Reading Week 2

Design to thrive seeks first to define the differences between a social network and an online community. For instance, a social network has an organizational structure focused around an individual user's one on one relationships, while a online community has a organizational structure focused around a shared purpose, rather than the individual relationships of one user. While these are two very different kinds of communities, they are both worthwhile, both for users and those who would invest in them. Some reasons shared for building such communities include increasing creativity, reducing training and support costs, and reducing travel costs. It also lays out the ribs: four elements necessary for long-term success. They are renumeration, influence, belonging, and significance.

Here comes everyone starts off with the tale of a stolen phone, and how the internet contributed to its return. The story was posted online, gradually building up a following of people who recognized and sympathized with the injustice of lost items being kept from the rightful owners. Eventually, the collective buzzing was so loud that the NYPD changed the status of the phone from lost to stolen, arresting the girl who was in possession of the phone. The group was powerful enough to get a policy changed over a stolen phone, what else may be possible when they band together?

Shirky proposes that everyone belongs to multiple groups in their lives, making us all inherently good at group effort. Much how the other reading said that storytelling is such an ingrained part of our lives that it comes naturally and is the best way for us to understand things quickly. He introduces the clusters of connections, coordinating things with a group of four is six times as hard as with two people, because of the number of connections needed to make it happen. Essentially, Shirky is saying that while we are all capable of great things when we work together in groups, getting everyone to work together is not so easy. It's only when we are able to all share and make the connections necessary for cooperation that group work and the great things that can be accomplished by groups are possible.