WHO SAYS WE KNOW: On the New Politics of Knowledge

Larry Sanger, of wikipedia, and more recently citizendium, fame has an interesting article on knowledge as a domain of experts or amateurs (the masses): WHO SAYS WE KNOW: On the New Politics of Knowledge (reactions from notable thinkers follow at the end of the article). Wikipedia serves a different knowledge need than experts. I don't go to Wikipedia when I'm grappling with the meaning of life, global warming, or advancements in neuroscience. Wikipedia, like an encyclopedia, aggregates knowledge. I go to wikipedia when I want to find a quick answer to a fairly simple question. Or when I want to direct someone to a quick and dirty overview of a concept. The value of wikipedia is its accessibility - not everyone has an online account with an encyclopedia (or a physical version handy). Wikipedia removes access barriers. For most of my knowledge needs, that is sufficient. When I'm working on an article, conducting focused research, or involved in other more formal knowledge seeking activities, I find myself going to journals and experts.