Is Social Media Crowdsourcing Making Us Lazy?

For me, crowdsourcing provides directional information at best. It's a useful starting point, but nearly always requires additional interpretation or refinement that cannot be achieved by posting a question or searching a term.

Take your example of the best steakhouse in Waco. Unless you include your definition of "best" (Is it taste? Value? Popularity? Funkiness? Organic-ness?), or you know/trust/share the tastes of the respondents, how reliable would the crowdsourced answer be? What if the plurality opinion came back as Outback Steakhouse, but you don't like chains.

Social media types tend to fetishize the "wisdom of crowds" without really questioning how useful it is, or how much additional work will be required to make it so.

In addition to enabling end user laziness, crowdsourcing has encouraged manufacturers to be lazy and deceptive. I know from personal experience that companies will match a feature their engineers had already designed into an upcoming release with a comment or suggestion found in an online community, then cite it as a crowdsourced innovation.

Finally, hasn't crowdsourcing become a hipster marketing hook akin to "artisanal." Zeitgeisty and "on trend," but not necessarily better -- or even as good.

For me, crowdsourcing provides directional information at best. It's a useful starting point, but nearly always requires additional interpretation or refinement that cannot be achieved by posting a question or searching a term. Take your example of the best steakhouse in Waco. Unless you include your definition of "best" (Is it taste? Value? Popularity? Funkiness? Organic-ness?), or you know/trust/share the tastes of the respondents, how reliable would the crowdsourced answer be? What if the plurality opinion came back as Outback Steakhouse, but you don't like chains. Social media types tend to fetishize the "wisdom of crowds" without really questioning how useful it is, or how much additional work will be required to make it so. In addition to enabling end user laziness, crowdsourcing has encouraged manufacturers to be lazy and deceptive. I know from personal experience that companies will match a feature their engineers had already designed into an upcoming release with a comment or suggestion found in an online community, then cite it as a crowdsourced innovation. Finally, hasn't crowdsourcing become a hipster marketing hook akin to "artisanal." Zeitgeisty and "on trend," but not necessarily better -- or even as good.

Let's not forget the serious business potential that comes from Crowdsourcing. Crowds can be composed of marketing professionals (for instance). Rather than asking where the best steak house in Waco is, you could ask if anyone can meet your marketing brief, design your website, or create a new advertising strategy.

What do you think?

www.blurGroup.com

Let's not forget the serious business potential that comes from Crowdsourcing. Crowds can be composed of marketing professionals (for instance). Rather than asking where the best steak house in Waco is, you could ask if anyone can meet your marketing brief, design your website, or create a new advertising strategy.

What do you think?

www.blurGroup.com

Let's not forget the serious business potential that comes from Crowdsourcing. Crowds can be composed of marketing professionals (for instance). Rather than asking where the best steak house in Waco is, you could ask if anyone can meet your marketing brief, design your website, or create a new advertising strategy. What do you think? www.blurGroup.com

Social Media is fun and exciting that's why everyone is into it right now. All information goes there, business alike. But it doesn't mean it can get lazy, its just an easy way of communication and other business venture. We humans try to build or experiment things that can easy the life that were living. It should be 50/50..cause life can be demanding at times.

Social Media is fun and exciting that's why everyone is into it right now. All information goes there, business alike. But it doesn't mean it can get lazy, its just an easy way of communication and other business venture. We humans try to build or experiment things that can easy the life that were living. It should be 50/50..cause life can be demanding at times.

Danny,

I think the laziness that you suggest as being caused by crowd sourcing is actually a symptom of a larger problem. I think there is a great pandemic of laziness rife throughout society and we may very well find ourselves 100 years down the line with a very efficient (with technological means), intelligent work force yet totally incapable of completing the simplest of tasks without deferring to someone else's opinion. But that is another story.

I think to crowd source matters of current opinion (ie restaurants, entertainment, perhaps traffic conditions) is perfectly fine, but the real problem arises when people begin adding a layer of credibility to opinions because they are published with a Twitter/Quora username or high Google ranking.

What is popular is not always true and what is true is not always popular. Just because it was mentioned on Oprah doesn't mean it's gospel fact.

In matters of importance (research oriented), we can't allow ourselves to be an ignorant mob and must hold fast to seek out truth and fact above opinion.

Thanks for bringing this issue to light. Always enjoy reading your posts.

Danny, I think the laziness that you suggest as being caused by crowd sourcing is actually a symptom of a larger problem. I think there is a great pandemic of laziness rife throughout society and we may very well find ourselves 100 years down the line with a very efficient (with technological means), intelligent work force yet totally incapable of completing the simplest of tasks without deferring to someone else's opinion. But that is another story. I think to crowd source matters of current opinion (ie restaurants, entertainment, perhaps traffic conditions) is perfectly fine, but the real problem arises when people begin adding a layer of credibility to opinions because they are published with a Twitter/Quora username or high Google ranking. What is popular is not always true and what is true is not always popular. Just because it was mentioned on Oprah doesn't mean it's gospel fact. In matters of importance (research oriented), we can't allow ourselves to be an ignorant mob and must hold fast to seek out truth and fact above opinion. Thanks for bringing this issue to light. Always enjoy reading your posts.

Danny,

I think the laziness that you suggest as being caused by crowd sourcing is actually a symptom of a larger problem. I think there is a great pandemic of laziness rife throughout society and we may very well find ourselves 100 years down the line with a very efficient (with technological means), intelligent work force yet totally incapable of completing the simplest of tasks without deferring to someone else's opinion. But that is another story.

I think to crowd source matters of current opinion (ie restaurants, entertainment, perhaps traffic conditions) is perfectly fine, but the real problem arises when people begin adding a layer of credibility to opinions because they are published with a Twitter/Quora username or high Google ranking.

What is popular is not always true and what is true is not always popular. Just because it was mentioned on Oprah doesn't mean it's gospel fact.

In matters of importance (research oriented), we can't allow ourselves to be an ignorant mob and must hold fast to seek out truth and fact above opinion.

Thanks for bringing this issue to light. Always enjoy reading your posts.

Obviously a topic for vibrant discussion! I think the volume and tone of responses is a reflection of your readers' instinctive reaction to the more sinister effects of not just crowdsourcing, but the social web and the web as a whole. It's the judgment of Thamus all over again - Thamus, the mythical Egyptian king who, when presented with the invention of writing, worried that those who relied on it would cease to exercise their memory and become forgetful. This myth has been recounted by social critics from Marshall McLuhan to Neil Postman, and most recently, Nicholas Carr, whose book 'The Shallows' makes a very convincing argument that we are outsourcing our memory to the internet, and losing our ability to research and analyze data by ourselves. Resonates with the 'we know less and less about more and more' comment. Good post Danny.

Obviously a topic for vibrant discussion! I think the volume and tone of responses is a reflection of your readers' instinctive reaction to the more sinister effects of not just crowdsourcing, but the social web and the web as a whole. It's the judgment of Thamus all over again - Thamus, the mythical Egyptian king who, when presented with the invention of writing, worried that those who relied on it would cease to exercise their memory and become forgetful. This myth has been recounted by social critics from Marshall McLuhan to Neil Postman, and most recently, Nicholas Carr, whose book 'The Shallows' makes a very convincing argument that we are outsourcing our memory to the internet, and losing our ability to research and analyze data by ourselves. Resonates with the 'we know less and less about more and more' comment. Good post Danny.

I agree. For me, the laziness factor is the point here. When I have a question, I usually do my own research first. If Google doesn't present an answer quickly, it will certainly help me frame my question more precisely, more intelligently. And that's important to me. When I go out looking for a crowd-sourced answer or opinion, I want to look like I've at least done some of my homework. In my experience, people appreciate that you've at least checked out the low-hanging fruit first (i.e., the first few screens of Google search results).

I agree. For me, the laziness factor is the point here.

When I have a question, I usually do my own research first. If Google doesn't present an answer quickly, it will certainly help me frame my question more precisely, more intelligently. And that's important to me. When I go out looking for a crowd-sourced answer or opinion, I want to look like I've at least done some of my homework. In my experience, people appreciate that you've at least checked out the low-hanging fruit first (i.e., the first few screens of Google search results).

I agree. For me, the laziness factor is the point here.

When I have a question, I usually do my own research first. If Google doesn't present an answer quickly, it will certainly help me frame my question more precisely, more intelligently. And that's important to me. When I go out looking for a crowd-sourced answer or opinion, I want to look like I've at least done some of my homework. In my experience, people appreciate that you've at least checked out the low-hanging fruit first (i.e., the first few screens of Google search results).

We are slowly becoming a generation of um, what was I saying? Oh yeah, forgot. Hang on, I know we look for something and take the first answer which is why search has become such big business. We like short pieces of information and lose interest, um, what was I saying?

We are slowly becoming a generation of um, what was I saying? Oh yeah, forgot. Hang on, I know we look for something and take the first answer which is why search has become such big business. We like short pieces of information and lose interest, um, what was I saying?

Crowdsourcing is most effective when you've built a community of people whose opinion you trust. I source many things to my community as I know the majority of their tastes.

I will Google most research that either has no opinion or contrasting opinion. I like the hard facts in order to make an informed decision for myself.

I have crowdsourced business names, domain choices, movies, restaurants, car rentals, hotels, books to read, logos, designs, and many other things to my social community.
I always get great responses, perhaps that's because i've built and invested in a great community in which to source from.

Crowdsourcing is most effective when you've built a community of people whose opinion you trust. I source many things to my community as I know the majority of their tastes. I will Google most research that either has no opinion or contrasting opinion. I like the hard facts in order to make an informed decision for myself. I have crowdsourced business names, domain choices, movies, restaurants, car rentals, hotels, books to read, logos, designs, and many other things to my social community. I always get great responses, perhaps that's because i've built and invested in a great community in which to source from.

Hi Danny
Quote I heard recently was...
"We know less and less about more and more."

Looks as though we are losing any depth to our knowledge, we learn the buzz words and sound knowledgeable but it's all a sham.

Everyone wants to learn the tricks of the trade... nobody wants to learn the trade.

What's to become of us Danny? LOL

Hi Danny Quote I heard recently was... "We know less and less about more and more." Looks as though we are losing any depth to our knowledge, we learn the buzz words and sound knowledgeable but it's all a sham. Everyone wants to learn the tricks of the trade... nobody wants to learn the trade. What's to become of us Danny? LOL

Hi Danny, this is not really a disagree/agree article as you stated you are pointing out alternatives and your suggestions are very useful and thought provoking.

I think the power of crowd sourcing depends a lot on the crowd. For instance when you asked for help naming your Sunday Q&A feature you had the perfect audience to help with some very creative suggestions. Does that make you lazy? Yes, but it also makes you very smart because leveraging your readers assets and involving them in a piece of your blog is a great way to build on your already thriving community.

There is a higher level of crowd sourcing that does not often get utilized. I had a great chat with the CEO of Spigit last year and learned a bit about how their product works. It is fascinating to hear the stories where the janitor comes up with the great new idea for a company. There is a level of crowd sourcing that things like Quora, Twitter and Blogs do not reach. It is a fascinating evolution of idea generation.

Thanks for the though provocation :)

Joe