The yin and yang of smart mobs?


A course at Purdue University on Computers and Language in Rhetoric, keeps a group blog. Some of the members of that class observe the smart mob phenomenon from another perspective:
As Wendy mentioned (and posted) earlier, often the notions of smart mobs using technology to create discriminatory, violent, and hate-based community is often ignored or not given the credit/attention/study it deserves. As many of us have pointed out, Rheingold doesn't address or confront (or even acknowledge) the "other" ramifications of people massing together through technology to push their agenda. At best he points to where tech is cropping up in the push for larger social change.
From a totally different framework, another blogger asks the rather simple (and unanswered) question:
When does a Smart Mob become merely a mob?
Though the question remains unanswered, it's clear that simply by asking it, doubts have been raised. And it certainly makes sense to assume that if the good guys can use the technology, the bad guys can figure out how to use it as well.



Go to: From the horse's mouth, or
Go to: Are crowds really that smart?