The professors at De Montfort University Leicester, UK, have assembled a taskforce to predict the next Twitter-like big thing in social technology, with the aim resolving related ethical pitfalls before they become a problem. As outlined in their press release, “ETICA researchers will identify emerging technologies and will also decide how they are likely to be used. They will then list the ethical issues that are likely to arise from each possible application and devise a method to grade and rank them.”

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Yah books…one rung up the endangered species list from newspapers (sob!), but we still love them on a Kindel, eBook or old school. Here’s our pick of page-turners related to our biz. Also check out our Reads & Follow page… Ok onto the tombs:

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We read a lot here on crowdsourcing and social media and we’ll comment from time to time on things we really like. The name of this post comes from a book by Andrew Keen, in which he posits that the lowest common denominator will dominate when crowds rule. The truth is, there are situations where crowdsourcing isn’t a good application - no one at Chaordix is about to get a mysterious lump diagnosed by a popular vote. But crowdsourcing is no great evil, either. Used appropriately, it has power to change business and human life radically for the better. Here’s a few examples of how:

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When we’re procrastinating about doing our own writing, or looking to stay apprised and inspired, these are our blog haunts. Think we missed something fabulous? Tell us what else should be on this list of best blog authors for social media and web 2.0 enterprise.

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So, here’s an example of where crowdsourcing could have saved the day… Oh and likely millions of dollars. 

In early 2009, Tropicana revealed a fresh look for their juice cartons. But customer uproar was so loud and consistent, that within two months, it was pulled and replaced with the old. Tropicana’s parent company, Pepsi, was inundated with backlash from OJ consumers, many of whom protested the new look’s “generic” and anonymous appearance. It wasn’t just familiarity and fondness; it was practical – people couldn’t find the new cartons on the shelves.

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