Blog: John Myers

« Servco vs Netco | Main | Top Telecom CIOs »

Cult of the Amateur???

Everyonce in a while, I have what NPR likes to call a "driveway moment". And everyonce in a while, I have what I like to call as an "NPR drive off the highway moment".... Today, NPR provided an interesting interview with the author of a book that says the evolution of the Internet into Web 2.0 is threatening the underpinnings of society.

Andrew Keen feels that the amateur status of many Web 2.0 offerings like YouTube and Wikipedia threaten to make professional institutions like NBC and the Encyclopedia Britannica go by the wayside and with them the standards of our society. It seems that Mr Keen wants to place a barrier to entry on the Internet content than can only be met by professionals and the ethics that they provide.

While I agree with certain parts of Mr Keen's argument, I disagree with his concept that the Internet and the content of its applications should have gatekeepers. Traditional media and telecommunications ownership has been concentrated in hands of a few organizations. Right or wrong that level of concentration has a negative impact on diversity and innovation. The Internet, and Web 2.0 in particular, have been providing an innovative stimulus for traditional outlets to follow. SMS, IM and VoIP have all had positive and negative impacts on business, but most people would agree that the proper use of each make people more effective at their jobs at less cost. The same can be said for the content in Web 2.0 applications.

Perhaps the cautionary tale of Preston Tucker ( yes taken from wikipedia instead of the professional, mainstream media version from Hollywood ) and the professional automotive industry should be used when people think that innovation is bad for society.... Or that barriers to entry for innovation should be raised instead of lowered.

Technorati Tags: Telecommunications, Telecom, NPR, Web 2.0, Preston Tucker, Andrew Keen, Innovation

Share: