Blog Week 7; Collective Intelligence and Networking

“Good evening, I am Caitlin Bishop reporting for DMS news; tonight’s top story is the uprising of the student movement in Athens and I am writing this story, having never been to Athens, from the comfort of my bedroom in Palm Beach, Australia.”

           

Although I am not actually reporting on any movement in Athens (I have a blog to write!) the above scenario could be possible. With the extensive social networks that exists over the Internet, the information network that is the Internet and the collective intelligence that these networks create, information and knowledge is accessible and applicable to any budding journalist/writer such as myself.

Collective intelligence is defined as “the results gained from collaboration and the sharing of information, as well as through competition, between many individuals; it is the primary objective of knowledge management.” (http://www.quantum3.co.za/CI%20Glossary.htm)

(http://www.google.com/imgres?q=global+intelligence)

As new media emerges, partnered with the Web 2.0, an exorbitant amount of information can be shared and consumed through the Internet, thus forming an information network. This technology also allows content consumers to become content creators, and interact with the media in ways never seen before. An inevitable byproduct of these factors is networking; relationships and connections formed between people, or organizations, existing in a digital world.

A network is defined as ‘any interconnected set of points, which could be persons, places, organisations, machines and so on. In communication, interest focuses on the flow of information through the ‘lines’ of a network’ (McQuail, 2010 pp. 564).

For the eager and studious characters studying Digital Media and Society at Bond University the notion of collective intelligence and networking should not be taken lightly. The implications and consequences of these concepts relate heavily to the field of media and communication, while at the same time increasing the importance of these fields in today’s society (Flew, 2008). Yet it is not just the communication/media students that should be pondering, when one considers the extent of Internet penetration, 80% penetration in Australia, and how quickly online-use is growing, soon, those not affected will be few and far between.

Flew (2008) outlines the benefits to organisations of networking, they include (Flew, 2008 pp 81);

-       ‘The capacity for collective learning among agents across the network

-       Accrual of legitimacy or status for individual agents from being part of a larger network

-       Greater ‘adaptiveness’ to unanticipated changes in the wider socio-economic environment

-       Minimising forms of vulnerability arising from resource dependency upon others’

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Possibly, Flew (2008) could have elaborated upon these benefits to encompass the individual. For example, as an aspiring journalist who would prefer to make a living freelancing as opposed to working ‘for the man’ the dream is no longer residing on some far away cloud. Instead, through networks such as ‘The Cloud’, as an individual I have greater agency, greater access to learning and information and less need to depend on others, than ever before.

‘Take my autograph now ladies and gentlemen’, through networking and the deployment of collective intelligence aspiring media professionals, in fact all those connected to a network, are faced with endless opportunities to be heard, recognized and possibly make profit from their contributions.

Flew (2008) could have also considered how networking eliminates the tyranny of the individual through interaction and participation. Allowing the knowledge possessed by individuals to be extended into the digital world. This allowance is slowly moving society from an individual to collectivist culture.

Manuel Castells (2005) elaborates on this concept; he argues the industrial revolution was based upon vertically arranged organisations such as churches, armies and hierarchical businesses. During this time networks were more private, local relationships built around a common goal. Extended or obscure networks were unsustainable in the public sphere because there was no way to form and maintain widespread contacts. Because of this a ‘collective intelligence’ could not exist, the intelligence was supplied through the establishments and ‘the masses’ could not contribute to this body of information.

The emergence of digital technology and new media has given networking a ‘backbone’ (Castells, 2005 pp. 4) to retain the flexible, adaptive and decentralized nature of the network while providing the means to establish and develop connections. Such diverse connections will, in turn, further enhance the network. This cycle is leading to a ‘network society’ where the amount of people connected directly relates to the value of the network; as more people contribute the collective intelligence increases.

The origins of the network society include ‘information becoming the raw material of economic activity’ and ‘the pervasive effects of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) through all realms of human social activity,’ (Manuel in Flew, 2008 pp 88).

As is obvious, the vertical and individualist nature of the industrial economy is slowly becoming redundant; an economy built through networking demands a a flatter power structure and a collective resource of intelligence.

Furthermore, because there are no pre-determined rules or regulations involved, a network revolves around a set of behaviours or values. (Flew, 2008). This means the rigidness of hierarchical organizations has to be eliminated or they simply will not survive in today’s economy (Flew, 2008).

Consequently and thankfully, I do not have to suffer being called into the boss’s office on the first day of a journalism cadetship to be told to collect coffees or cover the small-time-celebrity watch before I develop the ‘legitimacy’ to be published, or gain access to report the important stories. Instead, because of the flexibility of networking and opportunities supplied by new technology, I can easily access information privately and my work can be recognized or published digitally without me having set foot in the boss’s office.

Furthermore I can use networks to connect with people across the world. If I want to interview a student in Athens, I will be able to do so through a social network, if I wish to view an ‘everyday perspective’ as opposed to one condoned through governments or institutions I can do so through blogs and finally I can contribute to, and interact with, this ocean of information using my own ICT devices that converge between each other. National borders and time, space or physical limitations no longer apply and the worlds ‘collective intelligence’ continues to be reinforced.

What is startling is that I can do all this and I have not yet graduated. The power has shifted, from media establishments controlling the information available to the public, to consumers not only accessing but producing this information. This phenomenon will further increase as the network society takes over; the increasing number of people connected will increase the value of collective intelligence.

The potential power this holds is unbelievable; an example can be seen in the uprising in Libya. An entire regime was overthrown using social media and networking. Everyday people from around the world connected through the Internet supporting each other and informing each other to make a change to society and the world.

And now, at the completion of my blog, I could write a news story, or feature, regarding events occurring on the other side of the world. Using networks offered over the Internet while dipping into the ‘collective intelligence bucket’ of information and knowledge I have the means to inform my own eventual and inevitable contribution to the same bucket.

Resources:

Flew, T. (2008). New Media, An Introduction. (3^rd ed.). Victoria: Oxford University Press.

McQuail, D. (2010). Mass Communication Theory. (6^th ed.). London: Sage Publications.

Castells, M. (2005). The Network Society, From Knowledge to Policy. Washington: Centre for Transatlantic Relations.

Minwatts Marketing Group. (2011). Internet World Stats. Retrieved October, 26, from: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

Libyanym (Producer). (2011, October 21). ITV: Role of Social Media in the Libyan Revolution-London Celebrates Capture and Death of Gaddafi. [Youtube Video]. Accessed via: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW1RPNjeKZY

Blog Week 5; The Global Knowledge Economy

Trade your hard hats and high-vis vest for thinking hats and entrepreneurial spirit, the ‘Global Knowledge Economy’ is stronger than ever and it seems the future of this world lies within creation, innovation and new ideas.

The definition of a ‘Global Knowledge Economy’ is somewhat elusive, it stems from ‘globalization’ which is the ‘overall process whereby the location of production, transmission and reception of media content ceases to be geographically fixed, partly as a result of technology but also through international media structure and organisation’ (McQuail, 2010, pp. 558) and the idea of a ‘knowledge economy’ which suggests ‘the increase in the stock of useful knowledge and the extension of its application are the essence of modern economic growth’ (Teece, 2003 pp. 47).

But what does this mean?, according to Flew (2008) the shift from a manufacturing economy to a knowledge economy results in the following:

-                     “Both production and consumption processes are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated

-                     Increasingly advanced knowledge and skills are being required in many processes of production

-                     Consumers also face increasingly complex decisions about evaluating the quality of goods and services on offer

-                     There is an increasing reliance on specialist or idiosyncratic skills

-                     The use and transfer of information is becoming increasingly important in economic and social activities

-                     Uncertainty is increasingly central to all aspects of economic and social life”

(Flew, 2008, pp. 198)

Taking a more selfish perspective; the shift to a ‘Global Knowledge Economy’ means, for a budding journalist (hopefully) come media extraordinaire like myself, there has never been a better (or more competitive) time to graduate.

Because consumers have more choice in the media they use, because they are relying heavily on information to make decisions about their actions and because there is an increased uncertainty - which, in turn, demands more information- the focus of those seeking knowledge has moved from regulated ‘mass media’ to that magical source; The Internet.

As an aspiring journalist the Internet offers a whole world of publication possibilities that once upon a time would have not been available to someone in my position. Yet it also has resulted in a phenomenon Flew has failed to recognize; that the globalization of knowledge and information means consumer identity, not just social activities, are being influenced by the media and that new media technologies have empowered consumers to become producers in media themselves, thus reinforcing their developing identity.

This empowerment, enabling consumers to relay news and information through social media such as Facebook and twitter and furthermore establish their own, and influence others, identities through the writing of blogs, production of youtube videos or development of podcasts, has turned the media world upside down. The movement is enhanced by, and partnered with, the concept of e-commerce. E-commerce is defined as the ‘buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks’ (Wikipedia).

Companies that have taken advantage of the e-commerce phenomenon as well as the consumer and producer overlap is Kindle and Amazon. Flew could not have anticipated the introduction and implications of Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing; not only can ‘consumers come producers’ use social media, blogs and websites to contribute to the ‘Global Knowledge Economy’ they can also reap financial rewards through publishing their work to be sold online. Furthermore the accessibility and availability of choice for the consumer is enhanced, with the opportunity to buy books, chapters of books or experts from books extremely inexpensively.

This idea is related inevitably to the iPad and similar tablets. Flew could not have predicted the extent of convergence these devices offer. Enabling people around the globe to record, capture using camera or film, write, edit and transmit their own media creation using a single device while at the same time consume more media through the same tablet. A study done by Reed College predicts digital tablets will become increasingly popular, with the eReader presenting a high selling point (Marmarelli, 2011). Everyday consumers are playing an active part in the technological economy and thus enhancing globalization. From a journalist’s perspective, what could be scarier than a world of competition?

This relates back to Flews solutions (mentioned above) for professionals working within the knowledge economy. In order to be heard and recognized amongst the fray of consumer/producers, social media, and information overload on the internet, journalists and media professionals are being forced to recognize what Flew suggests; there is now a increased requirement of knowledge and skills for professionals and increased pressure to specialize in one unique field or niche in the market (Flew, 2008, pp. 198).

Journalists are having to become photographers, video cameramen, sounds editors, broadcast editors and, of course, writers all at once. There is now a higher level of skill needed for journalists to be employable or publishable while competing with the rest of the world. This goes hand in hand with creativity; combining creativity with information will appeal to consumers who are now not only hungry for information but also for identity-boosting stimuli.

Furthermore, Flew’s suggestion that media professionals use idiosyncrasy to make their mark in the knowledge economy, should now be regarded as essential. It is time for aspiring journalists to find themselves a unique and specialized niche – find something creative to offer that cannot be accessed through regular blogs, social media or other means. Make your specialty the only option in the massive variety of choices consumers face.

Fortunately because of the uprising of e-commerce this is not only possible, it is profitable. The traditional definition of mass media is slowly being made redundant and media production no longer has to be in the interest of, or for the interests of, the mass public. Media production can be targeted to any niche or specialty with an extensive and eager audience willing to purchase and utilize this niche based media.  Such opportunities are not confined geographically and can be accessed by anyone.

While this offers a saving grace for trained media professionals and journalists it also contributes dramatically to globalization. There are no longer defined national borders because information and knowledge produced on one side of the world can now be accessed and utilized on the other. Although this may be detrimental to individual cultures, it presents an exciting prospect for the world as a whole. The global culture is becoming one of efficiency, creativity and expression (Flew, 2008). Not Flew, not anyone, can completely understand or comprehend the future of, and consequences relating to, the developing ‘Global Knowledge Economy’.

 References: 

Flew, T. (2008). New Media, An Introduction. (3^rd ed.). Victoria: Oxford University Press.

McQuail, D. (2010). Mass Communication Theory. (6^th ed.). London: Sage Publications.

Teece, J. (2003). Essays in Technology Management and Policy. London: World Scientific.

Marmarelli, T. (2011). The Reed College iPad Study. Oregon USA: The Reed Institute.