Brainstorming On Web 2.0
There’s this magic in brainstorming. It’s my favourite way to work! The primary reason - the phenomenal exchange of ideas and knowledge that takes place.
I was sitting at a newsletter meeting recently, and we were stumped.
What the hell do we do about the Freshers Page? Last year we covered a similar event, in an obvious fashion. Repeating would mean monotony.
We could take pictures. We have to put pictures of the induction programme.
Alright, and what would we do with the pictures?
We could have a collage, interspersed with quotes from them. Oh wait, done that already. It’s just the second induction programme we’ve covered, and we’re stumped for ideas.
Okay, so how about we put the pictures in some sequence.
Wait, how about we put the pictures in a sequence, have a line describing the picture but telling one bit of a story. And we could make it humorous!
Bingo! We had it! And we arrived at this by mere conversation. Nothing else. Just pure cross-fertilization of ideas, each one building on the previous person’s thoughts and ideas.
That’s what Web 2.0 is all about, apparently. One of many definitions for this newly coined term, is that Web 2.0 ‘represents an important shift in the way digital information is created, shared, stored, distributed, and manipulated.’
Just familiarizing myself with this latest concept, I’ve realized that one element of Web 2.0 is an offshoot of brainstorming. Open source software. Linux, the most infamous example, Wikipedia following close behind, make use of this fantastic concept. Linux, for example, lets users download their software for free, and even allows users to access the program code. Users can then update the program and upload it back online! Wikipedia, working on similar lines, lets individuals edit the information. My first thought when I discovered this fact was what if someone uploads false information. Apparently there are so many ‘individuals’ monitoring the content, that any fallacious statement is immediately corrected.
It’s significance in the business world, especially, is tremendous. Cost savings are enormous and an organization’s relationship with its customer metamorphosed.
The brilliance behind this system is that every individual’s knowledge, thoughts and ideas are now tapped into. Every individual gets to contribute, dipping into their own knowledge bank, and uploading it onto the world wide web. Software improvements and information updates, all taken care of by individuals. Not a company, not an organization. But individuals.
And that is the power of Web 2.0 - where hundreds of millions of people are brainstorming on a single platform!
I was sitting at a newsletter meeting recently, and we were stumped.
What the hell do we do about the Freshers Page? Last year we covered a similar event, in an obvious fashion. Repeating would mean monotony.
We could take pictures. We have to put pictures of the induction programme.
Alright, and what would we do with the pictures?
We could have a collage, interspersed with quotes from them. Oh wait, done that already. It’s just the second induction programme we’ve covered, and we’re stumped for ideas.
Okay, so how about we put the pictures in some sequence.
Wait, how about we put the pictures in a sequence, have a line describing the picture but telling one bit of a story. And we could make it humorous!
Bingo! We had it! And we arrived at this by mere conversation. Nothing else. Just pure cross-fertilization of ideas, each one building on the previous person’s thoughts and ideas.
That’s what Web 2.0 is all about, apparently. One of many definitions for this newly coined term, is that Web 2.0 ‘represents an important shift in the way digital information is created, shared, stored, distributed, and manipulated.’
Just familiarizing myself with this latest concept, I’ve realized that one element of Web 2.0 is an offshoot of brainstorming. Open source software. Linux, the most infamous example, Wikipedia following close behind, make use of this fantastic concept. Linux, for example, lets users download their software for free, and even allows users to access the program code. Users can then update the program and upload it back online! Wikipedia, working on similar lines, lets individuals edit the information. My first thought when I discovered this fact was what if someone uploads false information. Apparently there are so many ‘individuals’ monitoring the content, that any fallacious statement is immediately corrected.
It’s significance in the business world, especially, is tremendous. Cost savings are enormous and an organization’s relationship with its customer metamorphosed.
The brilliance behind this system is that every individual’s knowledge, thoughts and ideas are now tapped into. Every individual gets to contribute, dipping into their own knowledge bank, and uploading it onto the world wide web. Software improvements and information updates, all taken care of by individuals. Not a company, not an organization. But individuals.
And that is the power of Web 2.0 - where hundreds of millions of people are brainstorming on a single platform!
posted by Melanie at 6:02 PM
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