Surowiecki’s In Praise of Third Place

Lots of folks have been linking to this, and it’s really good so I thought I would, too.

James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds, has written a great piece: In Praise of Third Place, which details Nintendo’s innovation while being in third place in the gaming industry…a position they fell to after their initial system was superseded by the Playstation (Nintendo…that system we all know and love…Contra anyone?)

This piece brings two thoughts to mind.

First, it could almost be written about Apple…innovating to make the best-of-breed hardware and software with market share a lower-level priority…not trying to be everything to everyone. The moment market share becomes top priority, you slowly erode the magic that is attention to detail.

Second, it shows how great a writer Surowiecki is. He’s more than relevant, he’s leading the discussion, not following awkwardly, a criticism some folks like to levy against traditional publishing outlets. As blogging matures, the criticism is growing, led by Mike Arrington, and for many publications Mike’s right, they are slow and awkward. But Surowiecki is a true exception…he’s a better writer than any blogger I know of, and he writes current, interesting pieces on a regular basis. And, his book, as well as any other, has become a critical work in figuring out and explaining the networked world we live in.