As I write this, I am sitting in a hotel room in Cape Town, watching the unfolding scene in London, where 4 more unexploded bombs have been found. Its two weeks after the devastating bombs that hit London and killed over 50 people. Its too early to say what has actually happened, and the analysts are all outguessing each other.
But was has struck me is that the police have instantly set up a hot line (email) for images and video footage from the public – anything that could assist them in their investigations. Of course, two weeks ago, the grainy cellphone videos and pictures were the only records available of actually happened on the tube that was bombed. Now, the police have realised the value of the democratisation of information. This is the “connection economy” at work – putting the mind of many to work for you.