[Web4lib] Andrew Keen: Doesn't Like Web 2.0 Nor His Spinach

[jennifer.kirton at dpi.nsw.gov.au]

While I agree with many of Andrew Keen's points, I must also disagree with 
some of his views -  often on the same point!

To me, it sounds like trying to put the smoke back into the bottle after 
it has escaped, or a rant against the fading light.

I suspect that Web 2.0 will be cyclical with many blogs, wikis, and other 
sites created by "amateurs" disappearing, just as many personal websites 
did from the late 1990s as their owners move on with their lives.

But it is his contention that mainstream or professional media may be 
dismantled that I find most interesting.

In the last month, I have both observed and participated in, the campaign 
to save the CBS TV show "Jericho".  Ignoring the tenet that it is "only a 
TV show", here was a group of individuals from across the world, bound by 
one issue (to reverse a cancellation decision), who organised themselves 
using the internet, to conduct a "campaign" against a mainstream media 
organisation (CBS).  Within a week, websites were created, campaign 
strategies were agreed on, and plans/instructions were issued to the "foot 
soldiers".  YouTube was used to provide not only "inspirational" and 
"rallying" videos, but to disseminate "news clips" of the delivery of nuts 
to CBS in NY (it's a long story!!). (Donations were also made online for 
the tornado devastated town of Greensburg in Kansas, as the television 
show is also set in Kansas).  BlogTalkRadio (which I had never heard of 
before this!!) became a news service for the campaign, and a place for the 
cast and producers of the TV show to communicate directly with fans. 

And amazingly, it worked!!!  CBS announced that it had renewed the show, 
but additionally, CBS are now working in "partnership" with the fans to 
promote the show to more viewers.

One reason given why "Jericho" was cancelled in the first instance, was 
the lack of "in front of the TV set" viewers.  But at the same time, it 
was also acknowledged (but not really counted) that the show was very 
popular as an online download on the CBS website, as well as through 
iTunes and Amazon, and other time shifting options such as TiVo.  The 
analogy is a library shifting from print journals (viewed inside a 
library), to online journals, but still counting the number of print 
titles,  the number of people visiting the library and photocopying 
articles, as their statistics!

For me, this whole story brings together aspects of mainstream media (CBS 
Television) and the new formats that traditional content can be viewed 
(the Jericho episodes being available online) and how advertising in 
conjunction with this online content can be leveraged. ( Andrew Keen 
touched on this himself with his story of no adverts in novels, but I ask, 
would it be so dreadful, if a print novel had adverts, if it meant the 
purchase price was lower and therefore making it available to more 
readers?)

 I disagree with Keen that professional media will be dismantled.  I think 
that it needs to be flexible and adaptable, and look to move into the 
future and position itself where its users are now.  Throughout history, 
media organisations have done this before by moving from print into radio 
and to television.Think of where we would be if journal publishers had 
decided to stay with their print only models, or libraries remained 
committed to their card catalogues.

As a librarian, with an interest in online content, Web 2.0 and social 
networking, I find this entire "Jericho campaign" story fascinating. 
Whether it is the tipping point as some commentators have mentioned, of 
how viewers are counted, or how television content is made available 
online, only time will tell.  But just at the moment, it is a meeting 
point of traditional media organisations, their content, their viewers, 
their advertisers (revenue), Web 2.0, and the internet.  Whether this 
meeting point is a collision or a moment of synergy, I don't know.

I don't believe that the "cult of the amateur is devaluing knowledge" as 
Andrew Keen maintains. ( I think I am extremely knowledgeable in my 
amateur hobby!!)  Knowledge, information and content is still highly 
valued, but its owners and disseminators need to reposition themselves.  I 
use Wikipedia, but then I also know its limitations, and when I should go 
to other sources for appropriate content (eg an abstract database).  With 
this knowledge, as a disseminator, I believe one of my roles in my 
organisation is to educate my library's clients to know how to 
discriminate between information sources, and where to go, and how, to 
find the content they require.  Educating the users is a better long term 
option than legislating control of the internet - achieving this is 
another matter!!

Regards,
Jennifer Kirton

Jennifer Kirton
Library
NSW Department of Primary Industries
Wollongbar Agricultural Institute
1243 Bruxner Highway
Wollongbar
New South Wales  2477
Australia
jennifer.kirton at dpi.nsw.gov.au
ph +61 2 6626 1321
fax  +61 2 6628 3264







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