Lately I am completely enamored with technology that allows us to tap into our networks or broader communities to improve our lives in ways we’ve been unable to before. Two months ago I had a crush on Herman Miller’s Thoughtpile contest to launch their new Embody chair. Each week the microsite thoughtpile.org would feature a question, such as “What’s the one thing we can do to improve innovation at work?” and users would submit their answers, which would appear as bubbles of thought rotating peacefully around an axis. Something akin to a Web 2.0 lava lamp. The community then voted on the best ideas, the best of which won a new Embody chair. Sadly the microsite is no longer, but you can find an image here.
TechCrunch has a great note this week on another community-driven idea aggregator: Tip Jar by Google. Tip Jar is a collection of money-saving tips submitted by the web community and compiled using Google’s moderator service. Google’s moderator service was invented for their internal tech talks and company meetings, and allows users to submit and vote on ideas, and the most popular ideas rise to the top. Kind of sexy for an unsexy topic like saving money, no? My favorite idea to date, under the “home” category, states: “Borrow books from the library. Nothing beats free.” So true, so true.
Tip Jar by Google
What are your favorite programs, apps, or sites that allow you to tap into your friends or the web community in a way that’s improved your life? Click on the word “comment” below to share your thoughts.
