They say that there’s strength in numbers. And that’s the premise of a new web site, The Point, which bills itself as “a social platform for people to solve problems they can’t solve alone.”

Visitors to the site can register and create campaigns to encourage others to join their cause. Videos on the landing page of the site demonstrate the kind of individuals who can launch campaigns to instigate change: the Frustrated Consumer, the Unappreciated Employee, the Loving Parent, and the Concerned Citizen — archetypes that any of us can identify with.

The values on which The Point are based are straightforward:

The Point changes the way we participate in activities, removing the primary cause of inaction – not knowing if we will make a difference. The Point is a natural adaptation of collective action to the Web, and the most effective model for channeling frustration into coordinated, decisive action…

People want a way to make a difference, but many problems are so large that we feel powerless to solve them. People are not apathetic – most of us will help if we feel like we can make a difference.

By bringing people together in numbers sufficient to create change, The Point aims to “to empower people with an easy way to make the world the one they want.”

For those who say you can’t fight city hall, The Point may offer some hope.

(Hat tip to Bill Warters.)

As an antidote to the superficiality of social networking sites, a new trend has emerged: the rise of antisocial utilities that lets users connect to the people they can’t stand. Based on the premise that “you keep your friends close but your enemies closer”, sites like Enemybook and Snubster allow users to name their nemeses and list their offenses.

You can read more about it in this article from today’s Boston Globe, “New apps put the hate in online networking.”

One of the best of the new conflict resolution blogs that have emerged this year is ICT for Peacebuilding, a blog based in Sri Lanka “exploring the use of technology for conflict transformation”.

Dispute resolution professionals eager to gain a glimpse into the future of the conflict resolution movement will want to follow this cutting-edge blog, particularly those seeking a global perspective.

Its author, Sanjana Hattotuwa, shares with his readers news of an extraordinary project: dropping knowledge, an international initiative for social change using the medium of the web to bring people around the globe together for what may be the world’s largest public conversation about important issues. From the dropping knowledge overview:

dropping knowledge is a global initiative to turn apathy into activity. By hosting an open conversation on the most pressing issues of our times, we will foster a worldwide exchange of viewpoints, ideas and people-powered solutions. However knowledge is defined, by dropping it freely to others, we all gain wisdom…

dropping knowledge is a way of asking and answering questions that respects other viewpoints and leads to a meaningful exchange. When you ask in order to understand, when you answer in order to share, you are already practicing dropping knowledge.

The dropping knowledge project includes a Table of Free Voices scheduled on September 9, 2006, in Berlin, for what will be a gathering of “scientists, social entrepreneurs, philosophers, writers, artists and activists from around the world…, renowned for their lasting creative, social or humanistic contribution” who will respond to 100 questions from the global public.

You can post your own question for these experts to answer or find other ways to support this large-scale public conversation project by visiting the dropping knowledge web site.

Fans of James Surowiecki’s The Wisdom of Crowds, a book that celebrates the problem-solving and creative powers of groups, will want to visit Million Artists, a fundraising project which invites donors to play a role in creating the world’s largest collaborative abstract art work.

Visitors to the site can choose a color, make a donation to the medical charity of their choice (either Médecins Sans Frontières or SickKids Foundation), and then place their pixel on a digital canvas.

Although it is far more likely that the end result will be more Jackson Pollock than Whistler’s Mother, so far the project has attracted 161 donors and thousands of curious visitors. (For some online fun, visit this web site that allows you to create your very own digital Jackson Pollock by moving and clicking your mouse.)

To view (or to support) this work in progress, visit the Million Artists home page. To donate, you can click here.

(Via Collision Detection.)

When it comes to solving problems, the internet can be a sure-fire (and inexpensive) way to reach out and access the collective wisdom of the web-surfing multitudes. Since Sliced Bread is one such experiment in tapping into the wisdom of crowds. It describes itself as “a national call for fresh, common sense ideas. A call for ideas that will strengthen our economy and improve the day-to-day lives of working men and women and their families.”

To commemorate Earth Day, which is celebrated tomorrow, Since Sliced Bread is seeking help finding and tagging ideas to conserve energy and promote the environment.

(By the way, in honor of Earth Day, take this quiz to determine your ecological footprint, courtesy of the Earth Day Network web site. And maybe you want to think about trading in that Hummer while you’re at it.)

Technorati tags: creativity, problem solving

Earlier I had reported on Jobvent.com, a web site allowing employees to post anonymous ratings and comments about the companies they work for.

But another web site, Anonymous Employee, has taken this concept many leagues further by offering employees a confidential online dispute resolution mechanism for raising and addressing workplace concerns. As the web site explains:

AnonymousEmployee.com provides employees with the opportunity to express anonymous problems and concerns in the workplace. Employees can inform their employer of the issues they face in the workplace, without needing to reveal their identity. As an employee, you can recommend solutions to problems so that your employer can better understand your needs…The entire process can take place within the privacy of your own home, library, or friend’s house…

If your issue is serious enough, we can contact your company on your behalf so that they are doubly aware of the problem. If your issue has escalated beyond the point where communication can solve the problem, then Anonymous Employee also offers you the ability to request assistance such as professional mediation or legal advice. Issues such as corporate fraud, harassment, workplace bullying, pay inequities, unjust termination, workplace safety and more should be resolved in a positive, constructive setting where you can speak out without jeopardizing your job.

Thanks to Colin Rule and the Center for Information Technology and Dispute Resolution for reporting on Anonymous Employee in CITDR’s ODR News Blog.

[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.

Anyone who’s ever earned a paycheck has stories to tell of their worst job or boss ever. (I certainly have a few of those myself. ) And a few lucky souls are able to boast about jobs they love and colleagues they enjoy working with. Job satisfaction is important to many of us, but it can certainly be elusive.

Jobvent.com gives employees a forum for letting it all hang out and sharing their reviews of the companies they work for. This web site allows visitors to search for companies by name or click on the list of top 10 best and worst companies to find out what people have to say about bosses, benefits, pay, working conditions, and other concerns.

A brief glance at the gripes posted about the 10 Worst Companies is most instructive for anyone who is interested in conflict as a phenomenon in the workplace. Poor communication and lack of respect are evident, and result in low employee morale, decreased productivity, absenteeism, and attrition. Many of these reviews are imbued with an embittered sense of “us versus them”.

Companies could learn some lessons here—a kind of “How Not To Succeed In Business”. Being proactive never hurts either—implementing conflict management systems, as well as providing training for h.r., managers and employees can make a difference.

Employers take note. (Especially my old manager Bob, who always stuck me on the closing shift on Saturday night.)