What I found particularly interesting in Howard Rheingold’s “Smart Mobs,” was how much power technology gives to the people. In countries such as the Philippines, where infrastructure is deteriorating, people living in the area were able to overcome such barriers with use of technology. The texting culture in the Philippines, for instance, is so strong that it “led to a national panic when a false rumor claimed that Pope John Paul II had died” (159). It just amazes me that in an area where roads, postal offices, and communication infrastructure is lacking, there is such a strong culture with technology. It almost seems wrong in a way that there cell phones are used so much. Instead of having money spent towards maintaining or repairing deteriorating infrastructure, it is going towards cell phones and newer technology. It almost seems like there is encouragement to further divide the rich and the poor. The rich will maintain living in comfortable conditions and will have better lives with technology. Whereas on the other hand, the poor are living uncomfortably and are just growing farther away from new technology. And with such an essential need for communication structures, it is a necessity to have well-maintained infrastructure so that overall living standards can improve. It really is amazing how technology can bring people together to overcome issues such as these.
In general, “Smart Mobs” expresses the power of the people. If a group of people don’t like a certain issue, or if they feel like communicating about something specific, they can do something about it. They come together collectively to protest a certain issue, they can also be effective if they use technology the right way. For example, when President Obama released the name of his running mate in the 2008 presidential election, he utilized the power of the people connected by technology and used texting to let the word out. This was a smart move as it helped him further connect with the American people and gather support for his campaign. Just using technology in general has been proving to have very powerful and impactful effects with communications between people.
-Brittany Judoprasetijo
It's interesting that both you and Daniel bring up the recent presidential campaign season. Certainly, Obama was spotlighted (and Howard Dean before him) as successfully using Web 2.0 technologies to "get the word out" and leverage the power of networked social groups. However, some critics have rightly noted that often the Obama team used new media in old-fashioned ways, to broadcast a one-way message rather than truly invite interactive participation (cyberdemocracy, anyone?). See, for instance, this Wired article from earlier this year ("The Wired Presidency: Can Obama Really Reboot the White House?"):
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wired.com/politics/onlinerights/magazine/17-02/ff_obama