Life in the Network

Sites like Wikipedia, Google, blog pages, and AltaVista are fighting for user's attention. They all strive to be the next "Meta" site that is the "highest level aggregator" (Edge). Many site owners are trying to incorporate a new technique that creates a buzz in the online community. I think that the Subservient Chicken in a classic example of an advertising technique whose success is depedent on viral marketing. The reason why the Subservient Chicken website was able to get millions of hits within its debuting week was because people were spreading the word about this website. If it weren't for viral marketing, I don't think that the Subservient Chicken would be as nearly successful. Sites like Wikipedia and the Subservient Chicken have one thing in common; they both include some sort of product, whether it's information or a form of entertainment, with user interaction. The reason why Wikipedia has been such a hit is because it allows anyone who can operate a keyboard to become an author. Of course such actions reduces the credibility of the source, but it still lures visitors. Jaron Lanier commented on Wikipedia being "nothing less than a resurgence of the idea that the collective is all-wise, that it is desirable to have influence concentrated in a bottleneck that can channel the collective with the most verity and force." (Edge). I think that Wikipedia also has a viral marketing attribute because it is dependent on many people to place their knowledge on topics for everyone else to see. It's viral marketing because it's highly dependent on users to spread the word about any kind of topic.

I myself have created a page on Wikipedia last semester. I forgot what I wrote about, but I do remember liking the feeling that I contributed to a topic that could potentially give knowledge to someone else. For this assignment I commented on "project management." I am currently enrolled in a Project Management class and so I thought that it would be appropriate for me to look into that topic. I have been interested in Project Management for quite some time and I was surprised to find so much information on it from Wikipedia. I contributed five tips on how to be a successful project manager.
The cite is "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management#The_traditional_triple_constraints."

I also found the Subservient Chicken site to be pretty interesting. The article "Dissecting 'Subservient Chicken,'" reported that Burger King's TenderCrisp Chicken Sandwich awareness and sales went up significantly. I thought that their moto "Have it your way" really fit into the construction of the Subservient Chicken which allowed viewers to "have their way" with the guy in the chicken suit. I thought it was hilarious.