Some of the lessons learned in the DARPA Network Challenge

Balloons did turn out to be a real interesting research project for DARPA, better that the government feeding LSD or Biological Weapons on unsuspecting citizens [netizens?] but this did feel like some type of lab experiment. Probably no worse than a Nielsen Rating.

Here are three blogs that did a post balloon analysis:

Lessons Learned From DARPA Balloon Challenge

The Day Google Didn't Matter

After the Challenge, What Have We Learned?

Here are some of the top points I read in these reviews:

• Geocachers are a group of folks that do this type search as a hobby and they jumped on the challenge
• Social Engineering to confirm information
• Microsoft Excel for keeping track of data
• Google didn't matter because Google is a file cabinet of the past.
• Make it easy for more people to participate
• Give people multiple reasons to participate
• Give people a reason to get others involved
• Align incentives properly
• Look beyond your immediate "group"

And in a nutshell, it looks like MIT's use of the basic Multi-Level-Marketing incentives was the key thing that got them the win....