What we think. What do you think in your spare time? Late last century, a typical trend was thinking what would be our next market - or perhaps what we would see or hear. The information and products offered with incredible pace and there was a boundless consumerism. As more and more new Web applications allow every single person to become a "creator" of the Web, he was born a type of internet, which is called Web 2.0 and had a set of new features and functions that allow users to provide content and easily linked. Now, anyone else can contribute internationally with the click of a mouse.
The Web 2.0 has brought a tremendous change in the world by the simple consumption paved the way for volunteerism and cooperation. In his book Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age writer Clay Shirky created the term cognitive surplus to talk about the combination of leisure and tools that make us creative. The total population on Earth is estimated to have about one trillion hours free time per year. When this is combined with the available multimedia tools and the easy connectivity of Web 2.0, but with the generosity and our innate need to share, generated projects like Ushahidi and Witness Project.
Why anyone wants to deal with such kind of activities in his spare time? Modern motivation theories suggest that what pushes people to give their free time to altruistic campaigns without paid money, is a sense of autonomy, the primacy and purpose:
- Autonomy: The freedom to work someone chorus continuous guidance and control.
- Superiority: The sense of confidence and excitement that one feels when he sees his skills to develop.
- Purpose: Knowing that someone is working on something bigger than himself.
Together, these three factors play a catalytic role in human nature and can create stimuli and cause spectacular behavior. The combination of motivation, technology and a cognitive surplus leads to impressive projects that have the potential to change the world.
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