I’ve just finished and posted a review of MacroWikinomics by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams that is a follow-on to their groundbreaking work Wikinomics. This latest takes on the broader implications of the crowdsourcing movement, and contains a nice thread of geospatial technologies as an enabler for this activity.
The book opens with the use of Ushahidi and OpenStreetMap to respond to the earthquake crisis in Haiti, and there is a thread throughout of the power of open geospatial platforms, systems and sensors for a greater understanding and holistic management of our world. Among the wikinomics-inspired solutions is the Earth Systems Grid that combines supercomputing facilities with data, incorporating a wide range of ground- and satellite-based sensors, simulations and independent researchers that are indicative of a whole new level of collaborative science.
For those interested in next-generation solutions to global problems, I highly recommend this book. There are a wealth of practical examples about how this crowdsourcing or hive mind approach are impacting our institutions, and it’s a call-to-arms for those that don’t want to just stand by as these changes overtake us.
