Publish, Filter, Collaborate!

Ok, so for this week we discussed Shirky chapters 4-7. By just looking at the titles, you can guess at what is being discussed in the chapters. The great thing about this book is the ease at which the information can be understood. However, one never knows who understands and who does not. So, we are going to do an experiment and put into action what Shirky describes. This will accomplish three goals:

1) Shirky exemplifies collective action and online collaboration as a tool of our current era. Thus, we should practice this as much as possible in this class.

2) You can help your fellow classmates understand topics that are not fully understand, Publish then Filter.

3) By posting and contributing to the online dialogue you can build your digital portfolio for the class.

This is a trial run. The format can change and be improved. Feel free to offer suggestions that will help you and your classmates learn more effectively and help us all communicate the ideas of Sociology more effectively.

The following is an outline of the class discussion today. I would like you to read through it and make additions to it. You then can fill in sections of the outline, ask or answer questions, and write ideas that come to you from class and/or readings.

Outline:

Review Conflict Theory

Assumptions

Implications

Examples:

Sports Dynasties: Yankees

The Commons

Shirky

Chapter 4: Publish then Filter

Social tools are only interesting once they get boring

What if our class knew what our class knows?

Chapter 5: Motivation and Collaborative Production

Unmanaged division of labor

Power law distribution

Chapter 6: Collective Action and Institutional Challenges

Ordinary online tools become useful for challenging institutions

2002 example of priest pedophiles

Chapter 7: Faster and Faster

Flash Mobs - ability to coordinate through online means

Groups can organize in a matter of hours, days and weeks

Organization is happening faster and faster

Key Terms

Conflict Theory

Unmanaged division of labor

Power law distribution

Collective action

Flash mobs

Example Questions

How has collective action changed with the implentation of online social tools?

What are the impacts of collective action on large institutions?

Why does publishing then filtering lend itself to collaborative production much more in online environments?