1)
What was the general theme or argument of the
book?
The book was generally about the concept of cognitive
surplus. This is the idea that free time is a resource that can be used to help
society at large and to examine the full potential of things. Shirky touches
upon the concept of purpose not defining someone’s, or something’s, limitations,
the fact that the Internet and modern media gives everyone the means to share, different
motivations for group-forming and sharing things within those groups, the
effect of placing monetary value on group interactions, and the determination
of value by people’s goals.
2)
How did the book, in your opinion, connect with
and enhance what you are learning in ENT3003?
I believe that Cognitive Surplus showed me a different
way to view social capital. It outlined the ways that it can be examined and
capitalized on, and I think that it opened my eyes to the fact that just
because something has a predefined purpose, that does not mean that it does not
have many more possibilities.
3)
If you had to design an exercise for this class,
based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?
An exercise I would design for this class based on Cognitive
Surplus is to find a product that has a well-known, predefined
functionality, and repurpose it. This could range from food to appliances. I
think this exercise would promote creativity and force students to think
outside the box when it comes to the products that we may already be very
familiar with.
4)
What was your biggest surprise or “aha” moment
when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from
your expectations?
The main “aha” moment that I had from reading this book was
when Shirky gave examples of the effect of monetary value. Because it makes
people in a group see each other differently, I realized that in order to derive
the most prosperity and success from a group effort, the emphasis must be on a
shared sense of purpose and belonging.
I chose to comment on your post because after reading your synopsis of “Cognitive Surplus”, I kind of regret not having read this book myself. In-fact I’m going to put it on my personal reading list. It seems as though, by just reading through the book, the author, Clay Shirky, puts you in the same mindset that he preaches. I’m sure it was an interesting read, but even more interesting than that is the idea of extrapolating value beyond what was originally intended. You picked a fascinating book to cover, and great post.
ReplyDeleteHey Sophia, sounds like the book has a pretty interesting premise. Though I wonder how well a book from 2011 about the internet has aged, I know the book I read - Inbound Marketing - was pretty dated in some regards. Your exercise seems like something that could fit well into this course and would relate well to the book's concepts.
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