One of the Web's huge promises is that it will help people work
together. Although the Web has made it easier for groups to share
information and collaborate online, it could do much more. So-called
social machines could allow large numbers of people to conduct better
science, even to transform democracy.You have probably already taken part in an embryonic social machine. For example, when you fill out an online form, you may be presented with a little box that has wavy-looking words in it, and you must type the words before you can proceed. This is a social machine known as captcha. By typing the words, you and other people who are seeing the same boxes are helping computers that are digitizing printed text to figure out words they cannot determine, for various technical or syntax reasons.
To read the full, original article click on this link: The Web Turns 20: Social Machines Redesign Democracy, Part 2 of 4: Scientific American
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