The boss is back after a tiresome but very fun weekend. This week I want to discuss a controversial term which is creating a lot of buzz: crowdsourcing.
I read Dan's Wood's article The Myth of Crowdsourcing along with Jeff Howe's Is Crowdsourcing Evil? The Design Community Weighs In. I found both articles to be very interesting.
I must say that I disagree with Dan Wood's opinion on crowdsourcing. I agree that individuals come up with ideas/concepts but crowdsourcing can be a very valuable tool. It allows for a large number of people to collaborate and contribute to improving an idea. The more people that are able to think about an idea the better the solution will be to almost any problem. Crowdsourcing also allows for easy access to feedback on ideas.
I do not think that crowdsourcing is evil. I understand why graphic designers are angry about crowdsourcing websites and that it makes their jobs more difficult but businesses are always looking to lower costs and this is just another way to cut costs.
I'm still not sure if crowdsourcing is just a fad or if it's here to stay but it's an intriguing concept that I'm sure will keep stirring up controversy.
Bossssssssssssssssssssss. OUT.
I thought crowdsourcing is like a contest in that there is no collaboration among the innovators (submitters). However, the host company may collaborate internally when selecting the winner.
ReplyDeleteI took the opposite side of the debate. I feel like crowdsourcing can be a way for companies to steal ideas and innovations from amateur designers, who didnt win the contest, without crediting their work. Thats how i took it atleast
ReplyDeleteI agree with the boss. I don't see crowdsourcing as evil (although I may not fully understand it).
ReplyDeleteI also disagree with the idea that crowdsourcing is "evil." I think that there certainly is a potential for it to be abused by corporations that employ it as an unethical means for cheap labor, but in general it's mutually beneficial. Virtually unknown developers, artists, etc. can make a name for themselves if their work warrants it, while companies can better serve their clientele with rich, fresh solutions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both stetson and the boss, in the sense that crowdsourcing is not evil. It has benefits as well as drawbacks. However, in terms of the contest I am not sure about the rules and regulations. Personally, after reading about crowdsourcing I thought that it actually encouraged collaboration.
ReplyDeleteI think crowdsourcing can easily be beneficial to both companies and independent designers. The designers can retain rights to their designs if the companies elect not to use their design. If the rights are kept by those who made it then it can be reused in other opportunities so that there is still an opportunity to make money.
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