I picked up this month's issue of National Geographic and was shocked to actually find something relevant to new media as one of its feature stories. Two entrepreneurs decided to see what would happen if they started an online community yet called it a Tribe. Members of this "tribe" can create profiles, upload pictures, chat online, and all the usual stuff in an online community. However, this virtual tribe, would actually become a real tribe.
The two entrepreneurs traveled to a desert island and formed a partnership with an indigenous tribe. Their inspiration came in part from social-networking sites such as MySpace and Friendster. They decided to lease a South Pacific Fijian island named Vorovoro for three years. This online tribe steered the development of a real island by making decisions about infrastructure, recreational facilities, rules, and more through discussions and online voting.
Now if this is not new media at work, I don't know what is! This online community can be located at Tribewanted.com and already has 1,025 members since its launch this past spring. Each month one member of Tribewanted.com is elected co-chief of Vorovoro Island and serves alongside the ancestral head of the Fijian island tribe. Check it out if you are interested!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment