Feathers, Mothballs and Twitter Chats

The online crowd I hang out with is very eclectic in its makeup. I am so humbled at times by the collective knowledge that goes far beyond my own thinking. Being allowed to stir the pot from time to time with my own unique ideas makes me proud to be a part of this global gathering. The concept of collective intelligence is not new and has its roots in computer networking for increased processing power. The human brain is a data processing organ so this concept applies to all of us. Social media has opened new gates into collaborative intelligence where a greater community of thinkers can provide the best reference material to solve problems. Participation is a critical factor in the success of expanding avenues of learning and knowledge today, but non-participating parties are also benefactors of the resulting forward progress. Unfortunately, there is litter on this highway of data and the responsibility for picking up the litter is not assigned to anyone. There are self professed experts with no expertise, leaders who have never led, and advice givers who don’t listen to their own advice. Putting up “Do not litter” signs doesn’t work primarily because the litterbugs often don’t know they are doing anything wrong.

The fleeting feathery fringe of fluffy thinking gives us a temporary warm feeling that we are comfortable in its arms. Advice is cheap… and we get exactly what we pay for. I have a framed motivational poster on my desk that says “Make It Happen” and this has meaning for me. I know who gave this to me, what it was for, and how it inspires me to action. Should I choose to throw this out as a universal call to action as a solution to someone else’s situation, it would probably be insignificant fluff. We all instantly recognize spam in our email, but some members of our collaborative community will send out thinly disguised self aggrandizing comments to their online partners that is immediately dismissed because it really doesn’t make a difference. Part of the power of increasing knowledge through participation is to learn which players are trustworthy in their advice and which are phony. The resulting challenge is not only to recognize the fakes, but concentrate on not being one.

Some ideas past their prime time refuse to move forward or go away. The term “beating a dead horse” originates from trying to motivate an animal that has lost the ability to continue. Beating it harder cannot make it pull the wagon. Possibly over thinking this concept, we arrive at a realization that even though some things can’t move us they are still there and can be an obstruction. In the collective world where there is nobody in charge we are not only responsible for our own filters, but we also have the added responsibility to point out things that are wrong. This is not a closed door brainstorming session where all ideas are considered and all contributors are respected. Showing no disrespect, it is still important to only give respect where respect is due. If something needs to be mothballed, say so and campaign to get rid of the dead horse in the road so that collaboration can continue unimpeded.

In the unwritten laws of social media there is a parallel to Newton’s Law in physics. Inertia is difficult to overcome. Once a concept is put in motion with the collective body giving it a push to get it going, it will keep going unless the same community stops it or ultimate friction from rolling the wrong way brings it to a halt. One career related Twitter chat died a year ago, probably for several reasons, but most significantly because the sponsor stopped supporting it. There are at least two other popular chats that I followed that are silent now. Ironically, a search reveals that all three of these hashtags are still very prominent in social media and can be found promoting tweets that are related to that topic. This highlights one key factor in the collective intelligence: What we do today is not as important as the legacy we leave. If the dead and dying chats have done anything they have raised collective consciousness to the point that the concept, not the chat itself or the participants, is the most important thing. There are probably others that are close to death. Their sponsors should either put renewed emphasis on its contribution to the community or arrange for an orderly demise. It is better to leave on a high note rather than communicating a message of failure that will live on.