QOTD

[redbird]

"A mob in Toronto had to be cancelled because there was a danger that mobsters could be outnumbered by law enforcement and the media." (from a BBC story about "smart mobs", which appear to be neither--performance art I'll grant, but I don't see particular intelligence in gathering at a random place for no reason. Gathering and dispersing are normal human activities.)

Comments

[beetiger.livejournal.com]

I've been hearing them called "flash mobs", rather than "smart mobs". Which makes me want to show up to see if people are showing up in trenchcoats and nothing else. 500 people gathering in an Au Bon Pain to show their genitals very briefly -- now that could have some amusement value!

[redbird]

"Flash mobs" is from Larry Niven, who called them "flash crowds" in "The Last Days of the Permanent Floating Riot Club", and I agree that it makes more sense.

Tempts me to show up in a trenchcoat, if I can find one.

[snippy]

Yabbut. The whole point of flash crowds was that they occurred spontaneously in response to a breaking news event.

And I want stepping disks, dammit!

[lydy.livejournal.com]

The thing I like about "smart mobs" is the vast quantity of totally unnecessary paranoia they cause. The cops and the government display their belief that the public are the enemy every time they over-react as they do. Peaceful assembly is, of course, a right provided for in the Constitution. You'd never think that was true based on the response to the smart mobs. It would be funnier if it weren't so scary, but it still contains a great deal of mordant humor in it.