Here Comes... my latest posting

Who knew that the reason the French tanks fell victim to those operated by the Germans in WWII was their lack of coordinated radio communication. I always thought it was due to the fact that they were driven by the French. Clay Shirky, in chapter seven of his seminal work on online organizing entitled Here Comes Everybody, recounts this story as well as a few others as examples of communication enabling small groups of people to overcome larger more sophisticated groups, or generally effect some sort of a change. The advent of the Internet and networking sites, Shirkey argues, has allowed pro-democracy groups under the thumb of repressive regimes (the example of Belarus is used) the means to organize mass demonstrations in a short time frame and expose abuses of the citizenry to the world within seconds. In the subsequent examples Shirkey gives, it becomes apparent that he sees communication technologies as a great equalizer and a powerful tool in the hands of incensed customers as well as oppressed peoples. I would have to agree with Shirkey on this point. With a point of view and a computer, an idealistic student can bring down a repressive government or a disgruntled patron can change a corporation. The power is there. Whether or not this power should be used to coalesce 100 strangers around a communal love rug for the sheer fun factor is another story. Discuss...