The development and utilization of the web have given business organizations a unique platform on which to use information from crowds with the goal of designing and selling improved products. The use of online tools has significantly enhanced the power of crowdsourcing as small, medium, and large enterprises collect unique ideas from the targeted people through online interactions. In one of the consulted articles, Castella (2010) provides excellent illustrations as to how the internet has improved the power of crowdsourcing. The author notes that firms, such as Google’s Android, employs web platforms to seek ideas from the public that are used in the design and development of operating systems, which are in the category of open source. The writer adds that Wikipedia has innovatively collaborated with crowds to write (compose) and alter (edit) encyclopedia entries. In another article, Erickson (2012) firmly believes that online interactions have enhanced crowdsourcing; he uses the success story of Crash the Super Bowl that was conceived by Doritos to illustrate his argument. Through the utilization of the innovative concept to collect suggestions from the consumers, the firm has improved its Super Bowl product.

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However, the use of the internet to crowdsource is also associated with pitfalls. Erickson (2012) states that online crowdsourcing is tedious. For example, Doritos starts the program when football season begins, and many agencies are contracted to watch and analyze thousands of submissions. Concerning pitfalls in the use of the internet to crowdsource, Castella (2010) states that if the process of online crowdsourcing is not a real interest of the management, then it could be done with little success. Besides, the author concludes that the online collaboration may be associated with “amorphous” suggestions that are against the law. For example, when the Obama Administration collected ideas from the crowds regarding their priorities, legalizing marijuana emerged at the top.

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