The Limits of Crowdsourcing in the Scientific Disciplines
Social networking and crowdsourcing have attributes that may make them both incompatible with the goals and process of science. Can we accept that?
Online Reviews of Doctors — Scant, Volatile, and Overwhelmingly Positive
When trusting the wisdom of the crowds, it’s important to understand what is meant by “crowd.”
Even Crowdsourcing Can Get Too Expensive
Transcribe Bentham loses its grant after six months, and has to wind down.
Crowdsourcing, Reference Works, and Peer-Review: Some Surprising Connections
A new study suggests that reference works can be created cheaply and effectively through only mildly organized collaborations. Have we been missing a critical contribution of peer-review? Does it suggest that post-publication won’t review won’t be very effective?
The “Burden” of Peer Review
Do the benefits of peer review outweigh the work involved? How does post-publication review stack up in comparison?
Web 2.0 Next: Companies Place Bets on Consumer Relationships and Collaboration
As Web 2.0 matures, new entrants are starting to find ways to extract value in innovative ways.
Clay Shirky’s Collapse of Complexity — Does It Also Require a Collapse of Quality?
Clay Shirky reflects on the end of complexity. He’s right, but can simplified systems produce quality? Can other approaches also survive?
Successful Crowdsourcing Requires Feedback
Early feedback motivates future success in YouTube and Digg. Does the same feedback explain scientific publishing?