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Virág Molnár is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the New School for Social Research in New York. Her interest is in the impact of mobile communications on urban culture. This article first puts flash mobs into an historical perspective by suggesting that its roots lie with the Italian Futurists of 1910 and further cultivated during the 20th century by avant-garde art groups such as Dadaists . More recently there have been the Youth International Party (Yippies) in the US. (Molnár, 2009) As Molnár points out the things that all these groups have in common with modern flash mobs is that there is no formal membership or hierarchy and they are able to utilise the media effectively. The difference lies in the use of new media such as blog, social networks and mobile phones (2009). Rheingold points out that these tools lower the threshold of participation as it no longer required participants to actually know each other (2003, p. xii). Molnár then identifies and describes 5 types of flash mob based either on their form of sociality or their function. They are: 'atomised' flash mobs, interactive flash mobs, performance flash mobs, political flash mobs and advertising flash mobs (2009). Flash mobs, although organised online are only able to be carried out by people in close proximity to one another or as Molnár describes it "able to make the leap from cyberspace to urban space" (2009). These events are generally recorded and posted to sites like YouTube in order to both popularise the event and to get feedback. "Online reporting has indeed largely been responsible for the rapid global diffusion of flash mobs," and "has been crucial in institutionalizing and legitimizing this new form of sociability"(Molnár, 2009).

Continuation of original comment. As a blog post on Turtle Sociology wrote "The globalization of flash mobs underscores two vital notes: the viral-like nature of technology, and the universal desire to break free from social norms… all flash mobs seem to elicit joy in their bold, unprompted natures"(2010). References: Molnár, V. (2009). Reframing Public Space Through Digital Mobilization: Flash Mobs and the Futility(?) of Contemporary Urban Youth Culture. Retrieved from http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic497840.files/Molnar_Reframing-Public-Space.pdf Rheingold, H. (2003). Smart Mobs : The next socal revolution. New York: Basic Books. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=lX9QKNbO0nkC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=smart+mobs+the+next+social+revolution&ots=wvkWcKOAIx&sig=00EWrYtEyAwqRmnYNth77Sclr8o#v=onepage&q=smart%20mobs&f=false Turtle Sociology. (2010, October 6). The Universal Phenomenon of Flash Mobs [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://turtlesoc.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/the-universal-phenomenon-of-flash-mobs/

Thanks for continuing your comment Hans. That last quote really sums it up well. I quite like how you have highlighted the fact that flash mobs underscore the 'viral-like nature of technology' in addition to the joy flash mobs elicit as a result of their impromptu nature. All that is needed is a quick search through YouTube for 'flash mobs' to see the views of popular flash mob videos reach the millions, as well as to read how well they have been received globally. Thanks again, Tessa

Flash mobs have been around since 2003, the full power of their reach has not really been felt until a mix of social media like Facebook and Twitter came into effect to help to coordinate events and spread the word. A mix of this and viral video tools like Youtube help to spread the story worldwide in a very short time frame. The organisation of early flash mob performances used to rely on text messages to spread the message. However, these days the internet and social media have made the coordination and the spreading of the message much quicker and it allows for many more networking opportunities. Costs of performances and production are kept to a minimum, with no need to buy air time. An interesting side-effect of viral videos these days is that the video will most often be displayed on television for free anyway, doing away with the need to pay for advertising air time, and has given rise to television programs dedicated to flash mob tv in places like Germany (Flashmob.tv, 2011). Flashmob.tv, (2011). The Show. Retrieved from http://www.flashmob.tv/en/the_show.php

This resource, found in the Char Valiant School Newspaper, discusses flash mobs. Flash mobs, a more recent occurrence, are a group of people who meet at a predetermined public location to do a spontaneous performance (often something of a theatrical nature like a song or dance), and then disperse into the crowd at the end. Flash mobs are usually instigated online, using various forms of online media to organise and coordinate the event. This can include mobile phones, email, and social networking sites. Although these "events started out as a way for these groups to mock the conformity of the general population", they have "instead become a symbol of spontaneity and fun around the world"(CharValiant, 2011). Flash Mobs have also become a form of advertising. T-Mobile has used this form of theatrics to their advantage, using them in several of their advertisements. Carolyn Thomas (2010) talks in her article about how T-Mobile is becoming synonymous with flash mobs, showing that the marketing campaign is working as people are instantly remembering the company name and linking it with the campaign. Australia is also getting on the flash mob advertising bandwagon, with the latest "Australian Cancer Council Biggest Morning Tea" launch at Brisbane's Queen Street Mall on the 18th April, 2011 (Cancerqld, 2011) and the viral Sydney Mardi Gras campaign filmed on Bondi Beach (RockYourBox, 2009). Although the link between public resource computing and flash mobs is tenuous at best, as another current form of online collaboration it is still well worth a mention. As public resource computing relies heavily on word-of-mouth advertising to increase its member numbers by using things like social-networking sites, so too does flash mob advertising rely on "going viral" through similar word-of-mouth usage.

Written by Caci Murphy, a Senior at Chartiers Valley High School(CharValiant, 2011), this resource is not necessarily as reliable a source as perhaps other more researched papers. Although well written, and factually accurate, a high school senior would be lacking both the technological knowledge and life experience to give an accurate view point to make this an authoritative resource. Cancerqld. (2011). Australia's Biggest Morning Tea Flash Mob. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w07Nq2h55Xo CharValiant. (2011). The CharValiant Staff. Retrieved from http://www.cvnewspaper.com/staff/ CharValiant. (2011). Flash Mobs: The Feel Good Phenomenon of the 21st Century. Retrieved from http://www.cvnewspaper.com/news/2011/03/14/flash-mobs-the-feel-good-phenomenon-of-the-21st-century/ RockYourBox. (2009). Say Cheese! Flash Mob On Bondi Beach [OFFICIAL]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao4DkbGbxl0 Thomas, C. (2010). T-Mobile and the flash mob marketing phenomenon. Retrieved from http://ethicalnag.org/2010/11/04/flash-mob/

The origin of flash mobs is credited to Bill Wasik who emailed friends in June 2003 to gather in the home furnishing department of Macy's in Manhattan. More than a 100 people began discussing whether to purchase a 'love rug' for their fictitious commune and then dispersed as quickly as it had formed (Hewitt, 2003). Flash mobs are defined in the Oxford dictionary as "a public gathering of complete strangers, organized via the Internet or mobile phone, who perform a pointless act and then disperse again" (Oxford University Press, 2011). Advertising agencies now utilise flash mobs to promote commercial products. This article discusses the Saatchi and Saatchi award winning T-Mobile advertisement "Life is for sharing" (posted to Youtube by jonjonbaker, 2009). Rather than focusing on how mobile phones and social media are used to organise a flash mob, the discussion here is about how this same media is used to create "viral traction - the ability to be widely forwarded to millions of viewers almost instantly" (Thomas, 2010). The advertisement itself shows bystanders utilising their mobile devices to share photos with their friends as well as ringing them to talk about the experience. As the title of the advertisement says "life is for sharing". Nick Burcher wrote in his blog Personal thoughts on the evolution of media and advertising that "advertisers are creating events to push user generated content coverage, a physical community made virtual. The event drives the Conversation, rather than the other way round as Wasik intended" (Burcher, 2009). Flash mobbing has become more than Wasik first imagined. On this case it has been utilised to raise brand awareness, but the same techniques can also be used to promote political opinions.

Hans this is a very interesting article and ties in with the article I found by McGreer (2010) who discussed the business response to FlashMobs. Whilst two different approaches were used the one constant was the use of professional film crew to use the footage for uploading. The question McGreer raises is when it no longer has the artistic element, which Wasnik defines an event as a FlashMob, are commercial applications really FlashPerformances? McGreer, B. (2010). Give Them something to talk about. US Banker. Retrieved from ProQuest Database.

Hans this is a very interesting article and ties in with the article I found by McGreer (2010) who discussed the business response to FlashMobs. Whilst two different approaches were used the one constant was the use of professional film crew to use the footage for uploading. The question McGreer raises is when it no longer has the artistic element, which Wasnik defines an event as a FlashMob, are commercial applications really FlashPerformances? McGreer, B. (2010). Give Them something to talk about. US Banker. Retrieved from ProQuest Database.

James Neill provides his personal insights on Flash Mobs, based on an interview with a journalist and research conducted through social media like Twitter. His discoveries point to flash mobbing as an activity that comes across as spontaneous, which is performed in public places, but that behind the scenes, take a lot of co-ordination and planning to prepare for the event. Flash mob peformances can be defined as being spontaneous, simple, peaceful, social and the message is spread virally through the use of technology like Youtube and social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. The different types of flash mobs include smart mobs, reality tv set ups, rent a crowds and the like are mentioned in this article, but there is room to debate if these groups are actually flash mobs or not. One of the key elements of flash mobs is the way individualism has been stripped, and the group persona is adopted, even for a short tiime, but each individual member. In this way, they shift away from their individuality to embrace and portray the message being delivered by this organised crowd of entertainers. It is almost the adoption of a mob mentality, without the violence. Messages spread by groups are immediately more attention grabbing that by individuals, and so this could be the reason for the success and longevity of flash mob activities. These groups demand attention, and while they are entertaining and fun to listen to because they break the routine and inject something unique into everyday lives, by speaking with movement and song. Neill, J. (2007). On the Social Psychology of Flash Mobbing. Retrieved April 18, 2011, from http://7125-6666.blogspot.com/2007/10/flash-mobbing.html

This article is based on the premise that cities are responsible for destroying social bonds and "rendering man isolated from, fearful of, hostile to, and manipulative of his fellow man" (Fischer as cited in Kaulingfreks & Warren, 2010). It is this view that drives planners to create artificial structures in an attempt to have citizens involve themselves in community affairs. The authors use the example of Rotterdam where a there is a program of community forming (http://www.opzoomermee.nl) to show this idea that something needs to be done to create a sense of community. (2010, p. 213). The authors then look at how the unmanaged process of flash mobs may offer an alternative to the formal organisation structures of organisation in the city environment. They draw on the work of Jean Luc Nancy and suggest that flash mobs challenge the "traditional understanding of community through technology enabled organising" (Kaulingfreks & Warren, 2010, p. 220). In fact through the use of the Internet, email and texting people are able to act together without giving up any of their individuality. In a magazine interview Bill Wasik, the instigator of flash mob said: The flash mob affords an opportunity for doing something and yet completely sidesteps the whole process of discussing how it is going to happen. It's just; 'Here's this opportunity, and if you agree with it, you can come in on it, and its going to be very quick' (Heaney, n.d) A flash mob becomes an ephemeral community; it is formed for a specific purpose and then disbands once that purpose has been fulfilled. It is a network structure rather than a traditional hierarchy and is based on a common interest.

Professor Ruud Kaulingfreks, University of Leicester, School of Management (Kaulingfreks, n.d.) and Professor Samantha Warren, University of Essex - Essex Business School (Warren, n.d.) have written this paper titled, SWARM: Flash mobs, mobile clubbing and the city (Kaulingfreks and Warren, 2010). Both professors have written a number of articles on topics involving organisation and culture. As written above by Hans Dusink, "They draw on the work of Jean Luc Nancy and suggest that flash mobs challenge the "traditional understanding of community through technology enabled organising" (Kaulingfreks & Warren, 2010, p. 220). In fact through the use of the Internet, email and texting people are able to act together without giving up any of their individuality" (Dusink, 2011). By understanding this, it can also be related to the petitioners that act through the Avaaz organisation. To sign up to the Avaaz community, only a name, an email, a country and postcode is required information. The name could be any name or even a nickname. Individual's identities are hidden from each other. Even though you can see the count of actions taken, it is impossible to know who did exactly what action. Concurrently, a hard-copy signed petition is not that much different. Which individual can verify every signature on a page and who is going to read through and check every written address one-by-one to ensure actual authenticity? Both Avaaz and flash mobs use digital interaction to let their members know what is happening and the location; however, Avaaz continues to exist after action is taken, moving onto new causes and plights whereas the basis of flash mobs is to 'flash' congregate then dissipate after their action. References: Avaaz.org. (2011).The World in Action. Retrieved from http://www.avaaz.org/en Dusink, H. (2011). SWARM: Flash mobs, mobile clubbing and the city - Culture and Organizati

This article was interesting as it also considered the impact of music in FlashMobs. Salmond (2010) in their article, "The Power of Momentary Communities" discusses how rave parties have similarities to FlashMob events through the creation of an instant community. Just as Salmond (2010) uses the rave party example Kaulingfreks & Warren (2010) have explored mobile clubbing, with individuals dancing to their music of choice. It should be noted that the lack of amplification, due to those listing to their individual songs may do so in a "silent disco" manner would allow such a gathering. Salmond (2010) raises the legality of events, at night time, with 100 or more people listening to amplified music. Mobile clubbing is supported by Salmond (2010) as more FlashMob as there is an artistic component which is key according to Wasnik. The comment of Jocelyn Peuker (2011) who introduces the Avaaz.org (2011) community highlights that there is a crossover between the SmartMob and the FlashMob. Avaaz facilitates with anonymity but could be considered a more SmartMob type of activity as those signing a petition are doing so in an asynchronous manner. With those signing the petition in with a desire for an outcome to be achieved, moving further away from the art aspect. Salmond (2010) argues that it is structure and organisation would allow one to consider Avaaz to be more SmartMob than FlashMob. As in many aspects of technology the exact line and distinction is hard to be drawn but notwithstanding this Avaaz is a facility service that would benefit both FlashMob and SmartMob events, whilst maintaining anonymity.

Torben (2010) discusses the evolution of flash mobs as a tool for viral video advertising. He discusses how major corporations, like T-Mobile utilised the buzz that these flash mob choreographed performances provide to their audiences, and their video went viral with over 20 million viewers. This very effective form of advertising does not go through official channels, but seems to grab the attention of the general public more than traditional and tired advertising is doing presently. The use of social media sites like Facebook to discuss and promote flash mob scenes give consumers a voice where there wasn't one before, driving technological evolution from an end-user perspective, and providing valuable feedback to manufacturers so that they can understand what their consumers want. There is no guesswork. Successful viral video campaigns like T-Mobile have shown that the use of flash mobs can drive interest in their product and can be spread with very little effort on their part, provided they get the entertainment factor right. As long as they make the flash mob performance entertaining enough, the message will spread to a wider audience than traditional advertising might achieve. Torben, R. (2010). Flash mobs in viral video advertising. Retrieved April 17, 2011, from http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/social-media/flash-mobs-in-viral-video-advertising/

In Riley's (2005) conclusion, he sums up really well the evolution of tools like flash mobs in the collection and dissemination of information in a different ways are opening the door for more and more interaction and are driving the use of different technologies to spread messages to many people in a very short space of time. Through an expressive platform like Flash Mob performances, these groups of people getting together to tell their story in entertaining ways also reach out to the general community and provide a refreshingly different and more intelligently placed story telling method than is currently being utilised by the centralised media units that are used to disseminating data from a single source. These avenues for human expression break down the constraints imposed by plutocracy, industrialism and the expectations and moulding of the masses who are conditioned to believe that they are no better than mere servants of the rich minority who ultimately control everything, because money equals power and therefore privilege and status is more important and above the laws for everyday people. The use of the Flash Mobs is interesting because it takes an impromptu-like performance, engages the public in unplanned entertainment, and spreads a message that is delivered in a very entertaining way. The delivery of these performances is not only live, but is also filmed by spectators and organisers, and placed on websites like Youtube and spread to audiences worldwide. Examples of this include the St Patrick's Day performance at Central Station in Sydney Australia, which went viral worldwide within a day or two of being uploaded to Youtube. The use of online mediums like Youtube also means that statistical or quantitative data can be collected about the viewers or online audience, and used by the intellectuals in the planning of the next Flash Mob event. Riley, C. (2005). Flash-Mobs Are The New Public Intellectuals. Retrieved April 17, 2011, from http://www

A community based website that consolidates the activities of Flash Mobbers around the world into a single portal. The resourceful website provides a central point of contact for people who create flash mobs, for people who are entertained by them and for those planning and for those who want to be a part of this intellectual movement. The website allows people to register and collaborate with other flash mob fans, keeping subscribers informed on event dates, locations, latest videos, flash mob events, a calendar and forum. Flash mobs not only allow people to enjoy the entertainment factor, but the developers of the flash mobs also drive the use of different technologies, such as websites, choreography, video editing, and the use of social media to spread the message. Entertaining and thought-provoking flash mob performances usually end up going viral, but along the way, these viral videos collect important demographic information about those who view the videos. Mashflob.com: The Worldwide Flashmob Community! (2011). Retrieved April 17, 2011, from http://www.mashflob.com/

[Please Note: This comment is in two parts due to Diigo restrictions on length] Topic: Flash Mobs This TED Talk is important to the topic of flash mobs because it highlights the fact that modern issues of global significance such as obesity, crime, good health, and creativity, are affected by the social connections that we all have. The rise of Internet usage through avenues such as social networks in the form of Facebook and other similar sites has been acknowledged as a vital factor that is also used by flash mobs when organizing their activities. The main point that can be taken into account through this TED Talk, is that if subconscious concepts such as obesity can claim influences from social networking, it should also follow that other more positive concepts such as philanthropy, will also be influenced by connecting with social networks. These social networks have a resilience that survives the test of time so it is of utmost importance to understand what the contributing factors are that sustain them. One important factor that was discovered was the power of emotion. Emotional "stampedes" and "collective existences" can be formed through social networks. They appear in clusters that can be delineated, for example, by "happy patches" and patches with other emotional characteristics. [Continued in the comment below]

Flash mobs utilise digital communications among social networks to mobilise a large group of people to appear in a set location. Many reading about flash mobs highlight the use of Internet communication but there have not been many references that refer to how the social network functions. Nicholas Christakis is a Harvard Professor of Medicine, Health Care Policy, and Sociology at Harvard University and he directs a diverse research group investigating social networks. "His work examines the biological, psychological, sociological, and mathematical rules that govern how we form these social networks, and the rules that govern how they shape our lives" (TED Conferences, 2010). Christakis gives three reason that people cluster but for flash mobs the most relevant is that people can share a common exposure to something (Christakis, 2010)and thus messages are spread to people of like mind, in turn pleading to a large crowd with everybody having a common purpose. Another important aspect to take from this is that networks are constantly changing in composition but the network still persists. Kaulingfreks and Warren would describe this as a rhizome that is "an ubiquitous connection between points in a structure but without a clear defined path…each node passing information to other nodes (2010, p. 221) . Christakis says " It is the ties between people that makes the whole greater than the sum of parts" (2010).For flash mobs and protest movements it is the power of the group that makes all the difference as has been demonstrated in political flash mobs and recent protests in Egypt, Iran and Tunisia. Christakis, N. (2010, February). The hidden influence of social networks TED Talks [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/nicholas_christakis_the_hidden_influence_of_social_networks.html Kaulingfreks, R., & Warren, S. (2010). SWARM: Flash Mobs, mobile clubbing and the city. Culture and Organization, 16(3), 211 - 227. doi:10.1080/14759551.

After watching this video on networks I started to consider the relevance of the internet informing networks and would the networks form in another way if social media tools were not available. Flash Mobs was organised on the internet and use internet tools to collaborate there next event. Could the same thing be achieved without the internet? My guess is yes it can be achieved without the internet. If we take the Egyptian Revolution and the claims that Facebook and Twitter were responsible for the organisation of the revolution some argue that this was not the case. The main body of the argument is that there been revolutions well before the internet (Rosen, 2011). Supports this argument however still recognises the role that social networks had played in the revolution(Beaumont, 2011). Pickwell, 2011 argues that many crowd gathering s such as revolutions and protest do not utilise the internet or social media to gather crowds. Pickwell claims they under utilise the tools the internet offered them. Considering that social media has a communication roll to play, you may also need to consider other factors used in creating the network. Christakis, 2011 presentation on networks gives you a better understanding as to how networks operate and why the above arguments have some merits. Beaumont, P. (2011). The truth about Twitter, Facebook and the uprisings in the Arab world. Retrieved 15th April 2011, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/25/twitter-facebook-uprisings-arab-libya Christakis, N. (2010). The Hidden Influence of Social Networks. TED Talks. Filmed February 2010. Posted May 2010. Retrieved April 5, 2011 from: http://blog.ted.com/2010/05/10/the_hidden_infl/ Pickwell, J. (2011). Lecture on the anti-war movement and Internet Collaboration and Organisation, net 308 iLectures: Curtin Unversity, Rosen, J. (2011). The "Twitter Can't Topple Dictators" Article. Retrieved 15th April 2011, from http://pressthink.org/2011/02/the-twitter-

The Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) is an independent, non-profit organisation that conducts research on social and lifestyle issues. It aims to provide balanced perspectives on social issues and to promote rational debate based on evidence rather than ideology (Social Issues Research Centre, 2011) . In this paper Elanor Taylor, a social researcher, tries to understand the nature of flash mobs and whether they are just for fun or whether they are potentially a new form of protest movement. Sean Savage, credited with naming flash mobs (2006) is quoted as saying that "If anyone tells you they know what the point is, they either don't know what they are talking about, or they're lying" (as cited in Taylor, 2003) . Taylor provides a set of instructions for a London flash which reveal a "combination of military efficiency, complete anonymity, rapid communication and organisation by internet"(Taylor, 2003). The motivation to attend is this left up to the individual. Taylor indicates that there are some, such as the website why-war.com (Why War?, 2003) and cyclist activist group Critical Mass (Carlssson, 2011a) that would like to see flash mobs put to a political purpose rather than be apolitical.

Chris Carlsson, founder of Critical Mass wrote: Critical Mass is a movement with no leaders or formal organization behind it. No one in charge - which is another way of saying "everyone is in charge!" There are as many ideas about what Critical Mass is as there are participants (2011b) Taylor questions whether this can actually happen: "what use is a political protest with no-figure head?" (2003). In light of recent events in Iran and Egypt I think Taylor has been a little premature in discounting flash mobs as a form of political protest. Carlssson, C.(2011a). Critical Mass. Retrieved from http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/ Carlssson, C. (2011b, January 26). Critical Mass & Radical Politics: A Forum [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.sfcriticalmass.org/page/2/ Savage, S. (2006, March 29). Flash Mob Flashback . Cheesebikini? [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.cheesebikini.com/2006/03/29/flash-mob-flashback/ Social Issues Research Centre.(2011). About SIRC. Retrieved from http://www.sirc.org/about/about.html Taylor, E. (2003). Dadaist lunacy or the future of protest? : An introduction to the world of flash-mobbing. Social Issues Research Centre. Retrieved from http://www.sirc.org/articles/flash_mob.shtml Why War? (2003, August 1). An Introduction to Swarming and the Future of Protesting [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.why-war.com/features/2003/07/swarming.html

Are FlashMobs Collaborative Behavior? The question arises as to whether or not FlashMobs are truly collaborative behavior. While there is definitely a conversation taking place and a resultant activity, this resultant activity does not have a specific achievement or productive task to complete. A talk from Howard Reingold (Rheingold, 2005) describes the history of human collaboration and has some ideas about the potential benefits of worldwide social collaborative behavior. This talk also includes a discussion of social dilemmas: the prisoner's dilemma and the tragedy of the commons. These are important factors in understanding why people collaborate or co-operate. Collaboration is the basis for bringing together the knowledge, experience and skills of multiple persons to contribute to the development of a new product, idea or activity. Collaboration is a more effective problem solving solution than individuals performing narrow tasks in support of a defined plan or programme. Essential requirements for effective collaboration include early involvement and the availability of resources to effectively collaborate. This uses a culture that supports teamwork, cooperation and collaboration as well as co-location or virtual co- location and some form of collaboration technology. Flashmobs seem to lack the problem solving aspects of true collaborative behaviour. It is more a themed social gathering than a co-operative task solving exercise. Works Cited Rheingold, H. (2005, February). Howard Rheingold on collaboration. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from Ted: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html

[Please Note: This comment is in two parts due to Diigo restrictions on length] Topic: Flash Mobs Rodriguez, an undergraduate at the University of Northern Texas examines many important aspects in relation to Flash Mobs, including how their significance, motivational factors for participation, and impact on society help shape their meaning and significance. A mixture of literature review, interviews, observation of online events, and online research contributed to Rodriguez' findings. Rodriguez found that "audience and social media played major roles in the organization and implementation of a flash mob." Rodriguez then examined his findings with relation to Habermas' "idea of the public sphere and lifeworld, Debord's idea of the spectacle, and culture jamming..." concluding that the "public sphere and lifeworld are modes of communication and knowledge production." Rodriguez included "culture jammers' in his study as he there were many similarities between their actions and those of flash mobs. He also discussed the idea that culture jammers take memes, or particular ideas, then change their meaning (Rodriguez, 2010, p. 6), in the hope that people will rethink political or human rights issues for themselves instead of just blinding accepting what their Government decides. Flash mobs were seen by Rodriguez to differ depending on their purpose but regardless of this difference they were all seen to "positively or negatively affect their lifeworld" (Rodriguez, 2010, p. 36). [Continued in the comment below]

[Continuation of comment above] If the flash mob's purpose was to promote a show, artist or product, then the intention was to "create [a] buzz" through instrumental rationality, reinforcing "the current consumerist ideology" permeating society (Rodriguez, 2010, p. 36). Those flash mobs without consumerist advertising as their purpose were found to be raising awareness of a social issue using communicative rationale. REFERENCES Rodriguez, A. (2010). Performing in the Public Sphere: Flash Mobs and Their Participants. TED Talks. Retrieved April 11, 2011 from the University of Texas: http://Rodriguez-Atilano-081210-SE.pdf

[Please note: This comment is in two parts due to Diigo restrictions on length] Topic of Study: Flash Mobs Eric Kluitenberg is a researcher studying the significance of new technologies. In this article, he "draws attention to a number of activist strategies to encourage public and private action in a hybrid space." Flash mobs are "semi-spontaneous public gatherings of groups of people...[not usually] known to one another, nondescript, with no determining characteristics [who] briefly perform some collective synchronous action, and then dissolve...back into 'the general public'..." who are alerted to "Directions and information about...[gatherings via]...text messages, or e-mails...with the aim of starting a chain reaction resulting in...an unpredictably large mob at a predetermined time and place" (Kluitenberg, 2006). Kluitenberg (2006, p. 8) believes that Flash Mobs and other earlier examples of mass public gatherings, street parties, and demonstrations, all highlight the fact that "we are living in a space in which the public is reconfigured by a multitude of media and communication networks interwoven into the social and political functions of space to form a 'hybrid space.' [Continued in the comment below]

[Continued from previous comment above] This unique explanation of why and how Flash Mobs and other spontaneous public gatherings occur is based on the fact that the 'traditional' space found in cities has now been "overlaid by electronic networks...creating a highly unstable system, uneven and constantly changing" (Kluitenberg, 2006, p. 8). Although I feel that Kluitenberg's rationale may be too removed from what is actually occurring in relation to Flash Mobs, I believe he is correct in stating that the increasing use of mobile communication technologies has assisted the rise of "new social morphologies...[such as]...the flash mob" (Kluitenberg, 2006, p. 8) and that this type of phenomenon is perhaps indicative of the transience of modern life and the way community spaces are employed in modern times. The populace is increasingly pressed for time and usually always on the move, so the phenomenon of flash mobs, in one sense, is a unique response to the temporality of modern suburban and city life. REFERENCES Kluitenberg, E. (2006). The Network of Waves: Living and Acting in a Hybrid Space. Retrieved April 5, 2010 from: http://www.socialbits.org/papers

This article describes various scenarios showing individuals and groups using technology to engage with traditional public spaces in socially and politically influential ways. As the author of this work explains, "traditional space is being overlaid by electronic networks such as those for mobile telephones and other wireless media"; and the resulting environments "...can not be properly understood without a very precise analysis of the structure of that space"(Kluitenberg, 2006. p8). By looking at the social and technological factors that allow these events to take place, we can understand how networks and collaboration projects are carried out in these 'hybrid spaces'. This way of analyzing a group's or individual's uses of technology in public spaces supports research from an article that I have posted to Diigo - 'The Internet is Here': Emergent Coordination and Innovation of Protest Forms in Digital Culture'. The author of this work states that 'as modes of social interaction... become increasingly rich it becomes easier for online culture to bleed into what William Gibson dubbed the "meatspace", and for events from the "meatspace" to reverberate back into the computer mediated world' (Underwood, P., Welser, H. 2011). While Underwood's paper investigates Anonymous' internal workings and uses of technology as they battled with the Church of Scientology in 2008, it also shows that Anonymous exists in what Kluitenberg's acknowledges as 'Space Flows', surviving on the "intangible flows of information, communication, services and capital"(Kluitenberg, 2006. p9). This is a benefit of Anonymous' decentralized networks and both articles reflect the fact that "the more decisions that are made at the 'nodes' ...instead of at the 'hubs' ..., the more chance there is of a space in which the sovereign subject is able to shape his or her own autonomy."(Kluitenberg, 2006. p14) Referneces Kluitenberg, E. (2006). The Network of Waves: Livi

[Please Note: This comment is in two parts due to Diigo restrictions on length] Topic: Flash Mobs Anderson conveys the self-fueling model of global innovation he calls "crowd-accelerated innovation," which is assisting individuals to improve in many areas as a result of watching videos online. The phenomenon of "Flash Mobs" has made use of global video facilities on popular sites such as "YouTube" to spread their message. One example of a self-fueling model of global innovation given by Anderson is of a group of extreme dancers who performed at the 2010 academy awards despite not having any formal dance training. Their dance moves were inspired by and copied from watching videos online. These isolated individuals have been able to connect and collaborate to share their new innovations due to the assistance of free online sites such as YouTube. Videos pack a huge amount of data into a few minutes. However our minds are more suited to understanding information from a few minutes of video as opposed to the traditional method of learning based on books and scientific peer-reviewed papers. Anderson believes that online video will one day surpass the ideas printed in books. He believes that there are a multitude of non-verbal subconscious cues that enhance the delivery of information through video publication that cannot be conveyed as adequately through a book or written transcription. These ideas are one of the reasons that TED talks have gained popularity in global education. The power of globally available videos has enhanced the popularity and effectiveness of flash mobs, which assists the organizers to spread their message more effectively. People are more likely to remember an idea or product if it has been delivered in an unusual way such as through a flash mob.

[Continuation of comment above] These ideas are one of the reasons that TED talks have gained popularity in global education. The power of globally available videos has enhanced the popularity and effectiveness of flash mobs, which assists the organizers to spread their message more effectively. People are more likely to remember an idea or product if it has been delivered in an unusual way such as through a flash mob. REFERENCES Anderson, C. (2010). How Web Video Powers Global Innovation. TED Talks. Filmed July 2010. Posted September 2010. Retrieved April 5, 2011, from: http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_how_web_video_powers_global_innovation.html

Kravet's Wired online article details the role social-media services such as; Facebook, Twitter and YouTube played in the 2011 Egypt political revolution. The primary focus of his article suggests the uprising was the result of years of oppression and dictatorship, not simply a Twitter or mass media revolution as some have labelled it (Bergstrom, 2009). Kravet does acknowledge the link between technology and modern upheavals by using the example of the fax machine and the role it played informing the world of the Tiananmen Square massacre. At the same time, he still emphasises that social-media and communication systems are used as an effective way of coordinating protests and political gatherings. A quarter of Egyptian citizens have Internet access; therefore, it can be said that social media is a powerful channel activists could utilise - in conjunction with leaflets and spontaneous amalgamation - to effectively facilitate organisation of the masses. Activists also used social media as a way of gauging the scope of their proposed protests by encouraging Facebook users to confirm their attendance. Prior to the Internet being blocked, one particular organiser had 80,000 confirmations for a January 29, 2011 demonstration. After the Egyptian government's initial block of popular, social-networking services (prior to the entire Internet being shutdown in Egypt) protestors took leverage from a variety of technologies such as; web proxies, VPNs and smartphone applications to gain access to Facebook and Twitter. Again this demonstrates the importance these tools play in information sharing and mass collaboration. Bergstrom, G. (2009). Egypt: The First Twitter Revolution? Retrieved, April 4 2011, from http://marketing.about.com/od/crisis_communication/a/egypt-mubarak-power-in-social-media.htm Kravets, D. (January 27, 2011). What's Fueling Mideast Protests? It's More Than Twitter. Retrieved April 5, from http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/

The article is interesting, but i just wanted to touch on the statements that were raised around communication after the Internet had actually been shut off. I was fascinated to read about how society can mobilize and use the resources that are available in times of need. Using third party proxies, organizers were able figure out ways to bypass the Egyptian Internet filters and to be able to once again access Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other Internet sites (Osam, 2011). Despite the Internet blackout, landline communication was never blocked; Egyptians found another way to access the Internet through landlines dial-up Internet services and fax services. Egyptians living outside Egypt were receiving faxes through regular landline phones, by using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technologies they could convert the fax image into text contents, and post the contents, news and updates into Facebook, Twitter and different blogs (Sutter, 2011). This convergence in technology just goes to show that these types of situations cannot be simply shut off by closing down all Internet connections within the country. As an indication on how fast online communication services are popping up into the spotlight, Google in the meantime launched a new service called "speak2tweet", which allowed Egyptians to call a regular landline number in Cairo and speak their tweet to an IVR/Voice recognition system. The speak2tweet system would then convert the caller voice message into a text tweet (Osam, 2011). References Osam, M. (2011). The eRevolution. Retrieved, April 13, 2011. From http://www.famousbloggers.net/the-erevolution.html

Sutter, J. (2011). The Faces of Egypt's 'Revolution 2.0'. Retrieved, April 13, 2011. From http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/innovation/02/21/egypt.internet.revolution/index.html

Bonnie McGreer (2010) writes an interest piece article that introduces the concept of using a FlashMob to the business reader. FlashMob is summarised in the article by David Southall, President & Chief Executive of Innovations Federal Credit Union[1]; as, "...a group of people come together suddenly, do a certain act, and then they go away just as suddenly, as if nothing ever happened." (p.16). The article is based on two events, both in the business banking sector, staging independent FlashMob performances with different approaches. With Innovations using a grass roots approach towards staging, eventually two, FlashMob performances. Participants were recruited using Facebook[2] and then allowed participants to join group rehearsals when they could make it. As well as providing a DVD of the dance choreographed by a local radio DJ. Contrasted with the ING Direct Canada[3] Flash Mob approach which was a more professional publicity stunt. ING hired a professional choreographer and dancers to perform their FlashMob. McGreer (2010) raises the question of the ING approach is more of a Flash-Performance, rather than a FlashMob. The article also highlights that professionals were used to record the performances which were posted to YouTube[4] but there was no aggressive marketing campaign at the event location. The subtly of the advertising component of the FlashMob was done best by Innovations, who only revealed their brand approximately half way through. This article is a credible general reference for academic research. Whilst the piece is from a credible source it is a generalist approach to the topic of FlashMob but demonstrates that even at a generalist level, the difficulty in defining of a FlashMob is highlighted. Footnotes [1] http://www.innovationsfcu.org/index-flash.asp [2] www.facebook.com [3] www.ingdirect.ca [4] www.youtube.com

[Please note: This comment is in two parts due to Diigo restrictions on length] The global climate is experiencing both a "power transition," and a "power diffusion." This TED Talk is useful to studies of flash mobs because it shows that individuals and organizations no longer need vast amounts of money to network and collaborate globally with others. Additionally, Nye highlights the fact that traditional patterns of leadership will not work effectively today and that in order for an organization to progress and be proactive, a mix of traditional strength and power infused with "soft power" is required. The rise of the Internet and mobile computer-generated communication has assisted the average person to gain the same potential power that was once the exclusive domain of large corporations and wealthy individuals. "Computing and communication costs have fallen a thousandfold between 1970 and the beginning of this century." This power diffusion is within reach for all of us but people are still not thinking of these tools in very innovative ways. People are still focusing on the rise and fall of great powers, which really only tell us about psychology and not reality. Traditional projections such as the Goldman-Sachs index are linear and one-dimensional. However the progress of the world has never been linear, and has always been comprised of many diverse facets or factors. So these simplified projections are not telling the truth about the way the economy is progressing. The area of narrative is what needs to be adjusted, using what Nye calls "soft power" or the ability to organize networks and elicit co-operation, which are important factors when organizing the delivery of Flash Mobs. [Please navigate to the comment uploaded on April 11, 2011]

The Impact of TED on Collaboration and Innovation. http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_how_web_video_powers_global_innovation.html A great source of serious and diverse material on a wide range of topics is the website TED - Ideas worth Spreading. The first step in collaboration is to create a wide ranging appreciation of the subject matter. Before people can commit to task they need to have an information source that establishes the underlying ideas. In this talk TED's Chris Anderson says the rise of web video is driving a worldwide phenomenon he calls Crowd Accelerated Innovation -- a self-fueling cycle of learning that could be as significant as the invention of print. One of the points that reverberate with most people is Chris' statement that: "Face-to-face communication has been fine-tuned by millions of years of evolution. That's what's made it into this mysterious, powerful thing it is. Someone speaks, there's resonance in all these receiving brains, the whole group acts together." Chris concludes that thousands of people are figuring out new ways to collaborate with increasing knowledge and he describes what the next stage of TED's evolution has to be. He says that TED Talks can't be a one-way process, one-to-many. The future is many-to-many. They are looking at ways to make it easier for the global TED community, to respond to speakers, to contribute ideas, and maybe even their own TED Talks. It is this spreading of Ideas that underlay the age of Internet collaboration. This is the source of power diffusion that Nye talks about. "I'm an idealist. I really think people can change the world" Ted Curator Chris Anderson http://www.ted.com/speakers/chris_anderson_ted.html Works Cited Anderson, C. (2010, Septemebr). How web video powers global innovation. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from TED: http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_how_web_video_powers_global_innovation.html

[Part 2 of comment from April 6, 2011] Topic of Study: Flash Mobs. As we prepare for the future, the ability to co-operate, collaborate, and organize networks is going to be of prime importance. This does not mean that "hard power" or military strength and keeping a balance is not important, but that the concept of power needs to be incorporated with new and innovative ways of power diffusion. Therefore the ability to use all available tools and coordinate input from globally networked areas will be vital for businesses and organizations to keep abreast of trends and capture market attention. For example, spontaneous acts of people-powered crowd activity such as those of Flash Mobs (that rely on social media use and Internet enabled technology) if used for advertising purposes, will enable subtle and more overt messages to be broadcast in unusual ways and possibly capturing more market attention for the product or service than more traditional methods. REFERENCES Nye, J. (2010). Global Power Shifts. TED Talks. Filmed July 2010. Posted October 2010. Retrieved April 5, 2011 from: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/joseph_nye_on_global_power_shifts.html

This academic paper explores anonymous' internal processes as they collaborated over the internet to co-ordinate both on and offline protests against the church of Scientology in February 2008. The authors analyze the "public, online sources used by members of Anonymous to plan, discuss, coordinate, and execute" their campaign; as well as data "drawn from a quantitative analysis of interactions amongst (the projects) participants at a wiki site"(Underwood, P., Welser, H. 2011). This innovative and skillful use of online networking and collaboration tools allowed Anonymous to successfully mobilize and co-ordinate group activity on a large scale. The work identifies Anonymous' structure as a decentralized network with little "evidence of official leadership positions or formal organizational structures" (Underwood, P., Welser, H. 2011) guiding the groups actions. These processes are seemingly organic to the internet and the study shows how working in this way significantly increased Anonymous' flexibility, as well as how this "collaborative structure allowed the group to work rapidly and democratically"(Underwood, P., Welser, H. 2011). Other advantages of the groups' use of decentralized network structures were found in the "development of highly dynamic and emergent strategies as many individuals with varying ideas and talents... work simultaneously on a project"; and the fact that "large volumes of participants can coordinate their actions even in the absence of an official bureaucratic leadership" (Underwood, P., Welser, H. 2011). references Underwood, P., Welser, H. (2011) 'The Internet is Here': Emergent Coordination and Innovation of Protest Forms in Digital Culture. Available from:http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~welser/Underwood.Welser.2011.pdf

This article specifically explores "Project Chanology", a project of the worldwide organisation known as Anonymous against the Church of Scientology. The authors point out "that social movements are a basic foundation of contemporary democratic societies" as well as "providing outlets for political positions to be voiced and grievances to be aired"(Underwood & Welser, 2011). Importantly, it is crucial that people participating can see value in the cause and in the form that action may take. This article attracted my attention due to its similarity and differences to flash mobs. Both organisations have no formal organisation structure yet they are able to mobilise large numbers of people by utilising Internet communications (Facebook, twitter, email and Internet Relay Chat (IRC)). Another similarity is that in both cases the public displays appear bizarre and absurd to outsiders. In the case of most flash mobs, the idea is to simply have fun (Taylor, 2003). For Anonymous it is to "present itself as a movement about making a difference through having fun " as well as setting itself apart from "typical street demonstrations"(Underwood & Welser, 2011). But there are also differences. Each flash mob is distinctly separate operation whereas Anonymous has a group identity. Underwood and Welser do point out that members of the group do balk at the notion of being seen as a traditional group (2011).

Participants in Anonymous activities are also required to learn more about the group and its actions. This requirement seems to be a way of strengthening bonds and a cultural knowledge. There is no such requirement to participate in a flash mob only the desire to have fun. What these movements show is that if the cause (whether it be fun or a political point) is right then it is possible to bring together large numbers of people through the use of new media. REFERENCES: Taylor, E. (2003). Dadaist lunacy or the future of protest? : An introduction to the world of flash-mobbing. Social Issues Research Centre. Retrieved from http://www.sirc.org/articles/flash_mob.shtml Underwood, P., & Welser, H. T. (2011). 'The Internet is Here": Emergent Coordination and Innovation of Protest Forms in Digital Culture. Paper presented at the iConference 2011, Seattle. Retrieved from http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~welser/Underwood.Welser.2011.pdf

This article was published in the Aether[1], Journal of Media Geography in 2010. It should be noted that whilst the article is written in an academic style Aether is not a commonly recognised Journal. The editors are academics at three different recognised universities giving credibility to this boutique publication. This paper argues that all FlashMob events are a form of protest. Salmond (2010) contrasts between illegal dance parties or Raves and 21st Century FlashMob events. One similarity between Flash Mobs and Raves is the creation of an instant community. This community in raves and Flash Mobs is the taking of land that is not being used and using it for public good, similar to the squatters culture. Salmond (2010) cites Coco (2008) stating, "The individuals became tied together under a group interest, creating a connection and bond whilst sharing in a local event." (p.92). The ubiquity of technology is discussed throughout the article reinforcing that technology has assisted in the development and promotion of FlashMob events. Salmond (2010) also looks to introduce variances on the FlashMob such as SmartMob and Protest Cell. The SmartMob is a more structured and organised event with a clearly defined purpose or cause, which can be on a global scale. The protest cell is the using of ring tones to protest against the decided cause. Salmond (2010) attempts to connect the legislation designed to stop illegal raves in the UK and apply it to the illegality of FlashMob events. This correlation is fragile but is not the main focus of the paper. There is a strong reliance by Salmond (2010) on the illegal nature of FlashMob events and less on the artistic performance aspect. Footnotes [1] http://130.166.124.2/~aether/index.html

Anyone can become a member of Avaaz. However, their website offers no portal of communication between members and/or non-members. Fortunately, this issue is solved by its integration of social media networks such as Facebook (Avaaz.org, 2011b), Twitter (Avaaz, 2011) and YouTube (AvaazOrg, 2011). Using Facebook as an example, Avaaz posts information about current campaigns. By doing this, Avaaz is opening further communication about its campaigns; it allows the organisation to continually grow stronger; and it is an opportunity for them to reach more people. On this Facebook group: * Avaaz posts new information, and contributes to conversations * Anybody following the Avaaz group can make comments about the campaign; concurrently they can also promote particular campaigns of interest to their own social networks. Avaaz also makes use of Twitter as another complementary platform for communication. Akin to Avaaz's use of Facebook, Twitter is used to keep their followers informed of updates, new campaigns and more. An example of this can be seen in Tweets made by Avaaz: Hi @SAALTweets, have you seen the @Avaaz petition for Jan #Lokpal? http://bit.ly/eZcDis Follow @Avaaz back so we can send more info (9 Apr) In 1 day over 250,000 have signed to stand with #annahazare against Indian #corruption. Join them at http://j.mp/gfg7KJ - pls RT (8 Apr) Avaazers in India: Stand with #annahazare to tackle #corruption. Sign the @Avaaz petition for the Jan #Lokpal Bill! http://j.mp/fCnD8Z (8 Apr) By doing this, Twitter users are able to receive updates about campaigns and other information; participate in conversations; and, promote the information that interests them to their networks (Jenkins et al., 2009). By doing this, the consumers of the networks are helping

[Continued from previous comment] In terms of my chosen topic of Flash Mobs, AVAAZ has stronger ideals and uses social media to highlight their issues of global concern. Flash Mobs tend to have their base within a community and despite sometimes being organized to highlight a social injustice, are mainly used as advertising to publicize an upcoming event or personality. YouTube videos shared through social media networks appear to be the main form of spreading a Flash Mob once the activity or event has occurred. AVAAZ on the other hand, has an ongoing commitment to highlight issues before, after, during and after an event. Thanks again for your insightful article and comment Jocelyn

Prior to reading these comments, I had never heard of AVAAZ. Out of interest, and because I have been researching civil unrest in Europe and the Middle East, I did a Google search on "AVAAZ and Egypt" and was surprised to see 418,000 results. There were multiple links to different groups who were promoting the "Stand with the people of Egypt petition" in conjunction with AVAAZ, groups such as the Care 2 News Network, and Manalife. We seem to constantly hear about the power of Twitter and Facebook, but in turn there are all of these other organisations collaborating, promoting and sharing content on the internet not just using Twitter and Facebook, but their own websites and forums. REFERENCES: Avaaz - Stand with the People of Egypt Care2.com http://www.care2.com/news/member/754940801/2709806 Hylands, J (January 30, 2011) Avaaz - Stand with the people of Egypt. Manalife http://manalife.org/articles/stand-with-the-people-of-egypt/

(2001) This is a critical view about the internet and education. Peter Macinnis Speaks with Robyn Williams (ABC Science National Radio) about the evolution of Technology and how technology takes 20 plus years to become an accepted technology. Macinnis shows the analogy of the printing press, steam trains, telephone,radio and TV development and then compares the internet.  He claims you need to take the rear view mirror approach to see what the trends are.   One interesting point that Macinnis makes is that the examination process of education is still ran by the old school where the generation today have a whole new literacy in Internet communications. He also criticise how the Internet is organised and there is some work needed to add metadata to the already exciting data on the web.  I find this a good argument as search engines rank results based on several factors other than truth and reliability.     Williams, R. (Writer). (2001). The Internet and Education [Radio ], ABC Science. Australia: ABC Radio National.

REFERENCES ABS. (2007). 8146.0.55.001 - Patterns of Internet access in Australia, 2006, Australian Bureau of Statistics. First Issued November 29, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2011 from: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/8146.0.55.001Main+Features12006?OpenDocument Downes, S. (2007). The Future of Online Learning and Personal learning Environments. Retrieved April 12, 2011 from: http://www.slideshare.net/Downes/the-future-of-online-learning-and-personal-learning-environments NSWDET (2009). Social Learning 2.0 Concepts and Visuals. Uploaded by the NSW Department of Education and Training March 2009. Retrieved April 12, 2011 from Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/etalbert/sociallearning20-concepts-and-visuals-mar09# Williams, R., and Peter Macinnis (2001). The Internet and Education. Ockham's Razor, Radio National. Broadcast Sunday May 6, 2001. Retrieved April 12, 2011 from: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ockham/stories/s289416.htm

It is good to go back and examine Peter Macinnis's point of view. Reminds me of the exercise of examining Clifford Stoll's (1995) view on what the internet was to become, which of course was mostly wrong. Macinnis seemed to have predicted the unorganised nature of the information on the internet (ABC Radio, 2001) which to an extent does exist now. This is one reason I believe is important to address in terms of internet collaboration especially in education. Collaborating is about organising information into a presentation form for all students collaborating within a system. But that must be with a gatekeeper, namely the teacher or lecturer or tutor who can intervene when needed. Michael Green (ABC Radio, 1999) in an earlier view on that show quoted Fred Bennett who urged computers to teach students without an intermediary, namely a tutor or teacher. Whilst tertiary education is underpinned by self-reliance, I wonder if such views back then apply now. In collaboration, does the lecturer decide to be strictly a hands off non-interventionist given that their students are mature and can think for themselves? Or does the lecturer, given the high demands of departmental, research and publishing commitments, become part of the student group collaboration? In my resources, Google Docs seems to raise more issues about information use which suggest students place a high value on organised information which makes sense to them. I feel that Macinnis should revise today if inaccurate information is the real problem. We had virtual communities were information could be corrected, but with Web 2.0, Wikipedia being the most obvious example, we can correct what is wrong. I do agree with Tessa that social media overall seems to be quite behind in the way it is being diffused across educational sectors. Collaboration tools such as Facebook etc will be used by students anyway so it seems odd that the resistance still exists. This interview is a good resource to reflect on how f