Eric Wilson - 2013
The World Wide Web presents us with a wonderful example of an unregulated place where a diverse group of people are thrown together with the freedom to develop on their own. In essence, every time you log onto the internet and visithttp://www.brushfireforum.com (or anywhere else, I suppose), you are part of a social movement – and cyberspace is home to millions of mini-movements. As it turns out, we may be able to learn a lot of lessons from the World Wide Web.
The World Wide Web presents us with a wonderful example of an unregulated place where a diverse group of people are thrown together with the freedom to develop on their own. In essence, every time you log onto the internet and visithttp://www.brushfireforum.com (or anywhere else, I suppose), you are part of a social movement – and cyberspace is home to millions of mini-movements. As it turns out, we may be able to learn a lot of lessons from the World Wide Web.
1. There is no centralized power. Authority is gained through respect, and – to maintain power – the leader must be a servant rather than just preside over others.
On the web, every leader is a servant leader; no one has the power to command or sanction (at least not for very long). Any “clout” comes only from the freely given approbation of peers. Credible arguments, demonstrated expertise, and selfless behavior are the only levers for getting things done through other people. Forget this first point – especially online – and your followers will soon abandon you.
On the web, every leader is a servant leader; no one has the power to command or sanction (at least not for very long). Any “clout” comes only from the freely given approbation of peers. Credible arguments, demonstrated expertise, and selfless behavior are the only levers for getting things done through other people. Forget this first point – especially online – and your followers will soon abandon you.
2. Groups are self-defining around commonality. On the web, you get to choose your followers, friends, and what you “like.” In any online community, you have the freedom to link up to a group that matches what you believe or follow a group you believe in.
3. Followers can easily communicate and connect. The internet gives everyone a voice and the resources to communicate and come together for common causes. There are literally thousands of ways to coordinate and connect groups or people. Today, a member of an online movement in Dansville, Michigan can tweet “#libertycircles” and thousands of others receive it instantly on their iPhones, Droids, and PCs.
4. Activists, rabble-rousers, and dissidents are right at home. On the web, strong anti-authoritarian views can join forces and often be embraced. It seems malcontents, complainers, protesters, and agitators can find an audience and bring light to an injustice (or debate whether American Idol or Dancing with the Stars is better).
5. Users can manipulate the direction things are going. As many Internet moguls have learned through their own sorrows, online users are opinionated and vociferous – and can quickly attack any decision or policy change that seems contrary to the community’s interests. The only way to keep users loyal is to give them a substantial say in key decisions. You may have built the community, but the users are the ones who really own it.
6. Good opinions can grow exponentially. The internet is a near-perfect medium for aggregating the wisdom of the crowd – whether through formally-organized opinion markets or in casual discussion groups. Once aggregated, the voice of the masses can be used as a battering ram to challenge the entrenched interests of institutions in the offline world.
7. Work is done by volunteers for intrinsic rewards. The web is a testament to the power of intrinsic rewards. Think of all the articles contributed to Wikipedia or all the advice freely given, and add up the hours of volunteer time. It becomes obvious that human beings will give generously of themselves when they are given the chance to contribute to something about which they actually care. Money is great, but so are recognition and the joy of accomplishment.
8. Contribution counts for more than credentials. When you post a video to YouTube, no one asks you if you went to film school. When you write a blog, no one cares whether you have a journalism degree.
9. Ideas gain traction based on their perceived merits. On the internet, every idea has the chance to gain a following (or not), and no one has the power to effectively silence a subversive idea or squelch an embarrassing debate.
10. Power is a bottom-up movement. On the web, human effort flows toward ideas and projects that are attractive (and fun) and away from those that are not. In this sense, the web is a market economy where millions of individuals get to decide.
One final note as we make the comparison of the internet to social movements: where else can a person or small group of thoughtful committed individuals set a spark and change the world? A single individual can impact thousands – or even millions – of other people with simple actions. Life has been changed because of the efforts of just a few, and you hold the power to continue it.
