Comments on: Is “crowdsourcing” just cost-cutting 2.0? http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/02/12/is-crowdsourcing-just-cost-cutting-20/ ... at the intersection of media, technology, business and the web Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:46:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: George http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/02/12/is-crowdsourcing-just-cost-cutting-20/comment-page-1/#comment-336993 George Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:52:55 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/02/12/is-crowdsourcing-just-cost-cutting-20/#comment-336993 What these people don't get is the contributor/user ratio. A site like Digg has millions of visitors, but only a tiny cadre of about 50 contributors make up the majority of the content. This works on universal UGC sites like Wikipedia because the size of the audience for each contribution is unlimited, but on local plays a contributor's audience is geographically constrained. Thus you would need several contributors for each local segment, and the UGC formula just does not work this way. What these people don’t get is the contributor/user ratio. A site like Digg has millions of visitors, but only a tiny cadre of about 50 contributors make up the majority of the content.

This works on universal UGC sites like Wikipedia because the size of the audience for each contribution is unlimited, but on local plays a contributor’s audience is geographically constrained. Thus you would need several contributors for each local segment, and the UGC formula just does not work this way.

]]> By: Mathew http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/02/12/is-crowdsourcing-just-cost-cutting-20/comment-page-1/#comment-227384 Mathew Wed, 14 Feb 2007 03:57:24 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/02/12/is-crowdsourcing-just-cost-cutting-20/#comment-227384 That's a great idea. Thanks for the comment, Rich. That’s a great idea. Thanks for the comment, Rich.

]]> By: Rich http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/02/12/is-crowdsourcing-just-cost-cutting-20/comment-page-1/#comment-227357 Rich Wed, 14 Feb 2007 02:12:10 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/02/12/is-crowdsourcing-just-cost-cutting-20/#comment-227357 Business 2.0 did a story about this in December and mentioned how businesses are "crowd-sourcing" at MBA schools by hosting case competitions. It's really funny how these work: a business provides a school with financial data and a problem; then says "GO!" Later that day, the exec has 10 possible ideas to take back to the board. I think it's pretty clever in a time when budgets are being slashed and scrutinized. What's more, if a team of students comes up with a great idea, you may have a recruit at your disposal who really "gets it." I have never participated in one of those competitions but I know people who say they're both fun and great networking events. Business 2.0 did a story about this in December and mentioned how businesses are “crowd-sourcing” at MBA schools by hosting case competitions. It’s really funny how these work: a business provides a school with financial data and a problem; then says “GO!” Later that day, the exec has 10 possible ideas to take back to the board. I think it’s pretty clever in a time when budgets are being slashed and scrutinized. What’s more, if a team of students comes up with a great idea, you may have a recruit at your disposal who really “gets it.” I have never participated in one of those competitions but I know people who say they’re both fun and great networking events.

]]> By: Mathew http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/02/12/is-crowdsourcing-just-cost-cutting-20/comment-page-1/#comment-227158 Mathew Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:08:48 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/02/12/is-crowdsourcing-just-cost-cutting-20/#comment-227158 Thanks for the comment, Bronwen. That's a very revealing quote. Thanks for the comment, Bronwen. That’s a very revealing quote.

]]> By: Bronwen Clune http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/02/12/is-crowdsourcing-just-cost-cutting-20/comment-page-1/#comment-227022 Bronwen Clune Tue, 13 Feb 2007 07:10:13 +0000 http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2007/02/12/is-crowdsourcing-just-cost-cutting-20/#comment-227022 I blogged about a similar comment from the The New York Times executive Nicholas Ascheim, who said that “The most expensive thing is the journalists themselves. That’s why user-generated content is interesting." Mainstream media will aalways be shackled by its own business model. I blogged about a similar comment from the The New York Times executive Nicholas Ascheim, who said that
“The most expensive thing is the journalists themselves. That’s why user-generated content is interesting.”
Mainstream media will aalways be shackled by its own business model.

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