Guest Speaker Reflection

Clay Shirky, the presenter from the TED talk focused on the concept known as cognitive surplus. Shirky put the notion in simplest terms by saying that cognitive surplus is the free time from world citizens in order to contribute to media. I really enjoyed the way in which Shirky approached this idea by saying that those citizens with access to the internet have over a trillion hours of free time which in turn creates reciprocity. A word in simplest terms that exemplifies the "if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" type of idea. Shirky also notes how cognitive surplus is a media tool that helps us do a little more than just consume.
Being that as humans we naturally like to create and share, cognitive surplus allows for us to design for generosity. I liked the way that he presents this motion because it is a way of informing fellow citizens as opposed to distributing media for the purposes of consumption. During Shirky's TED presentation, he notes how cognitive surplus allows for creativity out of desire and not because the citizen feels as though they are obligated to. Through cognitive surplus, another term comes into play called Ushahidi. In order for Ushahidi to work, the goal is to make life better for everyone who is around. Cognitive Surplus and Ushahidi in theory go hand in hand. One of the main purposes he was presenting to TED was to convey all of the different organizations that were present to design a culture that is fit for generosity. One of the final ending points of his speech was that people of cognitive surplus will create civic value.