There has been an undercurrent of unease with web 2.0 and the social media/digital revolution. Nowhere (that I can find) is the debate more compelling and well-put than Michael Gorman at Brittanica’s The Sleep of Reason. Andrew Keen tries to historicise Gormans posts parts I and II.
In short, Gorman argues that much of the new generation of web-savvy digital advocates have quote rose-tinted lenses about the whole thing, much as in earlier ages people have flocked to the promise of new technologies and ideas — only to be disappointed.
The responses to the posts are as interesting as the posts themselves. From my perspective, the most vituperative attacks on Gorman and his ideas ironically make his points all the more powerful, poignant, interesting, and relevant.
“Methinks the lady doth protest too much…”
At any rate, is this the one time in history that there is no balance of reality against hyperbole? That any left behind in the digital revolution are doomed to a miserable future where scrounging in the grime of Actual Reality we live existences that are short, nasty and brutish?
I don’t think so. Sorry. This digital world is amazing and promises a lot, particularly when it comes to entertainment, connecting to ideas and people, but in basic economic terms it is a complementary good, not a subsitutute good.
Death to internal marketing 
I was listening to John Wilnsky (via IT converstaions) who is more thoughtful and interesting view on this experts, learning and education.
http://www.itconversations.com/shows/detail1848.html
As an academic, Wilnsky thinks there is new style of learning emerging that traditionalists have a very hard time understanding. Gromans position is too focused around the authority of the material, rather than the learning styles or education possibilities that the digital world creates. Gorman seems more worried about the recognition of experts rather than improving the way the world learns.
This is an interesting debate.
Perhaps it shows my age but I tend to go to traditional “expert” sources if I want information that I know has been rigourously interrogated, that’s based on learning, experience, etc eg like the BBC for news or from blogs by experts in their fields. However, I enjoy the clamour of individual amateurs on the web – some of whose voices add to the debate in interesting and useful ways and others don’t, that being the nature of things. What is overwhelming for many people is trying to get to the useful stuff given limited time in our increasingly busy days.
I think it’s mistaken to see the digital world as a silver bullet. It’s a tool that can support whatever you’re already doing in teh real world whether it’s teaching, engaging students, communicating with customers etc
thanks – great resources …