It’s become a dirty world in the creative community. “Crowdsourcing” often means a business has chosen to ask all-comers to submit responses to the businesses request – be it a logo, web site design, or engineering design for NASA’s next space shuttle – with no guarantee of pay or selection of their submitted work. On one hand, it’s a great way to get the community involved in solving a problem rapidly. On the other hand, it can mean asking people to do work for free or little compensation, and possibly without professional practices in mind. The conversation around crowdsourcing can get pretty nasty very quickly, and tempers flare in both pro/anti-crowdsourcing camps.
But as we put together The New Communicators convergence, we have to rethink what “crowdsourcing” really means. We’re asking the whole community – the crowd – to come up with events and put them on. We’re simply facilitating the convergence, helping to match collaborators and hosts, to engage participants. There’s no monetary compensation. No other entity (other than you/your organization) will own what you say or the event you put on. However you say it, this convergence is crowdsourced, and we think that’s a good thing.
So I say, let’s take back crowdsourcing. Let’s redefine is as “by the people, for the people” instead of “by the people, for cheapskate businesses”. We all rise with the tide. Let the community rise up and offer great ideas for the good of the community. Let the people inspire and educate each other, for the good of the community, and the good of business for everyone.
We can’t do it alone, we need the crowd. We need you. So bring your brilliant notions, your burning ideas, your awesome examples of how you are a New Communicator. Create an event, find collaborators, get involved!