Do you need to tap the wisdom of crowds?

Companies know that you know what you want. Interactive Web 2.0 technologies are now enabling
businesses to use their customers to lead product design, create content and solve problems.
“Crowdsourcing”, which allows people to take part in online discussions and vote on what the company
should be doing, is already starting to take off.

Dell's IdeaStorm web site, launched last year, lets members post, discuss and vote on suggestions.
The decision to offer PCs with the Linux operating system pre-installed came from a proposal on the
site – and took less than three months from concept to launch. As crowdsourcing gains traction, it
will no longer be used just by large firms. It will be used by emerging companies and federal
agencies as a way to solve problems faster to tap the wisdom of crowds.

You can read more in James Surowiecki' s book “the Wisdom of Crowds” or see him live at the Web 2.0 conference