So Why do Social Tools Really Matter?

Web 2.0 tools like wikis, blogs, and social networking are revolutionizing the way we communicate, publish information, and connect with others. A new product or idea that is just a fad can be easily analyzed for its added value, or lack thereof. With a real revolution, it is difficult to judge its net value, because the weight of the pro's and the con's are really opinionated. Some will say that the negative influence of groups like "pro-anaorexia" or "witches", and the ease with which terrorist groups can communicate these days, outweighs the gains from these new technologies. Others, such as Clay Shirkey, will argue that the ease of publishing information, the lowered transaction costs of group-forming, and the power of collaborative creation through the wisdom of crowds far outweighs the negative aspects of Web 2.0. As an example from the past, the invention of the printing press resulted in both losses and gains (the occupation and lifestyle of scribes disapeared, but literacy and historical knowledge, and journalism became widespread. In the same way, the spread of Web 2.0 tools has and is transforming the music industry, the media, communication, and many other aspects of our daily lifes.

The fact is, as Shirkey explains, the continued development of Web 2.0 tools and their use by society is more like steering a kayak than driving a car. We can't stop it, we can't reverse it, we can only try to stay upright as we navigate the path laid out before us.

These tools have drastically increased social freedoms, including freedom of speech, press, assembly, and association. With these new freedoms, come the requirement to limit these freedoms to some degree. "No effort at creating group value can be successful without creating some form of group governance" (Shirkey 283). There is an intersection between group freedom and group governance where they users are satisfied and the "basic goodness" that people have is maintained. In big groups with no governance, "behavior will decay over time" (Shirkey 284). When there are no rules, the tragedy of the commons results in the detereration of the value of the social tool because people do not use it correctly, or they purposly deface others work.

What is the biggest impact of these new social tools? They give groups the power to painlessly grow together into one body and make a forceful political impact. People can voice their opinions easier than ever before. Anyone can leverage the strength of the masses from their home computer--or their cell phone on the go. Big changes, comming from the general population and not the politically esteemed few, can and are happening. We are the web, the web is us, and and we are shaping tomorrow--the way we want it to be.