Thomas L. Friedman Says "Uploading" Contributing to Flat Earth

Those of us who live in the United States sometimes forget that the majority of the world's population lives beyond our borders. I am one of them. So, now that I am part of a global firm, I am committed to broadening my worldview to, well, the world. My first order of business is to start reading Thomas L. Friedman's book, The World Is Flat. My timing is excellent since a new expanded and updated version recently hit the stores.

In case you're not familiar with the book, Friedman's thesis is that technology and social changes are putting globalization into warp drive, flattening the playing field. The book is an engaging read (or listen). It's filled with fascinating stories that bring the author's arguments to life. The World is Flat is definitely getting me thinking in a whole new way, which is what I still turn to books to do even in this very digital world. (Confession: I often listen to books on my iPod rather than read them. It fills lots of "unusable" time. In some cases I end up buying the hard-bound too for reference.)

The new updated and expanded version breaks out the ten forces that are creating a flat world. New to the list at number four is "Uploading." Friedman describes Uploading as "the power of individuals to send, up, out and around, their own products and ideas, often for free, rather than downloading them from commercial enterprises or traditional hierarchies." He goes on to add, "More than ever we can all now be producers, not just consumers." I love the term uploading. It's simple and describes why the two-way web (or Web 2.0) is indeed a big change from Web 1.0.

Although it's hefty (600 pages or about 25 hrs unabridged on an iPod), I highly recommend the book if you're interested in taking a broad view of the world and why we're at the beginning of a unique era that will change business. Friedman does a good job of covering off social software, Wikipedia, podcasting and blogs, putting them into a bigger context.

He ends the Uploading section with this: "In short, the number of uploaders is still relatively small. But as the tools for individual uploading and collaboration become more diffused, and as more people get positive feedback from their uploading experiences, I am certain that every big institution or hierarchal structure will feel the effects. You have been warned."

Now that's a statement. I am sure there will be subsequent posts on the flat earth as I worm my way through the book.

Technorati Tags: Uploading, Thomas Friedman, World is Flat

Comments

[Marcel de Ruiter]

Hi Steve,

Nice I find out you are also reading this book at this moment.

Having not read a book like this in 4-5 years (I am an economist by education), I was quite surprised by the insight it offered in recent history.

Unfortunately, I bought the book just before the release of the updated version.

By the way, I just came across a very long but thorough review by Edward Leamer, an important American Economist: http://uclaforecast.com/reviews/Leamer_FlatWorld_060221.pdf
It could be nice for getting another prespective.

Best regards,

Marcel

[John Pospisil]

This is a very interesting post on a number of levels.

First it's great that Americans are starting to see that they're citizens of communities that physically exist outside of their national borders. Isn’t that what the Internet is all about? We in other lands like to think that we can also make a contribution to the Blogosphere, for example.

Second that Web 2.0 phenomena, such as blogging and Wikipedia, are being thought about in a wider context. Something profound is happening in terms of content generation and consumption and the really exciting questions are "what does it all mean and where will this take us?". Perhaps this is a situation where McLuhan's "medium is the message" catch cry can help us the meaning of what’s happening.

Third, the concept of uploading begs the question "what is the driver underpinning this activity?" Why are people generating content? Is it for novelty value, self-indulgence, prestige, the hope of commercial gain, or is there a more deeper need being met (at least for some people) – the need to reach out to other people – or dare I say it, the quest for fulfilment?

[Mike]

"The Uploading Prosumer". Kewl.

[Bruce Barber]

I'm posting this from Connecticut, in the US, smiling in agreement with John Pospisil, posting from Australia.

What an amazing moment we're living in...

[John Diffenthal]

... this very digital world ...

The last time I saw any statistics on the topic, about 80% of the world's population had never made a phone call, never minded posted to a blog.

[Ray Tapajna]

Instead of dwelling on the Flat World fables by Thomas Friedman, we should be preparing for the post-globalization era. Thomas Friedman ignores the fact that workers have no voice in the process of Globalization and Free Trade and history tells us what happens when the workers who are the essential part of any economy or system are left out of the loop.
History also tells us what happens when colonialism takes over. The USA and other nations have chopped up their economies and spred them across the globe. Now they find they must protect their economic interests worldwide and this breeds wars and terrorism. It is impossible for Globalism to survive when local value added economies are destroyed.
Friedman also ignores the fact that the sum of his "some workers have and will lose their jobs" adds up to millions of workers losing their jobs resulting in the most massive dislocation of jobs in history.
As a result, personal and business bankruptcies are breaking records along with the prison population in the USA.
Friedman uses "cooked" statistics in comparing periods of history that do not compute. The 1970s unemployment data collection was much different from today when unemployment was primarily based on full time jobs. Today, even someone making only a $100 a month is considered employed. Only 38% of all workers now qualify for unemployment insurance which means there is a vast limbo of numbers with many missing in action from any kind of reporting.

Also, the term Free Trade has changed in definition. It is not trade as historically practiced or defined. It is now based on moving production from place to place based on the cheapest labor markets. Factories are now portable ready to be moved again and again based on the least line of resistance and the lowest possible wages. It is indeed a race to the bottom with Friedman 's sense of a level playing field being false.
For more information, see Tapart News and Art that Talks with the thought provoking editorial art by Ray Tapajna and The Flat World Fables of Thomas Friedman at http://tapsearch.com/flatworld/
See also "communications by rank" at http://www.experiencedesignernetwork.com/archives/000636.html

[Dj]

America is forgetting their strengths and getting into a spiral of negativism.

They are forgetting they still are technologically the tops. It was their philosophy of capitalism which brought them to make the phenomenal breakthrough of pushing The Envelop, to allow technology to grow to its full potential.

It is sad to see them now losing that go-getter and fighter abilities.

I see their biggest set back as holding up stem-cell research. Which I believe is something that has the greatest potential of improving human lives and giving value to the living. America through its acceptance of technological challenges has been instrumental in giving dignity to human life.

Now by stopping to accept this stem-cell research challenge they are gearing up to become losers by picking up wrong battles of globalization.

They should continue to do what they are good at that is to look ahead and help the world discover itself and understand itself better.

They should see the challenge which stem-cell research is providing and be the visionary they are so much capable of being.

Once they identify the right battle they will be more than happy to see that the world is actually becoming what they were hoping for all along (at least in the technological sense). They will be more than happy to let go of the current jobs as they would have found better utility of their time, and resources and continue to be a natural global leader than a sore loser which they are in danger of soon becoming a victim of in this new form of competitiveness.

If they see themselves again in this light they will see some of logic in Tom Friedman’s philosophy, which is actually the philosophy of America only that it has somehow, somewhere forgotten it and Tom is simply trying to remind them and reawaken them to it and bring it back in touch with its glory days and greatness.

[Rachel]

All I have to say is that I had to read this entire book in a month or so for my US History class, and I definitely never ever want to see it again. I care about globalization and all that, I guess, but on behalf of my equally pissed classmates: screw you Thomas L. Friedman.

[Michael Winkler]

Thomas L Friedman unfortunately presents a very simple-minded view of the impact of globalisation both in economic as well as cultural terms. I am really always surprised at the number of intelligent folks out there that champion the guy. I

have read most of his books and have skimmed his columns in the NY Times for years and cannot say that he has ever made a profound impact on our knowledge of either globalization, alternative energy, terrorism, and the whole host of other topics that he decides to stick his nose in. Take his columns on Green energy, the guy is a promoter of ethanol for transportation fuel however if the idiot where to have done ´proper research on the subject he would have found out that it 1.) used more energy that it provided as a transportation fuel, 2.) was a giant subsidy to the argo industry and 3.) has driven up food prices in the United States to the point that we are now sacrificing nutrition and health of the poorest people in this country so that morons probably like himself can drive around in big gas guzzling SUVs.

If you guys want to read a real book on Globalisation then pick up William Greider's book One World Ready or Not. It came out almost 10 years ago but the main difference is that William Greider is an intelligent writer and does his homework before his pen touches the paper. Friedman on the other hand is a second rate idiot!