Crowdsourcing
Crowdsourcing
Public Humiliation
Are We losing Our Gentler Society?
© Robert G Parker – UW-CISA 2010
Crowdsourcing
Definition
Crowdsourcing is the act of outsourcing tasks, traditionally
performed by an employee or contractor, to an undefined,
large group of people or community (a "crowd"), through an
open call.
Jeff Howe, one of the first authors to employ the term, established that the concept
of crowdsourcing depends essentially on the fact that because it is an open call to an
undefined group of people, it gathers those who are most fit to perform tasks, solve
complex problems and contribute with the most relevant and fresh ideas.
For example, the public may be invited to develop a new technology, carry out a
design task (also known as community-based design[1] or "design by democracy"
and distributed participatory design), refine or carry out the steps of an algorithm
(see human-based computation), or help capture, systematize or analyze large
amounts of data (see also citizen science).
2
Crowdsourcing
Stanley Cup Riots – Vancouver June 15, 2011
It Started Out With
Onlookers Sending
Photos From Their
Phones to Friends
It Spread to Blogs and
Postings
It Escalated to Police
Creating Web Sites
and Facebook
Accounts to Obtain
Information
© Robert G Parker – UW-CISA 2010
Crowdsourcing
Technology Provided the
Public with a Means of
Expressing their Anger and
“Getting Back” at the
Perpetrators
No longer Were Photos being
Posted to Inform Friends.
Photos Were Being Posted to
Humiliate and Punish the
Perpetrators
© Robert G Parker – UW-CISA 2010
Crowdsourcing
34 Rioters Have Turned
Themselves into Police
in 3 weeks
Police and Experts
Have Over 15,000
Images and 1,200
Hours of Video
The Crowd Are Becoming the Eyes and Ears of Police
Cameras Are Everywhere
© Robert G Parker – UW-CISA 2010
Crowdsourcing
Crowd Sentiment has Also
Turned Against the Rioters
© Robert G Parker – UW-CISA 2010
Crowdsourcing
Technology Brought
People Together:
 Solicitations for
Help Over the
Internet
 On-line Sign-Up
 On-Line
Coordination
Social Media Allowed Quick, Responsive and Effective Coordination of a
Positive Public Response
© Robert G Parker – UW-CISA 2010
Societal Trends and Issues
Crowdsourcing
Business Reaction
Use of Business Technology and/or Time and the Use of Social Media to
Promote Non-Business Causes and Activities
Association (indirectly) of the Business With Such Activities, Whether They
Are Considered Good or Not
Possible Indirect Involvement With Illegal Activities
Crowdsourcing Risk Management
Incite crown or mob behaviour
Manipulate public response / action
By-pass judicial process with public sentiment
Improved Information and Reporting
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Societal Trends and Issues
Perspective
Why Are We Having Difficulty Understanding
These Issues and Concepts?
14th Amendment to the US Constitution
Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United
States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for
payment of pensions and bounties for services in
suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be
questioned. But neither the United States nor any State
shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in
aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United
States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any
slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be
held illegal and void.
July 9, 1868
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