Collaboration or Cooperation

Interesting thought that captures some of the selfish drivers that exist in even altruistic endeavors.

"He (Stephen Downes) describes in this presentation the concept of the internet as a form of global consciousness. He is looking at the idea of human nature as it has traditionally been represented but suggest that a more appropriate model is that of a collection of neurons. With this model he analyses what a global consciousness would look like - not collaboration, as in the organization of a company or a nation, but cooperation, as in the actions of autonomous but interdependent and connected individuals."

[blip.tv http://blip.tv/play/jDyBneAXAg]

Mike furthers the thought by looking at the motivations behind crowdsourcing, specifically in regards to the threadless model.

Granted, much of Downes presentation is a little over my head, but I might rephrase the statement to simply, "Collaboration is the cooperation of autonomous but interdependent and connected individuals." See, everybody wins!