Really good point
That’s a really good point. There is no legal problem or pitfalls, thank goodness, but it is difficult to explain Edgeryders to the people that stand on the outside. Decentralized, emergent dynamics don’t make intuitive sense to the ape brain – and ape brain is all we got. So you are likely to find yourself in a situation of Crowdsorcerers vs. Muggles. “Wait – you mean no one is in charge of the program?” “It’s more like everyone’s in charge.” “But what if people deface your whole program filling it with vile and stupid things?” “Why would they do that? It’s their conference too. Plus, if someone did put in something stupid, people would just ignore it, and the person would perform its stupid act on her own, while everyone else is off doing something interesting.” We’ve all been there. Every sufficiently advanced community management technique is indistinguishable from magic.
Here is one of my better attempts at explaining Edgeryders. Money quote:
We [are] the skunkworks of the global society, the Foreign Legion of social innovation, the people that have little to lose, and so can afford to go to the ugliest places and take on the scariest work.
I recommend you also consider showing videos. I recommend this playlist for the unMonastery. Personal picks: