Response to Online Collectivism

Twelve years ago, I was doing my third grade class project on Benjamin Franklin and the Declaration of Independence. Before I could start writing facts and sketching pictures on the poster board, I had to go to the public library and search through boxes of index cards, locate the relevant books, and check them out. The whole process took about five hours.

If I was given a similar task today, I would most likely turn on my laptop start up my internet browser and type in “ben franklin declaration of independence” in the Google search query. I could then scroll down the list of results until I found a page from Wikipedia.com. Within seconds I would have the necessary information, dates and statistics that I would need for my project, including graphics that I could just drag into my PowerPoint slideshow.

I agree with Lanier that the popularization of online collectivism, peer editing and the ability to instantly access information has its hazards. However, I think that the digitalization of information is just a natural evolutionary process and its dangers can be reduced with careful management and usage of the resource - which is really also true for pre-internet resources.

The reason why information printed in a hardcover book can be more legitimate than information found on a webpage, is because it takes a much thorough process to get something published on paper than it does to release on the web. The former usually requires many steps and levels of editing and approving before its official release, whereas the latter may require only a computer connected to the internet.

To avoid false information, users should learn to identify the credible sources before trusting information provided. For instance, after I type in my search query, I usually automatically scroll pass results from personal sites that may be biased or inaccurate, I have learned to stick with the experts of the trade. If I am looking for information on a movie, I look for results from IMDB.com; I turn to CNN.com when looking for credible reporting on recent events; ESPN.com for my updated sports coverage…etc. In my recent experience, I have also began to trust Wikipedia (an online encyclopedia edited by users around the world) the same way I would trust information on the pages of Encyclopedia Britannica. I have learned to check the references on each page and verify the facts.
There are usually tradeoffs between good functionalities. In the case of online collectivism, I believe that the benefits that digital media has brought dwarves the small hazards that may arise from bad information. As an internet community we need to take responsibility in information that we share on our web, and also be dedicated to verify sources of information.