Click here for a newspaper clip of this article.
The message? Synchronized instructions to meet at a highly populated public place in order to commit a major act.
Starting to sound like the next big terrorist attack? Maybe. But it’s definitely not what it seems. That day two months ago was the first recorded occurrence of a social phenomenon known as flash mobbing. Their public act? To gather in Macy’s, admire a $10,000 Oriental rug, and explain to the baffled salesman that they belonged to a commune and were seeking a “Love Rug.”
Thus began this summer’s biggest, and least reported, fad.
Since then, flashmobs have become famous worldwide; they’re the flagpole sitting of the new millennium. The objective is always same: Show up at some public place. Do something absolutely pointless. Leave. Make sure you have fun.
Over one hundred strangers participated in the
The explosion was rapid. Within two months, countless flashmobs were organized in the
It’s impossible to know how many flashmobs exist or in how many cities; but mobs are estimated in the hundreds, members in the high thousands. These could be considered cells, each completely functional with no central leadership. Sound familiar?
With little to no media coverage, word of mouth alone is responsible for the popularity explosion. And it’s largely internet word of mouth.
Since Bill’s first mob, thousands of copycats have joined in the fun, but chances are you’ll see it before you hear about it.
Crowds have played Marco Polo in
In
It’s all been very undisruptive. So Far.
It doesn’t take the most devious person in the world to imagine the power behind this seemingly harmless fad. The tremendous advantages of anonymous organization through broadband and wireless internet have been forced into the public eye, and damaging deeds from small-time vandalism to massive terrorist attacks could be the next step.
Plans could be sent instantly to dedicated followers who carry out some task, having little or no knowledge or pre-meditation of their job, making it extremely difficult to discover the plots before-hand.
Conversely, there are no limitations to the good this could bring. Political protests could be organized in hours. Volunteer groups could form instantly to help in the event of a disaster. Thanks to Bill and his friends, everyone knows how easy it is, and the possibilities are boundless.
Once again, technology is changing the world around us before our very eyes, and it’s impossible to tell, as always, what these new changes mean for us as we move onward, into the future.
52 Responses
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I love the way you paint a picture at the beginning of all your columns. Very vivid, very instructive. So much more effective than some columnists who just tell people what they think.
hooah, that’s a spicy topic.
Think about THIS: I… am… BILLL!!!!!111
This fad has died down quite a bit since the column was originally posted. Still, online organizing is here to stay.
The terrorists are coming to get us, lol.
Kidding, still–groups that organize with the internet know how to get it done.
moveon.org
Great Article
Move on is just a glorified mailing list.
Yeah and think of the love rug THEY could buy
mwahahaaha
Good stuff
Thanks so much for writing about this mark. As powerful as the netroots seem, more people need to be involved!
Kudos
They’re coming for YOU!!
Who, the government wiretappers?
This isn’t as funny as your usual stuff but it’s also really interesting so i guess that’s o-k lol
Hilarious and makes ya think to ya no.
Maybe the best one on this site except the what man and what woman one (and maybe the Bush poo too, if you like comedy lol).
Back to the future, like 1984.
1984 was 20 years ago. They learned from that book and now they come up with schemes like this to sneak their totalitarianism and mind control past you. It will never be uniforms and armed guards–just culture manipulation and normative stereotyping.
Think about it. This is exactly how it starts. Then in 25 years the credit card companies and big corporations will control your actions–no government interference necessary. You’re all already part of the system. There’s no need for thought control to control your actions. Just control of your bank accounts.
Chill, jeezy.
Are you kidding me? Why don’t you chill. This is absurd. This is just one of many examples. They got cameras everywhere now, listening to your phone calls, firing people who serve justice but don’t follow their political party
Out thunk.
The sky is falling.
No really.
Listen,
This is serious, but what can we do about it? I mean you can set off a dirty bomb in a school with a cell phone, or organize a mass riot in downtown Idaho. But how do you stop it?
See, there’s freedom. Freedom is what we love in this country. It comes with risk, but it’s worth it. I’d rather die reading a Penthouse magazine and smoking in my office than die having never seen porn before.
Dig?
Does anyone read more than the first 2 paragraphs of an article anymore?
This is way more about the novelty and effectiveness of online organizing than it is about terrorist attacks. Has the culture of fear really warped your minds that much?
Calfert:
Terrorists can still use the same methods tho
Terrorists can use smoke signals, too. Let’s ban fire and Native Americans.
Nah we already banned them.
^^lol.
So cool to find that you have a website. I read your column in my paper every week!
Nice site.
Your columns have so much more substance than most people’s.
Makes you wonder about most of the stuff you see on TV. You never hear about the stuff that you discuss in this article. I mean the protests and stuff. Protests happen all the time, but no one knows about them.
We can’t know, even in a 30 second news clip, that someone held a protest or an event, but we know for 30 seconds of every news show I see that Paris Hilton went Christmas shopping today.
fuck dat.
Or that she had sex again.
And really people, is that news?
lol@pentup
Great piece.
You in Nevada anywhere?
Good libertarians in Nevada. Mark Casey’s a liberal libertarian, but he’s pretty libertarian just the same.
aint no libertarian gonna be all about using the government to babysit people like this guy does. he jus seem like he wants to end government cuz he hates bush.
but man can you blame em?
That’s not what a libertarian is.
I hate how libertarianism has been co-opted by disillusioned conservatives and turned into some sort of psychopathic, anti-societal bullshit.
It’s about freedom, not freedom to dominate as a majority. It’s about how we’re all minorities and we should tolerate it.
This is a good one.
So you’re in newspapers too?
like your blog.
The political blogs in my paper are always hella boring. Your column should be everywhere. At least you talk about interesting stuff, the internet and controversy and stuff.
How bout controversy ON the internet?
Where’s Digg links? I’m too lazy to go to digg myself i need links, dammit! lol
This is great
I like your site!
The best part of your columns are the opening paragraphs. I love how you set the scene and it really feels like you are there.
We should trade links sometime man–I got you on my blogroll check your email
Your writing is so tight and clean, good and entertaining.
You can tell you write good columns because I learn something every time I read them!!
I hate reading a column that just tells me what some guy thinks or is all holier than thou about everything. Your writing is more like a news article, but entertaining at the same time.