IdeaEconomy.Net

There is no question that the Internet has changed the way we work and connect with others. From a few people working on a shared Google document to thousands contributing to projects like Wikipedia or Linux, we are collaborating in unprecedented ways. When it works, collaboration is synergistic and amazing. The problem is that too often, real, meaningful collaboration is thwarted by an ugly thing called people.

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Big Ideas Tens of thousands are now involved with the Occupy Wall Street Protests worldwide Web based platforms facilitate the coordination of mass gatherings and protests around the world With online collaboration tools, a single leader or clear plan are not required. You have undoubtedly heard about the Occupy Wall Street protests that have been [...]

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I love the idea of co-working type environments where freelancers and smaller businesses can minimize some of the costs of having an office, yet still get the benefits of a shared work space. There is a buzz and energy when you work around other creative entrepreneurs that is near impossible to duplicate when in cafes or at home. These benefits can be amplified if you take time to find a company that you might work together with or for. ShareYourOffice is a fantastic idea that I hope is really successful.

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Crowdingfunding is great to encourage fan involvement, but ultimately decisions need to be made by an individual.

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In this video, Dave Gray shares some of the ideas and techniques of his latest book Gamestorming (combines games with brainstorming). Gray explains that most corporations are designed like factories with a focus on efficiency rather than creativity. He suggests that we need to move from “factories to collaboratories or environments for collaboration.”

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Despite the wide spread use of social media and collaboration tools like Google Docs, I still see many people working with email processes. Email works, but for most work, online collaboration is much more effective. Here is a very simple comparison of two ways to work together on the creation of a single document. Real collaborative efforts unleash creativity that is difficult to realize with linear processes like emailing back and forth.

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We no longer live in a world of scarce resources, this is a time of great abundance. Our economic constraints are being completely flipped around. It is not a dog eat dog world where everyone is fighting for their share of the pie. There is enough to go around and the more we collaborate and share, the more there is. Author Cory Doctorow writes about his struggles with abundance in self-publishing his books.

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Facebook’s meteoric rise is reminiscent of AOL in the past. Facebook is currently managing and standardizing social interaction, just like AOL did for the web. The future will have social actions built in to the operating systems of all the devices we use. Perhaps there will be standardized ‘Social IP” addresses for every connection we make. Corporations or applications will not control these interactions like they do now.

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Companies are flocking to social media and crowdsourcing platforms in the hopes of finding cheaper or more effective ways to market their wares. This is understandable for we all need to make a living, however, I think the real promise of social media is bigger than just a financial transaction. People give their time and money for reasons above and beyond financial gain.

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With inexpensive access to technology and a talented team, the costs and time required to build a new business from nothing are essentially zero. Here are two recently examples of companies conceived and developed in a weekend. Mingly ReadWriteWeb recently wrote about the universal address book startup Mingly. In November of last year, more than [...]

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