Speaking of "Blink", author of that bestseller, Malcolm Gladwell, who also wrote "The Tipping Point", recently opined in the New Yorker magazine on the phenomenon of wiki-activism. The Guardian did a fine analysis, part of which summed up Gladwell's position thus:
...Gladwell drew the following conclusion: that while social networks may be useful for some communication – to alert like-minded acquaintances to social events, or to solve a specific "weak tie" problem, such as the location of a bone marrow donor – they do not promote the passionate collective engagement that causes individuals to make commitments that result in social change. Facebook "likers", he argued, are not sitters-in or nonviolent activists, they are not even marchers or candle-wavers; they may wish to associate themselves with a protest app, but the nature of their medium means they do so with negligible risk and therefore negligible effect.
Do you agree? Read the full article here.
FOOTNOTE: The Edge quotes PNB as saying, "We are not taking the government's money for the project." That threw me for a loop. If PNB are footing the entire RM5 billion bill, why was this item included in the PM's Budget announcement? Can someone please explain that to me?
Well, the well connected political and business classes can easily twist and turn about what they say about costs, pros and cons of any projects to protect their self interests. Before the project is even started or finished many hands are already greased and paid off.
ReplyDeleteSocial media is a good way to check and balance the system for those with less political connection. Well, one day they may try to ban the social media in the name of preserving the peace and harmony (and all those craps.) The younger generations are not going to buy it.