web watch 2006 - mob mentality
We all know too many chefs spoil the broth, so you can imagine what sort of brouhaha is stewing at two sites that invite web-passersby to contribute to collective design. Now, while that sounds like more than a mouthful, the concept is quite simple ... and intriguing.
SwarmSketch asks visitors to add a 100 pixel line to sketches that are presented once a week (you even get to vote on past contributions).
The Smaller Picture asks visitors to vote on whether the next pixel added to a picture should be black or white.
Both sites offered animated views of the designs in progress as well as past designs.
Of interest at the Smaller Picture site is how the challenge is sometimes almost met -- before it disintegrates into a failed attempt.
Hard to believe, but this sort of collective consciousness also determines the outcome of democratic elections.