Craig Newmark, Founder of Craigslist, Shares Predictions for '08

This is the 3rd in a series of predictions for '08 from entrepreneurs. I asked Craig Newmark, founder of the wildly popular site Craigslist to provide his input for '08. Thanks Craig.

_______

Ordinary people are starting to use the Net to create grassroots movements in ways in ways that will change the nature of society and government.

There have always been many people of good who will have some clue regarding positive change. However, there has never been a medium which allows a lot of people to organize in large numbers, until the widespread use of the Net.

We're now seeing that happen, with power flowing from very small groups of privileged people to much larger groups. In politics, the Dean campaign got that going and now we're seeing lots of participation in efforts like those of Ron Paul and Barack Obama. On Wikipedia, we're seeing that ordinary people with voice and vision who are writing the history of our times. People in Palestine and Israel are uniting, in large numbers, at OneVoiceMovement.org to tell their leaders to make a deal.

One counter trend has traditionally damaged grassroots efforts, which we're seeing on the Net. That is, so called "front groups" pretend to be grassroots efforts but are actually run by shady politicians or corporations. (This is documented elsewhere.) However, investigating reporters, both professional and citizen, are now exposing such groups and neutralizing their effectiveness.

I think we're seeing massive grassroots-driven change this year, unlike anything in history.

Comments

[jackBarry99]

How can we hasten the "cybercommunity"response to what we all experience, in our local daily media?

Craig talked of the "OneLaptopPerChild" project... I bought two, and am awaiting the arrival of mine. I pledged $2,500 to OLPC, awaiting another $7,500 that I hoped to wheedle out of other local folk, via the "hoped for" help of the local print media and elected officials... No one took the bait. Now, if we had a "Locals Reply to "Local Mass media news", I could have plumped on that Forum. We all need a way to communicate, locally, individually, about what is currently "in the news". No? jack barry in the Sunset. (S.F.)