crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing is the act of outsourcing tasks, traditionally performed by an employee or contractor, to an undefined, large group of people or community (a "crowd"), through an open call.

http://www.crowdsourcing.org/http://mashable.com/2011/07/19/crowdsourcing-college/http://mashable.com/2011/02/20/crowdsourcing-case-studies/