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Clay Shirky Quotes

Writer

Clay Shirky is a writer known for his insightful analysis of how technology shapes social structures and human behavior. His work delves into topics such as collaborative networks, information overload, and social media.

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Famous Clay Shirky Quotes

“If what you're doing is valuable for people, they will find a way to pay you to keep doing it.”

People Ifs Way Pay Valuable

Author:Clay Shirky

“Wikipedia is forcing people to accept the stone-cold bummer that knowledge is produced and constructed by argument rather than by divine inspiration.”

People Inspiration Accepting Divine Cold Argument Stones Wikipedia Divine Inspiration Bummer Stone Cold

Author:Clay Shirky

“It is the people who figure out how to work simply in the present, rather than the people who mastered the complexities of the past, who get to say what happens in the future.”

People Happens Past Figures Social Media Complexity Digital Marketing

Author:Clay Shirky

“It did not take long after the rise of the commercial printing press before someone figured out that erotic novels were a good idea. ... It took people another 150 years to even think of the scientific journal.”

People Thinking Years Long Ideas Inspiration Motivation Novel Internet Presses Good Ideas Journal Erotic Printing Printing Press

Author:Clay Shirky

“Prior to the internet, the last technology that had any real effect on the way people sat down and talked together was the table”

People Way Real Together Lasts Technology Effects Internet Down And Tables Sat Connecting

Author:Clay Shirky

“The more people are involved in a given task, the more potential agreements need to be negotiated to do anything, and the greater the transaction costs.”

People Needs Given Greater Involved Cost Tasks Agreement Transactions

Author:Clay Shirky

“Curation comes up when people realize that it isn’t just about information seeking, it’s also about synchronizing a community.”

People Realizing Community Information Come Up Seeking

Author:Clay Shirky

“Civic participants don't aim to make life better merely for members of the group. They want to improve even the lives of people who never participate.”

People Want Groups Members Aim Civics Participants

Book:Cognitive Surplus: How Technology Makes Consumers into Collaborators

Source: Cognitive Surplus: How Technology Makes Consumers into Collaborators

About the Author

Born: 1964
Known for: Writer
Quotes: 105

Books & Sources

Here Comes Everybody: How Change Happens when People Come TogetherRelated source material

Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without OrganizationsRelated source material

Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected AgeRelated source material

Cognitive Surplus: How Technology Makes Consumers into CollaboratorsRelated source material

Little Rice: Smartphones, Xiaomi, and The Chinese DreamRelated source material

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