Burden of the Masses

I am just about halfway through Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything.

It is a solid book but for those of us already in the Internet space it does not offer any earth shattering news. I will do a full review on Amazon when I am done reading it.

In any case, I have been trying to figure out why I am not moved by this book? Is it because I have already read the Wisdom of the Crowds and the myriad of copycat books that exhume the brilliance of the masses. Or maybe, as a youth, I was so profoundly affected and disturbed by Ortega y Gasset’s the Revolt of the Masses and I have become a closet elitist and believe that only people with a well-formed opinion should be allowed to participate on the Internet. If you have not read Revolt of the Masses then you should. At the very least, it will give a contrasting opinion to the smart masses argument.

In any case . . . is the inevitable rise of the masses in the Internet world a plus or minus? Has the presence of the “everyman” improved our applications or just dumbed them down? Are we, as information architects, now developing our information systems at the most base level so that all can participate? If we are, have we tipped too much in the favour of generic usability and inclusion versus concise and effective systems for the expert. In other words, have we created an Internet that is the Jack of all trades where we have empowered the Ortega’s senorito satisfecho and all his or her delusions. In short, are our systems as precise as they could be.

Damn, I guess I’ll have to go back and review my latest designs.