Co-creation trends: Revolution

Haydn Shaughnessy  writes for the Irish Times, and emailed me some questions on co-creation trends for an upcoming article. We thought it would be fun to make this a co-created discussion... so I'll post the answers I gave Haydn, and we welcome your thoughts and participation!

Haydn: In your view, are we seeing now the natural extension of what dot.com upstarts like Napster were trying to do? Was that its starting point?

Jennifer: Actually, the starting point was (and continues to be) our repressed and increasingly isolated society. The breakdown of the family unit, increased mobility, decreased job tenure and the rise of the 'free-agent nation' meant that a basic human need -- belonging -- is no longer being met. And over the years, consumers stopped having a voice and companies stopped listening. We've been forced to buy products and interact with others according to the rules that have been set by corporations. We want to do things differently... which is how all revolutions are started, whether political or economic. Companies like Napster don't even need to "try;" they're like lit matches in a gas-filled room. Traditional companies represent the monarchy. They can either join the revolution, ignore it or continue trying to repress it, but ultimately the revolution will prevail.

Comments

[Johnnie Moore]

"lit matches in a gas filled room". Love that!

[steven streight aka vaspers the grate]

You are absolutely correct. I am one who has formed many connection via the, what I call, The Inner Net, those associations that are developing in me, with bloggers and blog commentors.

To belong. Yes. To even dis-engage from some online communities and defect to others, to rebel against a dictatorial forum and race to the folds of another more democratic and open minded forum or blog or discussion list.

[Jayakumar Hariharan]

The true impact of a revolution is rarely in the revolution itself, but in the chain of events triggered by it - often in a completely new dimension. Consider how a challenge triggered by NAPSTER helped VIRGIN break new ground.