Comment 48943

By lorne (registered) - website | Posted October 06, 2010 at 19:45:06

Thanks for the thought-provoking article. When I read the Gladwell article a couple of weeks ago, one of the things that occurred to me was how he minimizes the awareness-raising potential of social media. While it is true that signing an online petition requires little effort or commitment, it still has the effect of informing people about important issues that may, in one way or another, take root and lead to further action or involvement in the future.

If I could cite a personal example, a few years ago I learned about an organization called kiva.org, an Internet-based microfinance organization that facilitates loans to entrepreneurs in the developing world. Having learned about it through social media, I first became a lender and, later on, a volunteer editor with the organization. While the volunteer work takes place with minimal inconvenience in my home on my computer, does that fact in any way invalidate the commitment I have made, one that I couldn't have made in the first place had I not learned about in on the Internet?

Comment edited by lorne on 2010-10-06 18:47:37

Permalink | Context

Events Calendar

There are no upcoming events right now.
Why not post one?

Recent Articles

Article Archives

Blog Archives

Site Tools

Feeds