Here is below how I explain to non-specialists what is collective intelligence and why it deserves to become a science.
Collective intelligence is not a new idea and concept. It is
the oldest human social organization where individual decide to mutualize their
knowledge, know-how and experience in order to generate a higher individual
and collective benefit than if they remained alone. Collective intelligence
is the foundation of positive-sum economies where the whole is more than the
sum of its parties.
Collective intelligence, at a natural stage, has two limitations:
– in size: only a limited number of people
can interact before it reaches a too high level of complexity that generates
more "noise" than effective results ;
– in distance: people need to be together within in a short
range so that everyone can participate and get a perception of the whole
The bigger human organizations became (cities, companies),
the more they had to find other ways of organizing themselves. The main structure
that prevailed until today is based on the work division sustained by a vertical
command&control hierarchy. The command&control structure and the proprietarization/rarity
of money are two phenomenon that reinforce themselves and help the world maintain
its own social hierarchical structure in a relatively stable manner.
Why collective intelligence is becoming interesting
now?
What is new is that the two initial limitative factors of CI
are becoming obsolete because of the arising of the Cyberspace. New distributed
people-to-people tools (from email to social software…) enable interrelation
at a virtually unlimited scale and distance.
The old social form of collective intelligence is now spaying
very fast, everywhere at all stages of human organizations. New social structures,
new forms of governance, new relationship between the individual and the group,
new economies, new political powers are in formation in the cyber layer, competing
with the current social organization.
The aim of the Canadian Chair of Collective Intelligence is
to study it and develop a theoretical and practical knowledge, in other words,
to build a new science that will help understand this emerging planetary phenomenon.
Blog of Collective Intelligence (since 2003) 
Jean-Francois this is absolutely precious and ever so-timely. Thank you for writing it, though I would much appreciate knowing your sources and references from which you yourself have arrived at this.
Another important aspect that adds up exponentially to the viability created by a noosphere is the aspect of synchronicity.
Ideas and concepts are not only technologically subsidized and in their ability to spread and feed each other, but new concepts and worldviews are simultaneously accessed from multiple individual viewpoints during this very time.
Once I understand why does this happen unattended and unhelped by any apparent technology, we will have another critical piece of the puzzle in place.
Where are we going?
Why are we here?
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What Is Collective Intelligence?
Social Networking Jean-Francois Noubel explains in simplicity and maximum clarity what is collective intelligence and why it deserves to become a science. He writes: “Collective intelligence is not a new idea and concept. It is the oldest…
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Explaining collective intelligence to non-specialists
May 25, 2003 Blog of Collective Intelligence Explaining collective intelligence to non-specialists Here is below how I explain to non-specialists what is collective intelligence and why it deserves to become a science. Continue reading “Explaining coll…
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Is this work based on Pierre Lévy’s work?
Are you aware of his book “L’intelligence collective – une intelligence partout distribuée”, or something close to that.
Are you aware of his program at the University of Ottawa? Are you a part of this team?
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A propos de l’intelligence collective
Il m’a été demandé à plusieurs reprises de transcrire en français le court texte que j’avais écrit : "Collective Intelligence for non specialists". Voici donc ci-dessous. L’intelligence collective en …
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A propos de l’intelligence collective
Il m’a été demandé à plusieurs reprises de transcrire en français le court texte que j’avais écrit : "Collective Intelligence for non specialists". Voici donc ci-dessous. L’intelligence collective en …
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Explaining collective intelligence to non-specialists
Blog of Collective Intelligence: Explaining collective intelligence to non-specialists…
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Explaining collective intelligence to non-specialists
Blog of Collective Intelligence: Explaining collective intelligence to non-specialists…
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What Is Collective Intelligence?
Jean-Francois Noubel explains in simplicity and maximum clarity what is collective intelligence and why it deserves to become a science. He writes: “Collective intelligence is not a new idea and concept. It is the oldest human social organization where…
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