What’s Mine is Yours: The rise of collaborative consumption by Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers (2010) Part II

Tonight, we revisited this book in a second conversation. Our previous conversation took us through the process of developing a community. Katina Watkins offered more discussion surrounding the need for corporate response once the connections have been built. This kind of customer intimacy is both aided and hampered by social media. Responsibility to respond to the created community lies with the brand owner.

But, says Valarie Udeh, do we really know what community is? We’ve elevated community to a virtual place. In the process, have we devalued relationships? We have friends globally through the wonders of the web, but we may have lost the historic sense of community: family, friends, and neighborhood.

Many authors speak about developing community and sharing among a community, but these online communities may cause local communities to decline. Botsman & Rogers certainly advocate for local communities. Are we listening?

• Overall Response: Second verse same as the first: “A must-read that will rock your (selfish) world.”

About Digital Media Book Club: In the growing field of strategic communication, social media rockstars, academics, and digital thinkers are investing time and energy to share their learning with others. In my Digital Strategic Communication class, students in the Master of Arts in Organizational and Strategic Communication program at Queens University of Charlotte are sifting through a variety of texts to discover the embedded wisdom. These are their thoughts and reactions.