[Update: Unfortunately this online project has since folded. However, I leave the post as is, simply because it serves as an example of the suitability of the web as a tool for collaboration.]

Collaborative problem-solving is based on the notion that the collective wisdom of the group can yield ingeniously creative solutions to challenging dilemmas that individuals on their own have difficulty resolving. Mediation of course is one way to enable individuals and groups to team up together to solve problems. But there are other, equally creative ways to tap into that energy, and one web site seeks to do just that.

Gratitude.net offers people the opportunity to harness the power of collaborative problem-solving by creating a kind of reserve or pool of experience, wisdom, and insight. In the words of founder Tory Gattis, a social systems architect, the goal of Gratitude.net is to become “the ‘eBay’ of kindness, wisdom, and goodwill” by “matching people’s life challenges and advice offerings”. As Gattis explains, Gratitude.net is based on the following premise: What if the best solutions to life’s challenges could be drawn out of a large networked community and made available to all? Could that help accelerate people up the hierarchy and lead to a better world?

For further information on how to become a member of Gratitude.net, please visit the web site.