Crowdsourcing: Rise of the Amateur

I wish I could count back the path that took me to this particular ZDNet Blog, which I’ve never seen before either, but it was worth the time.

Unlike many who hate the word Web 2.0, I tend to approve of it as it has a certain implied, though not rigid, definition that allows us to engage in a conversation on the matter. Sure it’s not perfect, but what is?

Today I heard, for the first time, a buzzword that actually seems to adequately describe what we’re doing with Social Roots: crowdsourcing. I wasn’t sure at first either but the explanation rings true:

What is crowdsourcing? According to Howe’s “Crowdsourcing, A billion amateurs want your job":

Remember outsourcing? Sending jobs to India and China is so 2003. The new pool of cheap labor: everyday people using their spare cycles to create content, solve problems, even do corporate R & D.M.

Crowds cited: garage scientists, amateur videographers, micro-freelancers, photo enthusiasts.

Source: crowdsourcing.com, “the rise of the amateur”

Will crowdsourcing eclipse long tail? Join the conversation: “Talk Back” below and share your buzz thoughts.

Source: Crowdsourcing: New buzzword?

I know I’ve yet to truly reveal what I’m working on - with the exception of it annoying my friends deeply, but we’re working on releasing more than talking so it’s gonna be a little while longer.

I’ll be sharing some additional insights this week though - just need to get 50 blogs launched for a client first :)