Clay Shirky, one of the most thoughtful analysts anywhere on the digital revolution, discusses the effect that instant access to information has had on society in this BBC piece. As a coordinating mechanism the web is transformative. But as for any democratizing effects, he is far less sanguine about its ability to produce an interpretive result because, conditioned as we have been over the millennia to intuit the best possible outcome from week or incomplete information - is that stir in the bushes a lion or my brother? - we are surprisingly feeble at taking putatively strong information - facts! - to produce a satisfying public denouement. As it turns out, democracies rarely consult Wikipedia.
Shirky, looking for all the world like Tom Hanks, is the author of "Here Comes Everybody".
Wayne
Clay Shirky is so great. He addresses this same topic in an amazing interview with Laura Flanders at GRITtv. He talks about the way everyday citizens can use the same technology that brings us videos of a kitten on a treadmill to achieve results that strengthen and spread democracy and engagement around the world. THOUGHT PROVOKING!!
Posted by: Nina de Puy Kamp | Friday, 06 November 2009 at 02:16 PM