Abstract Details

<< Back to Schedule

9/27/2017  |   3:05 PM - 3:50 PM   |  Track 4 - Agile

Harnessing the Power of the Crowd

Crowdsourcing is the practice of using the crowd to solve a problem or accomplish certain tasks. The concept has been around for years but advances in technology – cloud computing, big data analytics, etc. – are forcing a paradigm shift in the notion of outsourcing. Crowdsourcing is a participative online activity in which an organization, institution, or individual posts an opportunity to participate in a competition to solve an algorithmically complex problem, test a software application, design a website or some other challenge. Members of the crowdsourcing community accept challenges and create solution proposals. Those submitting the best solution(s) are awarded with prizes (generally money) or recognition or some other agreed upon remuneration. Wikipedia presents a perfect example of crowdsourcing as an on-line encyclopedia that is maintained and policed by the public (members of the crowd); in this case the remuneration is the knowledge that the crowdsourcer has contributed to the wider body of knowledge in the world. This paper discusses crowdsourcing; what it is and how it works. The benefits and challenges will be presented along with examples of where it has worked and where it has failed.

Presentation:
This presentation has not yet been uploaded.

Handouts:
No handouts have been uploaded.

Arlene Minkiewicz (Primary Presenter), PRICE Systems, LLC, arlene.minkiewicz@pricesystems.com;
Ms Minkiewicz is a software measurement expert dedicated to finding creative solutions focused on making software development professionals successful. She has over 30 years in the software industry researching all aspects of the software development process and providing thought leadership to the software community. Ms Minkiewicz is the Chief Scientist at PRICE Systems, LLC. In this role, she leads the cost research activity for the entire suite of cost estimating products that PRICE provides. She has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University and an MS in Computer Science from Drexel University. She has published many articles on software measurement and estimation in Software Development, Crosstalk, and the Journal of Software Technology and has been a contributing author for several books. She frequently presents at industry conferences on many topics associated with hardware, software and systems estimation and has received numerous best paper awards for her research papers.