Architecture of Participation

I recently watched Clay Shirky's keynote address at the 2008 Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco. His brief lecture was very insightful and well worth the 17 minutes invested to watch it online. His main argument is that we are entering a new media landscape, one that is defined by participation and not consumption.  He states that when it comes to media, people like to consume, produce, and share and this is not just a passing fad; this is analogous to the same cultural shift that occurred during the industrial revolution.  Shirky shares that, nevertheless, he often has had a hard time explaining this to "traditional" media folks.  The reason, he believed, is because he never had a convincing anecdote - until recently.  He found a very compelling one and ends his address with this story.

A friend of Shirky's was sitting with his four year old daughter watching a DVD.  In the middle of the movie, she jumped up off the couch and ran behind their big-screen TV.  Maybe she was looking to see if Dora (the Explorer) is really back there, the dad wondered.  But that wasn't what she was doing.  She started rooting around in the cables.  Her dad said, "Whatcha doing?"  She stuck her head out from behind the screen and said, "Looking for the mouse."

Shirky concludes the story with this simple yet powerful statement, "Here's what four year olds know.  A screen that ships without a mouse, ships broken."  Translation: younger generations demand interaction with their media.

In my opinion this demand for interactivity extends will beyond media; I believe it defines the future of our economy.

As more and more online tools create the platform for this participatory environment, people are going to demand that they are involved not just in the consumption of products and services, but also with creating and sharing them.  In the future, successful companies will not only be run by the management team, they will be run in part by the team of people who use the products and services.

Just like the traditional media companies that have had a hard time adjusting to this participatory environment, many existing product and service companies will have similar challenges.  For all you small and up and coming companies that are trying to change the world, I (and Clay Shirky) have one bit of advice for you.  If you are looking for the next big idea, look for the mouse.

Jeremy Litchfield is president / CEO of Arlington-based, Atayne, a newly launched company created to inspire positive environmental and social change through the power of sports and active lifestyles. Website: www.atayne.com