Slashdot Mirror
Flash Mobs: Peaceable Assembly for Spontaneous Fun
Schmendr1ck writes "The Orlando Sentinel is carrying a story on the growing trend of 'creating a crowd on a moment's notice for no particular reason' knows as a flash mob. Recent flash mobs (sometimes hundreds of people) have wandered into into an upscale NYC shoe store acting like confused tourists from Maryland, gathered at the Hyatt near Grand Central Station for 15 seconds of spontaneous applause, and converged on the Macy's carpet department to debate the quality of the rugs for sale. Check
cheesebikini? for pictures and info on past mobs, as well as links to sites that organize these events. Sounds like a fun, harmless, and Constitutionally-protected way of blowing off a little steam."
Can't they program the mob in proper W3 approved HTML instead of Flash? Until they do this, I won't want to join, even if it's a CowboyNeal fan mob.
However in places like columbus ohio, as far as i'm aware, it's illegal to gather more than 6 people in public places with out a permit from the city. So i guess it's protected so long as you jump through the proper hoops. Sort of cuts down on the spontinaity thing. (although, i don't think i've ever heard of such a regulation being enforced)
There are lives at stake here!
... a lot of these people, especially the ones organizing on the web, are recently laid off techies, with copious amounts of free time on their hands.
People SPAM.
...but people who think assembly is fun are just weird.
In the old days. This was our best approximation. Back when I was a kid we'd get one or two people on side of the road, and each "team" would pull on an invisible (virtual/imaginary) rope across the road. Most cars would slow down or stop thining there really must be a rope there, they just couldn't see it. Then we'd just walk away.
I guess we should have tried recruiting other mine-wannabes.
flash mob, meet slashdot. ooo look! i see your server already knows us. don't worry, we'll be gone in 15 minutes.
but it looks like the site has been. . .umm. . .flashmobbed.
I want the fire back.
Actually it's not constitutionally protected anyway. These people are doing this on private property and can be removed at any time by the request of the owners. If they fail to leave they are trespassing. If they decide to do this in a park or a public space then it would be constitutionally protected under the right to free assembly, however doing it in Sears doesn't fall under that category.
I was a part of one of these, and let me tell you it was a riot. One of the rules was you couldn't initiate conversation with anyone and that answers to questions were scripted. We stayed together for 5 minutes and dispersed, no one having said a word. It was surreal but wonderful, especially the looks on the normal people's faces, trying to figure out exactly what was going on.
Triv
BYOB!
It makes me wonder if we are on the verge of creating a trans-human intelligence capable of consciousness. Too bad we don't have any formal idea of what intelligence and conciousness is, or we could analyze the situation more closely...
-1, Too Many Layers Of Abstraction
That's correct. Those stories (part of Niven's Known Space future history) took place after the invention of the matter transmitter. Whenever an interesting news story would break, bored people, reporters, whoever, would "flick in" by the thousands from around the country to see it firsthand. Once the cops would realize that a flash crowd was building, they would turn on "riot control" which would redirect anyone trying to flick back out to a central processing facility somewhere in Nevada, I think.
Actually, this sounds remarkably like the Slashdot effect, only with people not Web hits.
The first story I know of that mentions the "flash crowd" was "The Permanent Floating Riot Club", where a gang of criminals actually used flash crowds to steal.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
It's like one of the Lego built CD Changer Hacks, the MIT Practical Joke Hacks or Doom in Text Mode Hacks.
There is a mental challenge also:
It is mildly complicated to plan and organize. There is an element of imagination involved in coming up with a surreal situation to use the crowd in.
It is also like art using people.
If there was an actual practical purpose to the afore-mentioned Hacks then that would detract from the fun and Hack value of it.
In the same way, if these crowds met to protest something then people wouldn't even pay attention to them. They would see the protest signs and say - oh, more protesters.I live in NY and there are picket lines and protests everyday and they are all ignored.
The way it is now people notice the flash crowds BECAUSE there is no purpose to them.
The only time protestors are noticed is when they become violent like in Seattle, disrupt traffic or otherwise do things that are probably counter-productive to the cause they wish to promote. It might feel cool to participate in such mass protests, but I think they have little effect on policy e.g. the protests did nothing to stop the war from taking place in Iraq or in bringing home the troops.
I would actually appreciate a recent example where protests accomplished something in the US except increase security at WTO meetings.
1. Fill out a 'right to peaceably assemble' permit, specifying the date, time, number of people expected, and reason for assembling. 2. Request where you'd like to peaceably assemble, keeping in mind that your local goverment may move you on a whim (Democratic National Convention, 2000). 3. Bribe 50 or so local officers so that you are not arrested for 'obstructing a sidewalk' (a la the protesters in NYC against the War in Iraq). 4. Finally, do not allow anyone to shout during said demonstration, otherwise police in riot gear that were 'hanging around' may find a reason to bust up your assembly.
War isn't about who's right. It's about who's left.
Would you mind it if a bunch of slashdoters came over and slashdoted your private property?
I can just imagine the 4 guys peeing on your lawn, in the shape of the letters "FP"
Don't Tread on Me
*begin rant mode in 3...2...1...*
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Fun my ass! You obviously have never tried to get thru a city during CM. The idea's not having fun, it's taking a mob mentality in thinking it's ok to disrupt everybody's life because you're pissed at the world.
I've always been one for peaceful demonstration and whatnot, but Critical Mass has always been a HUGE peeve of mine. What (and nobody I've asked has been able to answer this) is it supposed to accomplish??? Change? Well, it doesn't make me want to leave my car at home. It does, however, make me want to run down the next cyclist I see. Awareness? I know they say any publicity is good publicity, but pissing off the city isn't the way to gain support for a cause...
I might even agree with your cause. But the only thing making me late for work is gonna do is make me vote against whatever it is you're trying to accomplish.
Truth is, I've always thought of CM events as collective hissy fits. Just kicking and screaming and basically being annoying as hell.
If you want to bitch, fine, but direct it at someone who gives a damn and can do something about it. But don't fuck with the roads and interfere with all of us who are just trying to live our lives in peace and do our friggin jobs.
*sigh* It's so goddamn childish...
> The idea is that having fun and taking over streets, no matter what one's political orientation is, is a good way to make a statement
Make a statement about what? That you don't care about inconveniencing others and you've time on your hands?