share, but to refine their opinions based on knowledge from experts. There will always be a role for experts, without doubt, especially as you say, in medicine.

When you say “So, read widely, find diverse opinions, and add your own opinion into the mix if it is different to what you see”, I think the first part makes sense – that of ‘reading widely, finding diverse opinions, and adding your own opinion into the mix’, but ‘if it different to what you see’ seems very limiting. I may agree with a certain viewpoint by principle – I’m not going to disagree just for the sake of saying something contrary if it doesn’t make sense to me. Besides, there is strength in numbers. But if I don’t agree with a viewpoint in principle, then I will say so and say why.

]]> By: Benjamin http://redcatco.com/blog/leadership/crowds-are-no-wiser-than-they-ever-have-been/comment-page-1/#comment-7405 Benjamin Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:10:28 +0000 http://redcatco.com/?p=1116#comment-7405 Sounds like a good concept, although tricky in practice! I liked the posts (tweeted the Branson link). Sounds like a good concept, although tricky in practice! I liked the posts (tweeted the Branson link).

]]> By: Phil http://redcatco.com/blog/leadership/crowds-are-no-wiser-than-they-ever-have-been/comment-page-1/#comment-7402 Phil Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:21:35 +0000 http://redcatco.com/?p=1116#comment-7402 Hi Benjamin, This rings bells with a current Richard Branson post: <a href="http://entrepreneur.virgin.com/2008/12/10/entrepreneurs-and-leadership/" rel="nofollow">Entrepreneurs and leadership</a> and <a href="http://www.churchofcustomer.com/2008/12/life-in-the-b-1.html" rel="nofollow">this</a> on Church of the Customer. Read widely, filter wisely, yes? Hi Benjamin,

This rings bells with a current Richard Branson post: Entrepreneurs and leadership and this on Church of the Customer. Read widely, filter wisely, yes?

]]>