BusinessWeek

Tour the Collectives of Cyberspace
New technologies have people communicating and collaborating on an unprecedented scale. Here's a look at some of the hottest spots

By Rob Hof
June 20, 2005

" The Internet isn't just about e-mail or the Web anymore. Increasingly, people online are taking the power of the Internet back into their own hands..."

"...It's the emergence of the Power of Us. Thanks to new technologies such as blog software, peer-to-peer networks, open-source software, and wikis (group-edited Web sites), people are getting together to take collective action on an unprecedented scale. And it's often with no overt corporate oversight..."

"...A few sites encourage people to get together in the real world, not just online. Meetup, for instance, has many thousands of groups that get together regularly, from English bulldog owners in New York City to scrapbookers in Singapore."

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