He tangata, he tangata, he tangata

Where does the power of the web lie?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50491110@N00/2728600736 Katy Silberger

Simple Answer: Google it...

Long Answer: Spend the rest of your life reading the 87,300,000 search results, or alternatively why not harness the power of the web to answer this question...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16851909@N00/93136022 Stabilo Boss

...delicious might give you some good references, facebook or your blog could create comments or writing on your wall, perhaps you could tweat it out, or even create a collaborative wiki to find the answer.

In my mind there are two things that make the web incredibly powerful:

1. It's capacity to hold and connect exponential quantities of information
2. It's capacity to connect people and evolve based on user feedback

Both of these processes are based upon the interaction of people with the web. As the web has evolved into web 2.0 we now see the power of the web lying not in static pages, but in active multi-dimensional web-pages where individuals are engaging with each other creating audiences bigger than ever possible in the history of mankind.

When Susan Boyle sang on Britains Got Talent, she had no idea her different 'You Tube' video's would total over 100 million views touching hearts all over the world. Neither did Alison Chang know that her photo posted by her youth pastor onto Flickr, would receive more publicity than the teenager could ever desire, need or handle (Thanks Virgin Mobile). The internet has the power to rise up and the power to crush. The power lies in it's users and the collective interactions they have.

Charles Leadbeater writes about this in 'People power transforms the web in next online revolution', a great article which points to numerous examples of the web being used as a powerful source of change, creative inspiration and space for inovation and development. Leadbeater challenges us to use this powerful collective element of the web to find answers that are real in society. His book, We Think: Mass Innovation, Not Mass Production is a book I want to read... going with the theme of working together his first three chapters are free on the his book's web page.

So, to finish I want to share a famous Maori Whakatauki (proverb) which points to the power behind the web...

Unuhia te rito o te harakeke,

Kei hea ke te komako e ko,

Whakatairangitia,

Rere ki uta,

Rere ki tai,

Ui mai koe ki ahau e aha te mea nui o te ao,

Maaku e ki atu,

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata,

Tihei mauri ora.

Translation...

If you should tear out the heart of the flax bush,

Where will the bellbird be,

Will it fly inland,

Fly out to sea,

Or fly around aimlessly,

But if you should ask me what is the greatest thing on Earth,

I will tell you,

It is people, it is people, it is people.