I read Tara Hunt’s Please Stop Crowdsourcing Me blog post this morning over a holiday-inspired coffee and baileys.

What Tara had to say about crowdsourcing:

“I’ve been a long opponent to the term ‘Crowdsourcing’ as it invokes the image of an unpaid group of volunteers giving ideas for free while a corporation rakes in endless profits from them.”

It made me think about my goals for the year 2008.
At the top of my list now: Educate the world about the true meaning of the word “crowdsource.”

It drives me up the wall when people like Tara blacklist the term as if it’s a naughty word. As if crowdsourcing is when corporations lure consumers into their worlds with promises of better products and more transparency - only to suck consumers’ hearts and minds dry… But that’s not the case.

Crowdsourcing is not about loving you then leaving you.

It’s about making your business practices transparent and the walls of your office porous. It’s about creating ways to engage consumers, listen to them, act on their feedback and reward them with more than a one-time pat on the back. There are loads of fantastic examples of crowdsourcing at its best, which Tara neglects to highlight.

I really respect Tara’s work - but as a community evangelist, I don’t understand why she wouldn’t be helping create a list of crowdsourcing best practices. After all, crowds are communities. They need to be inspired, engaged, educated, entertained… Members need to see value in their contributions. If they feel “used and abused” they won’t return.

Some awesome examples of crowdsourcing:

1. Threadless — crowdsources designs, but the designers gain fame and make cash… sounds like reciprocity to me!
2. InnoCentive — Companies pose problems to the community and members who solve problems earn cash rewards
3. Sell-a-Band — wanna-be rock stars get to source the crowd for funding and votes… they gain fame, cut an album and create a built-in fan base
4. iStockPhoto — iStock sources stock photography from its community members - in return, they network with other photographers and make money off the images they sell
5. Adobe’s developer community — I want to throw this in because there isn’t always a monetary reward, nor do their community members gain fame, but they engage developers in a 24/7 conversation about their products and the entire company listens

Shameless plug: We provide tools for anyone using our crowdsourcing platform to reward contributors who help them polish an idea or build a business using our crowdsourcing model. Over $60,000 has exchanged hands between members in Cambrian House in the past 6 months.

Also, props to Andy Doan, Cambrian House community member who is crowdsourcing his business “FilmRiot.” Thanks to feedback from the crowd and work they’ve done to support him, Andy left his job on an automotive assembly line and has become President of his own company - and is raising his first round of financing. I’m sure the “crowd” feels really good about helping him achieve his goals.

Ever woken up in a haze, wondering where the heck you were last night… yesterday… or even last week? Have you ever thought to yourself, “These aren’t my clothes!” or “I’m covered in blood, but I don’t see any cuts on myself?”

Then I’m sorry, I can’t accept your friendship on Facebook.

But Magickaito does have an idea that may help you! World Guestbook - I WAS HERE!

World guest book: A mobile phone application which allows you to leave a message at virtually any corner in the world - depending on where you are currently located! It works just like how lovers carved their names on a tree in a park they met or how backpack travelers painted their names and dates at a corner in a backpackers hostel.

Obviously, Magickaito isn’t focusing so much on people who continually forget where it is they’ve been, but rather people who would use it for sentimental reasons. By targeting the “can-remember” demographic Magickaito is likely to pull in more advertising revenue, and will spend far less time helping members remember their passwords.

Congratulations Magickaito, on submitting this week’s winning idea!

Blue and Gord Pick Their Favorite Ideas

• Blue likes: What to do tonight? by ooper
  

  Have you and your significant other, or friends been faced with the question: what do we do tonight that would fit our location, date/time, budget and taste?

• Gord likes: SocialHeroes by mlimotte
  

  Create a badge or widget for public profiles like Facebook, personal blogs, etc., to honor every day heroes and thereby encourage additional participation.

Worst Idea of the Week

• We Make Your Fantasies Come True by nitro
  

  A social network with anonymous profiles.
  You share your secret wishes, and look at others.
  The power of network helps your fantasies come true.
  Many times you share an idea or an experience with someone so you can help each other.. or there is group that you can join… Life is short, at least give it a try…

Nitro forgot the first unwritten rule of IdeaWarz… don’t post drunk! Which he followed by forgetting the second unwritten rule of IdeaWarz… monitor your ideas for constructive feedback, and get engaged in the discussion.

This was Nitro’s first idea submission, but hopefully not his last.

Gord vs 202.84.X.Y and 203.177.X.Y

This week I purged 55 people from our Community. This action wasn’t performed without careful deliberation of the consequences… Blue and I debated the proper course of action for a minute. Which works out to more than 1 second per boot recipient.

Hopefully this will improve the signal to noise ratio on our site!

2 Weeks

Due to our Christmas holiday we’re going to run the next IdeaWarz round for 2 weeks. Cambrian House staff wishes everyone in our community a safe and happy holiday. Don’t drink and drive… don’t Blackberry and drive… drinking and Blackberrying is allowed but not recommended.

If you have time between family and friends over the next two weeks: Share your ideas. Rate this week’s ideas…

And… May the Best Idea… WIN!

Does your Android handset look drab and boring? Wouldn’t you rather choose from a catalog of exciting themes, instead of the two supplied by Google?

What’s that? You don’t own an Android handset? No one does? There is no demand, what-so-ever?

Well excuuuuuuuuuse us for looking ahead!

One day soon there’ll be a plethora of Androids, all looking drab and theme-less. Those new owners will be Googling for new themes… and Ccozad will be ready. Congratulations Ccozad on being the weekly IdeaWarz winner!

Canadian DMCA

This week I had a bit of an adventure, as about 40 fair-use activists stopped by The Honorable Jim Prentice’s constituency office… he’s the Canadian Federal Industry Minister, and seems to be in charge of copyright reform since the previous Director General of Copyright Policy stepped down for personal reasons.

What would happen? Would he talk to us? Would he release the hounds? Did he own hounds? If he owned hounds, wouldn’t they be kept at his home, and not at his constituency office? Maybe he owned multiple sets of hounds!?!

In fact we didn’t get much face-time with Prentice, but he did make it clear to us that he’d heard from CEOs in the entertainment industry, and felt pressure from our “trading partners”. And that broader public input would be welcome once the bill was tabled in parliament.

“The intent is to put a bill forward and then to get into a constructive process, a parliamentary committee to examine the issues, to hear from people. Anyone here who is interested in speaking to the committee, there is a process where you will be heard.” -Jim Prentice 2007-12-08

I’d prefer to see a bill tabled which guarantees consumer and educational fair-use rights. That solves the problem of orphaned works. And perhaps shortens copyright terms towards the optimal 14 year duration.

Then, after that bill was tabled, a committee could be formed where citizens, fair-use advocates and anti-DRM activists could be heard. What the heck… we could also hear from our trading partners, record labels and copyright lobbyists!

It might still happen, as the bill has now been put on hold, at least until late January. If Jim Prentice is looking for a good example of copyright reform, there’s always Israel. Israeli copyright law has a similar lineage as Canadian copyright law. Yet, when Israel felt pressure from their trading partners to tighten copyright laws, they instead added fair-use provisions, allowed backups and let educational institutions to go nuts with copyrighted materials! American DMCA is not the best lead to follow.

If you’re Canadian (and especially if you are a Canadian named Jim), Michael Geist is a good source for copyright news and learning materials. For Americans of Jim and non-Jim variety, Lawrence Lessig has made very creative recommendations how USA’s copyright laws can be improved.

But I digress!

Blue and Gord Pick Their Favorite Ideas

• Blue likes: Play For Profit Competitive Sports Video Gaming by VizionQuest
  

  Gamers challenge one another on a given competitive sports game and play for money. A social network for professional gamers and a neutral third party that distributes the winnings.

• Gord likes: HyperJot - Crowdsourcing Interactive Videos by ooper
  

  With reusable scenes you can create a story dynamically. Consider a game with squares, each being a scene with characters. As you make decisions, characters respond and you move to different squares.

• Blue likes: Social Decisions by ooper
  

  net version of asking people for personal opinions, with the added feature of weighing pros and cons with a quick way to get real numbers without the noise.

Gord Goes ADHD on Android’s Ass

I couldn’t effectively drive Android idea consolidation or investigate the friend-finder Kevin_Cox pointed out. The CH2 WOC mods need to be completed and checked in first.

If you have any thoughts how my attempts at consolidating overlapping Android ideas can be handed off to the community, fire away! I’ll be more than eager to join in as soon as CH2 has some improvements in the pipeline.

Gmail vs Todd

Many of us at Cambrian House have turned to web clients for our email. And it was hard to miss Google’s “Share your Gmail Story” option which suddenly appeared on our Gmail screens. This not only reminded us how much power Google wields… but how much we like Gmail. So random CH staffers helped us illustrate the magic which is gmail…

…and also Blue talks about Paisley. So between Canadian DMCA, Ccozad kicking ass, a goose, a golden egg and a couple blue balls… We have something for everyone in this week’s IdeaWarz video!

Until next Wednesday: Share your ideas. Rate this week’s ideas…

And… May the Best Idea… WIN!

Have you ever had to communicate in a foreign language? Something other than sweet simple English? If your experiences have been been anything like mine, you learned the painful way that louder and slower only takes you so far!

Language translation is moving from the desktop to mobile phones. And while many platforms are covered, ANDROID remains virgin territory.

Sneakers imagines this software first being used with work crews of mixed languages where walkie talkies have been replaced by mobiles: SMS messages could be translated on the fly.

Language Translator for Cell Phones hasn’t yet had many details nailed down. Does the scope include voice translation, or just text? What will be the translation engine? Will it be written specifically for ANDROID, or simply be a website people surf to using their mobiles?

The high scores garnered by Sneakers‘ idea indicates there’s a strong demand in mobile language translation services which is not yet being met.

ANDROID - Back to the Forums!

Cambrian House community did a good job of critiquing and citing existing applications for the mobile ideas. But the overlapping themes became evident as IdeaWarz proceeded. So for older mobile ideas without active champions, let’s identify the recurring themes and solicit idea champions back in the forums.

(This doesn’t pertain to any new ANDROID ideas people want to submit.)

Favorite Ideas

Oh how Blue loves to talk about her favorite ideas. Talk, Blue… talk.

• Mobile Profile Timer by whyme
  

  Set a time when I have to turn my phone off or in silent mode, so that it returns to its normal profile without me having to remember.

• Poison Pill for Mobile Devices by whoyouknow
  

  System that, based on the direction of it’s owner, destroys the data on the mobile device and optionally renders it useless. This service could be sold by wireless operators or by an independent service provider.

• Stolen Phone Monitor by gordonmcdowell
  

  Cellphone app (running in the background on an ANDROID mobile presumably) which monitors a server to determine if its considered stolen. If it is, then any GPS data it can calculate is relayed to the security company. Audio is captured. Photos are taken. Basically it becomes a homing beacon.

Oh, was that one my my ideas listed there?!? Blue, I’m sorry to ever have doubted you! Your judgment is impeccable.

And speaking of impeccable judgment, here’s my favorite idea of the week…

• ZodiBaby by Sooz
  

  Adorable customized zodiac baby onesies. Choose onesie. Choose zodiac sign. Choose description traits. Choose font. Order.

  …it could be complicated. Eventually. But right now, this cries out for a market test, and flintstoning.

Back to the Crawlspace

What has water, canned food, WiFi and a terrified Gord? The Cambrian House crawlspace! Will Blue have to drag Gord out kicking and screaming? Or will he come quietly, co-host IdeaWarz, and continue referring to himself in the third person? There is only one way to find out…

Until next Wednesday: Share your ideas. Help brainstorm ANDROID ideas. Rate this week’s ideas…

And… May the Best Idea… WIN!

When Santa asked Magickaito what he wanted for Christmas, he was in for a shock.

Magickaito looked him straight in the eye, and said he wants to control presentation software via hand gestures, freeing the presenter from needing to manipulate a remote control, and allowing dynamic integration between the position of the speaker’s hands and the presentation elements.

Santa mumbled something about busy elves, motion capture devices and a writer’s strike before excusing himself towards the bathroom. No one ever said software was his area of expertise.

Maestro Presenter

Magickaito has pitched, refined and clarified this idea in both our forums and as an idea submission.

There will be two modes - Video & Slide Mode. In Video mode, live video of presenter is broadcast to the big screen through a camera. The camera captures the gesture of the presenter. Predefined KeyInfo can then be triggered by certain gesture and overlayed in sequence beautifully.

E.g. Raising right hand will trigger next KeyInfo to be overlayed while raising left hand will trigger the previous. Raising any hand to a high position will switch the system to slide mode. As if a magician, presenter can now virtually play with these elements!

PowerPoint has its critics and its proponents, but until now, its lack of gesture recognition has gone unnoticed. Magickaito has cited this colorful HP video as inspiration for how an interactive presentation might play out. It would be fantastic to see Maestro Presenter allow even a fraction of such interactive energy in the next generation of presentation tools.

ChessSphere Online Prototype Contest

PetersonLimitedCo is offering 600 Cambros to the creator of the best ChessSphere Online Prototype! What’s that? You say your Chess AI programming skills are weak? Then this contest is for you, because machine-vs-human play is out of scope!

Facilitate play between two humans via an AJAX or Flash interface. Don’t let anyone make illegal moves. One side is black, the other side white. Simple.

You’ve got it done? Got a working prototype there do you? Want to collect 600 Cambros? Just PayPal it over to you there. Here we go. About to click SEND. Finger hovering over the mouse button here…

Oh, just one more thing. Did we mention the pieces move… on a SPHERE! Nice try Einstein. This isn’t a charity you know.

ANDROID ANDROID ANDROID

I’ve been quoted as saying…

If it says ANDROID ANDROID ANDROID on the label label label you will like it like it like it on your table table table!

…which is probably just was well since there’s plenty of stupider things I could be quoted on. Stupider, and less optimized for search engines. But could I have been too optimistic about the capabilities of ANDROID mobiles?

By adding previously submitted mobile applications to our ANDROID inspired IdeaWarz round, questions about GPS power consumption have popped up. Since every application of interest is dependent on this data, it’s a big question.

We’re taking feedback on how serious this concern is, but I’ve been quick to point out the limitations of today’s mobiles in previous IdeaWarz rounds, and it has served to stifle people’s imagination. For the sake of this IdeaWarz, lets let ANDROID’s SDK be our only constraint.

If anyone has not yet watched ANDROIDOLOGY (which I indicated the highlights of in our previous blog post), I’ve included clips in our latest video blog at the 7 minute, 30 second mark.

Some might say this is a copyright violation, to which I ask, is it really? Is it… really? (As I slowly back away towards the door, ready to flee.)

Until next Wednesday, submit or resubmit your best mobile application ideas as we keep the ANDROID theme running another cycle. Be sure to chime in on this week’s ideas…

And… May the Best Idea… WIN!