Technogory

I just read a great article reporting the results of a study about how community websites influence people - even when they don’t communicate directly.  As I read this, I realized that the influence is probably more a matter of “herd” mentality.

A friend of mine has joked from time to time about herd mentality, that is where the group goes, so shall you.  I find this to be relatively true for a certain group of people - un-socials working towards social.   This friend of mine also tends to get bit by early adopters syndrome; not necessarily a bad thing, but shows a bit of herding in and of itself.

The article specifically tackles things like Last.FM, digg, YouTube to name a few specifically.  I am a member of these communities in various ways.  But maybe I am one that is influencing, not following!

On Last.FM, you build taste based on music you listen too.  However, as you build “friends” in the environment, you can take advantage of the music lists those friends make, and receive recommendations from them.  Does this necesarily influence you to listen to the music, or purchase the CD?  Maybe listen, but I doubt it will make you run out an purchase.  I have listened to recommendations by individuals, groups, and Last.FM that I liked, and listened to some music one time, never o listen again!

Whether they know it or not, they also could be getting swayed — toward musical genres that stretch their tastes or to video and news clips they might have overlooked without an endorsement by the masses, says business administration professor Mu Xia.

I have a widget - tool - on my Last.FM page that supposedly figures out my “open-mindedness” to music.  Well, it’s more fun for me, but it’s also based on the adage of “crap in equals crap out!”  In other words, if I listen to some obscure stuff that is tagged way off base, maybe I am seen as open-minded.  Although I do listen to other stuff, I tend to be a creature of habit - mine is metal genres!

Digg is interesting because it’s really a way of publishing your written or pod-casted word and hope for lot’s of people to listen and “digg” what you have on your mind.  Again, it’s a little misleading to me to believe that it is influencing someone.  Case in point, if I have a certain tendency to follow and support one particular political party, I may only “digg” those articles, and “bury” the others.  Influence is then built on the “votes.”  Well, I see that as the “exit polls” in an election.  I am convinced that most who are queried about an “exit poll” have learned to lie!  Recall the year of the “hanging chad!”

Xia calls it “ballot box communications,” an offshoot of Web technology that provides a tally of what users are thinking even though they never communicate directly.

Dangerous if you really are part of the “herd.”  The voting drives you, and could be misleading!  Another thing I see a lot of on Digg is those that like to be controversial.  Another type of”herd” that likes to see their own word written no matter how “stupid” it might be.

YouTube is interesting.  I have viewed a number of videos on YouTube, but rarely do I care or pay attention to who voted for it.  I am not concerned that I “experiece” what some else says is good.  Therefore, I refuse to adopt “herd” mentality.  What have I used YouTube for?  I’ll search for videos that are instructional, or my kids might search for music videos or soccer clips.  But, we aren’t waiting for the next “hot” video to pop up on the top of the list!

“You could say it’s human nature. If I know a lot of people have chosen a particular video, I also want to experience that,” said Xia, lead researcher for the study that will appear in Communications of the ACM, a publication of the Association for Computing Machinery.

Hmm…

So, who do you suppose the study is really talking about?  I figure it is the very people that tend to adopt a need and willingness to have a community, but rarely have that community in real life.  As the story states, influence without communication.  This is “herd” mentality plain and simple.  If one, or a group, does it; then I should too!

So, the article is interesting and good food for thought.  I recommend you give it a look.  But, I think that the individual in you should be just that - individual.  If you happen to accept the recommendation of another, that’s fine.  But don’t get caught up in these communities as the article may suggest, and mindlessly follow that which is laid out before you!