Crowdsourcing Comes With Plenty of Opinions, Questions and Debates

When I posted the launch of Victors&Spoils many a colleague in education had questions and opinions. They varied from fear of a talent drain, the lack of direction and voice for brands and of course the employability of our graduates. But I got this Facebook post today from an repspected alumni who voiced his thoughts, it opened a big and passioante debate.

I wanted to share these thougths and gain other insights and comments. 

Anthony...  

I'm looking at - Victor & Spoils, Poptent, and all these other sites trying to crowdsource young and hungry talent and I'll I can think is what a waste.

The next Ogilvy, Goodson, or Bogusky will not get the support and learning that comes with senior staff or the support structure to make mistakes.

Instead they will sell their "brightest ideas" for pennies on the dollar to "old boomer" businessmen, then will end up get factory jobs to work on their novels. If I was you, I'd invest in Penguin Books. When we (they) are done driving away all the talent in this industry they are going to make a killing! 

In advertising we have been complaining about the RFP process for years - its a drain on paying clients, not representative of the work and thinking that goes into what we do... ect.

How is the next logical step to download that on to freelancers?

Yes, there is a hole in the market. There are a lot of talented and educated people who could be doing great work that are not.

But you know what else is tragic?

The social, economic and environmental problems facing the world today.

If your thinking of throwing your work onto a crowdsourcing site I have a simple suggestion.

BE AN ENTREPRENEUR.
START A COMPANY.
FIND A PROBONO CAUSE/CLIENT
DO GREAT WORK.
GET NOTICED.
AND NEVER EVER SELL YOURSELF SHORT.

You might just find your taking resumes instead of handing them out. 

(That's some Switch Thinking - free of charge)

Cyclists Paving the Way - A Driver Appreciation Campaign.

A true grassroots effort created by Toronto advertising agency Switch Advertising. Born from need to promote mutual respect on the roadways of the city and in part after the tragic death of cyclist and bicycle courier Darcy Allan Sheppard.

The Toronto Cyclists Union is encouraging its members, and fellow cyclists, to stop by and pick up some "Thank You" cards to pass along to drivers who make a point of treating you with respect in traffic.   The overall mission is to "Help promote friendlier Toronto roadways for cyclsit".

The Toronto Cyclists Union is encouraging its 750+ members to thank conscientious drivers and take that first step towards safer roads. The city works better when we all work together.
Toronto cyclists will be thanking drivers who remember to give them their fair share of the road through beautifully designed Thank You cards.

“It’s easy to get angry when someone cuts you off. This summer has been filled with sensational headlines about conflicts between cyclists and drivers. What people often forget are the thousands of commuters who arrive safely, and without incident, to work, school and home every day. It’s time to encourage positive behavior and find a way to reward those people who use Toronto’s roads with respect.”

Yvonne Bambrick, Executive Director, Toronto Cyclists Union.

Cyclists Paving the Way is about sharing a more positive Toronto – and sharing is something that cyclists know all about. Though its true that bicycles are considered road vehicles under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act (HTA), the average cyclist is still paying more then their fair share to maintain the common road space.
 
Leaving drivers with a final word, Yvonne states:

"While it can be said that many cyclists are also drivers, the same does not hold true for most drivers. Try to imagine what it is like to ride a bike amongst heavy active machinery and please drive accordingly. Together, we can make the roads, and the city overall, better for everyone.”

Follow this link to view video:

http://www.vimeo.com/7135162