Shirky addresses the Internet as a new ecosystem that has hit the world by surprise and has changed the way information is published. No longer do we ask whether or not something is worth publishing; we ask, "Why not?" (60) This is partly due to the freedom that the web has created. With an endless number of outlets for the spreading of information, such as weblogs, anything can be covered by anyone. The result is the "mass amateurization" that Shirky speaks of.
Surely you can imagine how the flow of information can be endless. As users of the web then, how do we select what to read and what not to read? A simple way that I'm sure all of us do, is to read according to relevance. Relevance creates interests and as a result, people with common interests form groups or networks that Shirky has mentioned in Chapter 1. At the simplest form, groups come together to socialize and eventually to collaborate and produce.
In the realm of fashion blogs, which I am an avid reader of, there is this existence of sharing and collaboration. Fashion bloggers rely on each other to create content. There is this mutual understanding that information and images are meant to be shared and re-posted. All it requires is some "netiquette". I believe it is passion that brings people together. In this case, the love for fashion allows people to be so willing to socialize.
This is also highly apparent in design too. I notice the continuing increase of people who are willing to share design ideas and resources. There are numerous design professionals who voluntarily share there knowledge with the world through the web. Professionals connect with amateurs; "instead of mass professionalization, [what is created is] the process of mass amateurization." I see good in this, because if someone wants to create art, write about fashion, or design, why can't they?
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I agree with you Kissty that one of the biggest motivations to write, post and share online is the freedom of doing it. You can and why not do it. Another thing, the positive sides of online communication are networking, getting your ideas out there, receiving a feedback and learning from others. That can bring a chance to launch a commition job to design or just open some doors for some interesting projects.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that I guess the thing to keep in mind is to be careful that your great design ideas are not borrowed and used by somebody else.