The Cult of The Amateur

Ever wandered if there are downsides to the Web 2.0 'revolution'? Well, Andrew Keen's 2007 book The Cult Of The Amateur is as complete an exposition of the downsides as I have yet come across.

Perhaps a gross over-simplification, but I perceive his three main arguments to be that:

1. The Web 2.0 culture is killing the 'expert' and proliferating what is already 'known'.
2. The Web 2.0 culture is not 'free': it is sucking life out of industry and retail in many different sectors (printmedia, music, film etc.).
3. The wisdom of crowds is no wisdom at all - that pioneers and true revolutionaries are often outcasts, shunned by the crowd of their day.

Although I do not agree with everything which Keen argues, it is undeniable that parts of our society and therefore people's livelihoods are being severely affected by the Web 2.0 culture. This book provides a challenge to society and the future of the web that is worth considering. We don't hear much about the downsides of the changes happening all around us.

Interestingly, since I first wrote notes on this at the end of last week a friend of mine has referred to the positive effect of the 'wisdom of the crowd' in relation to voting. Does the crowd know what is best for itself? I haven't decided yet.

It is an important idea for the Web 2.0 generation. Charles Leadbeater bases much of his book We-Think on the idea. Google uses it as basis for what you will want to receive in results. Facebook are now using it all over the web in their controversial Open Graph.