This is a very interesting paper that tackles both the evolution of our definitions of interaction, collaboration and mobility, and the change in our conception of space and time. De Souza has intelligently studied how humans have created what she calls "hybrid spaces", in the context of mobile technology development, use, and standardisation, and she uses Flash Mobs to illustrate her theory.

Flash Mobs use and rely on the characteristics of the tools that serve to create them. The way they are created and the way they happen are both subject to an evolution in how we organise, communicate and perceive ourselves through new technologies and mobile communication mediums.

De Souza (2006) maintains, and I agree with her, that these technologies have brought new possibilities in terms of communication and collaboration and have therefore shaped new social interactions and redefined the traditional frames of space and time. This idea supports the one expressed in Howard Rheingold's video I have posted on the same subject (Rheingold, 2005). By extension, this paper also underlines and follows the principles raised by Marshall McLuhan in his book "Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man", especially when he says that "the medium is the message" (1964).

I found this paper at the very beginning of my research on Flash Mobs studies and I hesitated before finally deciding not to choose it. Yet, I still believe it is a valuable reference and its main strength lies in its in-depth analysis of mobile communication technologies' contribution at many levels in society.

In her conclusion, De Souza declares that mobile communication technologies "recreate urban spaces as a multiuser environment", before adding that "because mobile devices create a more dynamic relationship to the Internet, embedding it in everyday activities that happen mostly outdoors, the idea of digital spaces as instances disconnected from physical spaces no longer applies". This last statement sheds light on the importance and role of Internet and mobility on people's collaboration within the context of Flash Mobs organisations (Nicholson, 2005).

Reference

De Souza e Silva, A. (2006). From cyber to hybrid: mobile technologies as interfaces of hybrid spaces. Space & Culture, 9 (3), 261-278.,

McLuhan, M. (1964) Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. MIT Press.

Nicholson, J. (2005) 'Flash! Mobs in the Age of Mobile Connectivity' The Fibreculture Journal, Iss.6 December. Accessible from http://six.fibreculturejournal.org/fcj-030-flash-mobs-in-the-age-of-mobile-connectivity/print/ (accessed on 11th April, 2011)

Rheingold, H. (2005) Howard Rheingold on Collaboration. Accessible from http://www.ted.com/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html (accessed on 10th April, 2011)

This article refers to an event that happened in a specific context. As Wasik said, mobs started as "a kind of playful social experiment", but the concept has been adapted by people depending on their socio-cultural factors. My referenced article from Virag Molnar does well in describing this phenomenon (2010). Even though Flash Mobs are now used for a number of various purposes - fun, art, entertainment, protest, politic, activism, marketing… - I don't think they should be limited to only one of those categories (Benschop, 2005).

As researchers at the Social Issues Research Centre have stated, Flash Mobs are indeed characterised by and known for their combination of military efficiency, complete anonymity, rapid communication and organisation by Internet (SIRC). But all - real - Flash Mobs lack in their instructions the indication of any purpose (Heaney, 2005). Furthermore, the motivation behind the organisation of a Flash Mob event as well as the decision to become part of it, are "left up to the individual", both who organises it and who participates (SIRC).

Yet, if Flash Mobs and social networking formations do not always serve the cultural needs of societies, they can be effective indicators of their wellness. I strongly believe, and my research on this topic supports my statement, that it is false to think that this digital art of social coordination and collaboration, emblematic of the age of communication and information, is now only serving the organisation and promotion of violent waves and events as was the case in Philadelphia.

Clay Shirky, a guru in Internet collaboration studies has demonstrated that several functions of e-mails or social media websites, like the "reply to all", "create group" or "invite" options, can be seen as social features (2008). They are essential to Flash Mobs organisation. But if it is true that the inherent capability of Internet medium is social and group-forming, the orientation of sociability and of groups created through Internet collaboration is driven by the cultural frames of the individual who participate in such interactions.

References

Dr. Benschop, A. (2005). "Flash Mob: Happening For Internetters", Sociosite's website. Accessible from http://www.sociosite.org/flashmob.php (accessed 14th April, 2011)

Heaney, F. (2005). The Short Life of Flash Mobs, Stay Free! Accessible from http://www.stayfreemagazine.org/archives/24/flash-mobs-history.html (accessed on 15th April, 2011)

Molnar, V. (2010). Reframing Public Space Through Digital Mobilization: Flash Mobs and the Futility(?) of Contemporary Urban Youth Culture.

Shirky, C. (2008). Talks on "Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations". Accessible from http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/berkmanat10/2008/02/shirky (accessed on 11th April 2011)

Social Issues Research Centres. Dadaist lunacy or the future of protest? Accessible from http://www.sirc.org/articles/flash_mob.shtml (accessed on 14th april, 2011)

Hello Jacqueline.

Indeed, this article is interesting and I agree with Goodale when she states that Flash Mobs are "common humanity" celebrations, as well as innovative tools for political protests. Actually, whatever their purpose is, they are innovative processes in that they use and rely on a virtual space of total freedom - freedom of speech, press and assembly - that are the characteristics and essence of Internet (Forte, 2010). Clay Shirky's talks about his "Here Comes Everybody" book (2008), which I have posted, support this idea as well.

In the case of political protests, and this relates to several of my articles as well, they use these Internet characteristics to organise online and then act in and influence the offline world, where this freedom might not exist (Benschop, 2005, Kaza, 2009).

And this links to your idea of events similar to flash mobs that may require political intervention and suppression at a global scale. Collaborative processes use by absolutely law-abiding citizens to organise Flash Mobs, can be reproduced by people with not so peaceful intentions (Connelly, 2010).

The best example of this is the riots in Philadelphia that were assimilated to Flash Mobs because they were organised in the same way (Urbina, 2010). Elijah Anderson has written though that these events had "a quasi-carnival atmosphere" (Callari, 2010).

Yet, Ron Callari argues that due to the ease of access and use of Internet to gather and coordinate online for actions that will occur offline in face-to-face and hand-to-hand interactions, social Medias are just the cause for such derives; they are just a conduit for communication within a large group of people in a very short time.

More than an iconic image of holidays, Flash Mobs reveal themselves to be social indicators or benchmarks of society's health.

References

Dr. Benschop, A. (2005). "Flash Mob: Happening For Internetters", Sociosite's website. Accessible from http://www.sociosite.org/flashmob.php (accessed 14th April, 2011)

Callari, R. (2010). Flash Mobs: From Social Media to 'Tsunami of Kids'. Accessible from http://inventorspot.com/articles/flash_mobs_social_media_tsunami_kids_39408 (accessed 16th April, 2011)

Connelly, M. (2010). How the FlashMob Went From Art To Violence (With a Detour Through Politics). Accessible from http://www.motherboard.tv/2010/3/30/how-the-flashmob-went-from-art-to-violence-with-a-detour-through-politics--3 (accessed 16th April 2011)

Forte, M. (2010). "Clay Shirky: 15 Points on the Web Revolution in Social Collaboration and Political Communication", Political Activism and the Web. Accessible from http://webography.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/clay-shirky-15-points-on-the-web-revolution-in-social-collaboration-and-political-communication (accessed on 11th April, 2011)

Goodale, G. (2010). "Tis the season for flash mobs, you say? They're just getting started." Christian Science Monitor, 2. Accessible from http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2010/1223/Tis-the-season-for-flash-mobs-you-say-They-re-just-getting-started (accessed on 16th April, 2011)

Kaza. J. (2009). "Political Flash Mob in Riga (videoblog)", Free Speech Emergency in Latvia. Accessible from http://freespeechlatvia.blogspot.com/2009/01/political-flash-mob-in-riga-videoblog.html (accessed on 15th April, 2011)

Urbina, I. (2010). Mobs Are Born as Word Grows by Text Message, The New York Times. Accessible from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/us/25mobs.html (accessed on 15th April, 2011)

Shirky, C. (2008). Talks on "Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations". Accessible from http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/berkmanat10/2008/02/shirky (accessed on 11th April 2011)