DIGITAL MAOISM: The Hazards of the New Online Collectivism

A great piece on the risks involved in building knowledge using groups. Essentially, the author seems to be suggesting that the results of consensus is not necessarily genius or deep insight, but rather blandness or at the very least, something lacking in boldness and insight. A great read.

The beauty of the Internet is that it connects people. The value is in the other people. If we start to believe the Internet itself is an entity that has something to say, we're devaluing those people and making ourselves into idiots.

The trick is to allow people to have a say and interact while preserving the individual. The article's not a slam against algorithms or Wikipedia, but rather a call to carefully consider how peoples' individual and collective wisdoms can best be used without wiping each other out.