Reading Response #1

Li and Bernoff's book serves as a solid introduction into the concept of the groundswell, establishing what it is, and offering specific examples of it in action. They define it as, "a social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather from traditional institutions like corporations". For quite some time, companies were spreading their messages through finely sculpted advertisements, where every little detail was strategically chosen.Today, in Web 2.0, the power has shifted to the public, who are now responsible for determining the perception of a brand.

Public opinion has always played a significant role in how businesses conduct themselves,and how successful they are, but as technology continues to advance, we are now given full access to people's opinions across the globe. This holds businesses accountable, who now have no excuse when it comes to accommodating the needs of the customer, or giving the masses what they want. Before Web 2.0, if you did/didn't like a product or company, you could tell your friends, and that would probably be the end of it. In 2018, your opinion is something that can now be seen by everyone, and can lead to actual results. 

Reading about groundswell reminds me of how anti-internet many of the older people in my life were. I would see constant criticism that spending a bunch of time online was "anti-social", or that it was not teaching how to interact with others. What Li and Bernoff do is completely destroy that notion, and discuss how technology encourages collaboration, and that the internet can be used as a strong tool for connecting with others. What is interesting about this connecting/collaborating is the fact that everyone involved is significant in their own way. One does not have to be a creator to contribute to a dialogue, and even if you are only a spectator you are still supplying a form of digital capital, in the form of views.