A hive mind?

I was quite taken by Gaurav Mishra's 4Cs Social Media Framework when I saw it a few days ago. It brings to mind the diversity of possibilities that are available for learners using Web 2.0 tools such as wikis and blogs and also places emphasis on the conversational nature of social media. Most importantly, there is reference to the 'wisdom of the crowds' - Mishra refers to it as collective intelligence. Several years ago I talked to some of my colleagues about the idea of a 'hive mind', drawn loosely from my interest in science fiction and in particular Star Trek (TNG)'s Borg collective (Note: The Borg characters are cold, unemotional, and ruthlessly efficient parodies of humanity - they should not to be confused with a certain Swedish tennis player of the 70s with the same name).

Superficially, there are similar lines to draw between the Borg and those who operate within a collective thinking. But there is a distinct difference if we dig deeper. In TNG the Borg were 'assimilated' from diverse races and cultures into a homogenous collective. They thought as one, and all traces of previous lives were erased or subsumed into the greater good of the hive. With learners using shared online spaces, thoughts remain individualised, and individual contributions to the space come from individuals. The outcome appears to be one generated by a hive mind, but in reality, it is a compendium of knowledge from many individuals that is buit up over a period of time, refined, edited and updated as the need arises. It is not so much a case of 'being assimilated' as accommodating the information one generates into a useful body of knowledge (yes, thank you Piaget!). The great thing about Web 2.0 tools is that we all remain unique individuals, we all maintain our individual thoughts, and although we may be swayed by arguments and information we find on the web, we still have the ability to decide for ourselves and argue our cases. In fact, by its nature, Web 2.0 positively encourages discursive engagement.

Web 2.0 is all about the conversation. And resistance is futile.

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