Comments on: The mediocre top 10 list http://www.buzzshout.com/shoutblog/2007/01/09/the-mediocre-top-10-list/ Covering new companies and people in the Web 2.0 world Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:41:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: Building a Modeling Portfolio http://www.buzzshout.com/shoutblog/2007/01/09/the-mediocre-top-10-list/#comment-90298 Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:10:58 +0000 http://www.buzzshout.com/shoutblog/2007/01/09/the-mediocre-top-10-list/#comment-90298 <strong>Building a Modeling Portfolio...</strong> -- « Previous Entries Next Entries»... Building a Modeling Portfolio…

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]]> by: A Little More Wikipedia before we discuss research uses http://www.buzzshout.com/shoutblog/2007/01/09/the-mediocre-top-10-list/#comment-15439 Sat, 21 Apr 2007 05:23:01 +0000 http://www.buzzshout.com/shoutblog/2007/01/09/the-mediocre-top-10-list/#comment-15439 [...] Mediocre Top Ten List [...] […] Mediocre Top Ten List […]

]]> by: Phil Reynolds http://www.buzzshout.com/shoutblog/2007/01/09/the-mediocre-top-10-list/#comment-5331 Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:45:13 +0000 http://www.buzzshout.com/shoutblog/2007/01/09/the-mediocre-top-10-list/#comment-5331 I think this is what Alexis DeTocqueville referred to as "The tyranny of the majority." In chpts. 15 and 16 of his book "Democracy In America." This rule would especially come into effect in Wikipedia where the majority opinion as opposed to objective research must ultimately rule. However, eventually it became the tyranny of the unemployed and teenagers with a lot of time on their hands who could follow entries and change them immediately after a subject expert made a correction. "It's a relatively few, difficult to deal with people that cause the problems, and once a quorum of such people were at work on the Wikipedia system," . In chpt. 16 DeTocqueville states "When the central government which represents that majority has issued a decree, it must entrust the execution of its will to agents over whom it frequently has no control and whom it cannot perpetually direct. ... [these] form so many concealed breakwaters, which check or part the tide of popular determination. Unfortunately these checks come in the form of uninformed special interest groups or incompetent or agenda driven individuals. Ultimately websites reflect the organization or entity that builds them. Wikipedia unfortunately represents western democracy clearly and effectively. As such it is more a symptom of western culture especially the United States than a simple problem of a few people writing some inaccurate information. That is why the debate is so heated and involved and why anybody really cares. In indictment on Wikipedia is ultimately an indictment of "We the People" and unfortunately the "People" that choose to participate are often ill informed, biased and can shout louder than the more informed and moderate voices in our society or in this project. R Philip Reynolds I think this is what Alexis DeTocqueville referred to as “The tyranny of the majority.” In chpts. 15 and 16 of his book “Democracy In America.” This rule would especially come into effect in Wikipedia where the majority opinion as opposed to objective research must ultimately rule. However, eventually it became the tyranny of the unemployed and teenagers with a lot of time on their hands who could follow entries and change them immediately after a subject expert made a correction. “It’s a relatively few, difficult to deal with people that cause the problems, and once a quorum of such people were at work on the Wikipedia system,” . In chpt. 16 DeTocqueville states “When the central government which represents that majority has issued a decree, it must entrust the execution of its will to agents over whom it frequently has no control and whom it cannot perpetually direct. … [these] form so many concealed breakwaters, which check or part the tide of popular determination. Unfortunately these checks come in the form of uninformed special interest groups or incompetent or agenda driven individuals.

Ultimately websites reflect the organization or entity that builds them. Wikipedia unfortunately represents western democracy clearly and effectively. As such it is more a symptom of western culture especially the United States than a simple problem of a few people writing some inaccurate information. That is why the debate is so heated and involved and why anybody really cares. In indictment on Wikipedia is ultimately an indictment of “We the People” and unfortunately the “People” that choose to participate are often ill informed, biased and can shout louder than the more informed and moderate voices in our society or in this project.

R Philip Reynolds

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