I am glad industries outside the computer-related realm are picking up what open source has known for a long time: Value can come from those who have not had to go through a job interview process to attach to a project. The power of the Internet is to facilitate communication.

Wired 14.06: The Rise of Crowdsourcing

Hobbyists, part-timers, and dabblers suddenly have a market for their efforts, as smart companies in industries as disparate as pharmaceuticals and television discover ways to tap the latent talent of the crowd. The labor isn’t always free, but it costs a lot less than paying traditional employees. It’s not outsourcing; it’s crowdsourcing.

Reality TV perhaps is the one example which made a half-hearted effort. Instead of professional actors, get people off the street. However, the writers have contrived to pick casts that interact through conflict. When the actors succeed it is in despite of the producers.

The specific example of this is stock photography. I didn’t read past the first page of four. Hopefully they get into Creative Commons and free stock photography?