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Protests, Participation and the Future of Politics

Oct-26-11 By Aminda
Making headlines in the U.S.this month are the Occupy Wall Street protests which started inNew York City and spread to cities across the country. Imitation protests are said to have been held in 900 cities around the globe. The movement is a delayed response to the financial meltdown of several years ago, asking for “presidential commission to separate money from politics.” 

Study Analyzes “Wisdom of the Crowd”

Oct-21-11 By Aminda
A four-year study to investigate the effectiveness of crowdsourcing in prediction making is underway by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (IARPA). The study involves four teams from universities around the countries.

Each team is taking a different approach to prediction to study how crowdsourcing can best be used. Universities receive grant money for their efforts— those who stay engaged for the four-year duration earn more.

Crowdsourcing Best Practices

Sep-21-11 By Aminda
A software industry writer has recently published an insightful series of articles on how to ensure crowdsourcing is a best practice and not a worst practice. While the material is focused on the software industry and features insight from executives at TopCoder there is plenty of wisdom for professionals in all industries. The article cautions that crowdsourcing, like outsourcing of years past, is so trendy that it has become a solution for everything. In reality, businesses are better off analyzing projects on a case by case basis to determine which are suited to crowdsourcing and which are not. Then the best model must be determined. For example, Top Coder has calculated optimal participation metrics for each type of contest they host, indicating the optimal number of submissions that will provide the best experience for both customer and member.

Microsoft Seeks Input on Windows 8

Aug-22-11 By Aminda
Customer input and feedback are powerful resources to companies willing to listen. But there is an art to generating effective customer input, according to a Boston area business blogger. The key is active participation coming from the “right” people – that is, from the customers who represent the targeted swath of the market that you most urgently need to understand. Once those people are identified and recruited, it’s important to keep them engaged by showing that the company is listening and providing encouragement for participating.
A new blog from Microsoft demonstrates how companies can do this. The site will chronicle the development of new operating software, Windows 8, generating customer feedback along the way. According to Microsoft, the company aims for the site to be a “point of dialogue between its developers and the general public about design choices, real-world data and usage, and new opportunities that are part of Windows 8.″

Building Democracy in Egypt

Jul-30-11 By Aminda
A pair of journalists has started an insightful blog documenting the process of building a democracy in Egypt. With the first post-revolution parliamentary election to be held in September, there is much work to do. Political activists are using methods such as social media and crowdsourcing as efficient methods of engaging voters in discussion about the new constitution.

Unleashing University Innovation

Jul-27-11 By Aminda
While educational institutions are responsible for training future innovators, many experts wonder if the bureaucratic structures and systems often found in public schools are keeping up with the pace of the rapidly changing global workforce and economy. From the classroom to the support staff, there is no lack of ideas on how to bring about transformation, particularly in the university setting.

Simplifying Volunteering

Jun-13-11 By Aminda
The world has certainly had enough news of economic crisis and natural disasters, so it’s always good to hear some good news. Fortunately, creative new crowdsourcing projects continue to provide opportunities to contribute in positive ways. Here are a few ways anyone can make the world a better place.

Crowdsourcing: an ethics dilemma?

Apr-23-11 By Aminda
Jonathan Zittrain, co-founder of Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society raised the challenging question as to whether corporate social media is ethical. Is there a “Tom Sawyer syndrome” at work in which people are suckered into doing work thinking that it’s something to be enjoyed, where they are persuaded to complete simple tasks for no pay at all, instead offering recognition within the volunteer community or points in the guise of a game.

The BEE: UNICEF’s Solar-Powered Communication Hub for Off-grid Communities

Sep-08-08 By Sam
I have known UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund - to be working mainly to help provide children in vulnerable communities around the world with education opportunities.

But to have a prototype of a portable solar-enabled communication hub that would serve as a tool kit in emergency situations as well as a video-conferencing tool in remote village schools for easier interaction in the learning environment is a plus for the UN agency.