NYT: What: Mob Scene. Who: Strangers. Point: None
CNN: 'Flash mobs' Spread to Europe
Guardian: 'It's like Fight Club'

The story everyone's writing…

Even spontaneity has its time and place. In a wired world, the unscheduled can be well-planned and well-organized. To what end, however, no one seems to know. What are quickly becoming known as "flash mobs," composed of seemingly disparate members of a relatively local community, are taking place all over the world — sometimes with an agenda, and often, well, not.

Members of the mob will gather at a predetermined time and place — communicated to them via email, web sites, and cell phone text messages — with seemingly no reason to be gathered together at all.

First committed in New York City, the self-proclaimed leader of trends, more than 100 people gathered in the rug department of Macy's this past June, claiming to an unsuspecting clerk that they were all there looking for a special "love rug" for their suburban commune.

Performance art in those homogenous nation-states overseas have taken advantage of wireless technologies to gather crowds and conduct performances. And every protest against the IMF and WTO seem to be proceeded by some form of communication that quickly inspires a "flash mob."

Marketers may take note: this kind of active ennui might be something to take advantage of.