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"Postmodernism is a change-or-be-changed world. The word is out: Reinvent
yourself for the 21st century or die! Some would rather die than change."
Leonard Sweet, cultural historian.

01/27/2005 Entry: "Wikis eat away at the protected knowledge foundation"

Steve Rubel has an important post today that begs further exploration. Steve advises the folks who produce media directories to get into the wiki world as soon as possible, 'lest they quickly become extinct. They're a necessary tool of the PR industry. They're expensive as hell (several thousand dollars for some subscriptions) and are far from perfect, occasionally containing incorrect information.

Steve recommends letting PR people into the process of building and maintaining the directory, a la wiki style.

Media directories must evolve into wikis or they risk becoming extinct. They are spending a lot of money paying researchers. Why not also bring customers (e.g. PR people) into the fold and enable us to edit listings, share insights and knowledge via a wiki? In the future, PR professionals - and even consumers - will create their own media directories.
Wikis are a much bigger deal than most people realize. They are yet another visible sign of Postmodernism in our culture — a rejection of the idea that knowledge should be controlled for profit. Wikis are anarchical, and that terrifies command and control, top-down thinkers (Modernists). Wikis are a very efficient method of building massive databases of searchable and organized information. It confounds Modernists that they actually work.

(Cough, cough. Well, Terry, but how can you TRUST that information. Cough, cough.)

Wikipedia threatens to destroy the encyclopedia industry, just as the type of directory wiki that Steve references will destroy the media directory industry. I view this as a good thing for many reasons. One, I believe in people and that experience is the best teacher. Why shouldn't we share our experience with each other to the betterment of the human race? Secondly, as these institutions collapse, the wealth is redistributed in a very efficient manner. I remember when I was growing up that the purchase of an encyclopedia was a HUGE deal for families, behind only a home, a car, and some appliances. That cash can be better spent elsewhere.

Replies: 1 Comment

You're right on, though the encyclopedia industry died years ago -- the victim of the early Web and CD-based efforts like Encarta. Wikis simply take knowledge management to the next level.

Posted by Brian @ 01/28/2005 03:41 PM CST


"The future is not something we enter. The future is something we create."
Leonard Sweet