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Acceptable Quote by Clay Shirky

“What you need for a participatory system to work: "a plausible promise, an effective tool, and an acceptable bargain."” quote by Clay Shirky
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“What you need for a participatory system to work: "a plausible promise, an effective tool, and an acceptable bargain."”

Clay Shirky

About This Quote

Source Speech: TED Talk “Cognitive Surplus”, 2010

A functional participatory system requires a credible promise, a usable tool, and a fair exchange.

In simple terms: Three elements needed for collaborative platforms.

Key Takeaway

Ensure promise, tool, and bargain align.

Themes

collaboration design trust

Mood

optimistic analytical

Type

advice strategic

When to use this quote

  • online communities
  • open source projects
  • crowdsourcing platforms
  • civic tech initiatives

Key Concepts

social computing collective intelligence incentive design

Questions to Reflect On

  • What promise are you making to participants?
  • How can you make the tool truly effective?
A Different Perspective

If any element is weak, the system collapses.

4.3 out of 5 (4 ratings)

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