The fourth chapter that I have read

Wiconomics
Chapter 7 – Platforms for participation
By: Don Tapscott & Anthony D. Williams

This chapter focuses on discussing the possibility’s of development when larger companies share the data they have with the community. The way these companies share their data is through an application-programming interface (API), which basically means that it allows users to utilize the data and combine it with some other platform or make something new from it. The term that the author uses to describe this is called mashup.

One of the first examples of a web mashup was when a man named Paul Rademacher combined google maps with an ad service for vacant housing which would be called housemappings. The idea was formed when he was looking for an apartment in Silicon Valley and got tired of looking at different maps for each house that he wanted to see. This application drew data from the ad service and showed the different locations as push pins on the map.

Further on the author explains how mass collaboration has made companies as Amazon flourish with the participation from the community of users.
This was made possible because of the participatory platform that lets different smaller companies connect to them. The function of this open platform is to let people develop affiliate applications that can drive traffic and sales to Amazon. They in turn make money by getting paid commissions when they lead shoppers to Amazon.

The chapter continues on explaining how the government in the state of Rhode Island steps in and utilizes AIP and enable the government agencies to share their data. The idea with sharing this information was to enable people to react and create applications that could reach out to the masses and enable them to interact with the governmental issues such as environmental risks crime rates and so on. In short to get people more involved and aware of local issues.

To sum things up in my own reflection this chapter discusses the important issue of sharing information with each other and with collaboration utilizing it to develop new things. This book seems to be very up to date on collaborative discussions in media society. I really recommend it for those who have interest in the subject.