On Demand
Why the Internet is Bad For Us
Friday, August 24, 2007
Andrew Keen, former Silicon Valley entrepreneur and author of the new book The Cult of the Amateur: How today's Internet is killing our culture (Currency, 2007), says blogs, wikis and other web 2.0 phenomena do more harm than good.
The Cult of the Amateur is available for purchase at Amazon.com.
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I can't believe this guy gets replayed. hold on everybody he has some very outlandish ideas, just to be provocative!
Please, please, please -- no more Andrew Keen! He was on once already, then again in a followup and now this curmudgeonly tripe is being replayed. I really, really, really wish I didn't have to listen to him ONCE MORE!
This just ruined my weekend.
Just don't buy his book. Seems all these shows today have too many people promoting their "books," i.e., lots of paper with print between two somewhat or substantially harder end pieces to hold it together usually with photos on one side and praise on the other. So then where's the news? He seems to presume that we don't have the ability to read between the lines of what we read nor see the hidden agendas, personal opinions, spin, on and on in the stuff we see on a web site. He really ought to sit back and listen to himself; he'd be embarrassed by it, I hope.
The very problems that this man is attributing to bloggers can be laid at the doorstep of our "traditional" media. Not only the overtly partisan news organs like Fox and the Washington Times, but also the New York Times, the Washington Post and the LA Times have been "catapulting the propaganda" and doing the work of the Republican Party and President Bush. Would we have rushed into the Iraq War in 2003 if Judy Miller and Michael Gordon among others hadn't been such shills for the administration? Or look at the 2000 election, in which "traditional" "mainstream" journalists repeatedly ginned up controversies about and attacked Al Gore, helping to create the conditions under which George W. Bush was appointed to office. BLOGGERS didn't do this, the "mainstream" media did!
of course he's awful, but don't let him ruin your weekend, web 2.0. by the way why shouldn't we follow politicians around
Well said "J"!
This person is a complete idiot. All the ills of political poseurs, hidden advertising etc. has been going on for the last 50 years (at least). Expertise is critical but experts have led us into dead ends too many times. Because his silicon valley buddies are boring and stupid does not prove that bloggers are. People must and will determine how to sort wheat from the chaff. Can you say Judith Miller?
Keen's point about anonymity is overblown. Think back to the founding of the country when Adams, Madison, Jefferson, Hamilton and many others published arguments in print media in support of independence and then in support of the constitution all under psudonymes.
Why can't Web 2.0 be a culture of its own?
He's an elitist snob basically backing corporate media which talks more and more about Britney Spears than the Iraq War!
Also, the people who use youtube are web savvy, they understand the difference between ads and content.
I will say that having said my peace ANONYMOUSLY I feel much better. But what do I know? After all, I'm not a member of the media-technological elite.
"[2]
Posted by: Web 2.0 August 24, 2007 - 10:12AM
Queens
Please, please, please -- no more Andrew Keen! He was on once already, then again in a followup and now this curmudgeonly tripe is being replayed. I really, really, really wish I didn't have to listen to him ONCE MORE!"
This just ruined my weekend."
"[you] really, really, really wish [you] didn't HAVE TO LISTEN to him ONCE MORE"
Hilarious!! Can't help yourself, huh? LOL!
You don't control the radio where you are? I suppose some people are actually trapped in an environment where they can't choose to listen or not; in that case, gee, I feel sorry for you.
If you DO "CONTROL" your radio, but can't help yourself, then I feel even SORRIER for you.
For the first time ever, I turned you off Brian. Why would you replay this tripe?
Graham,
Of course I can't control my radio -- I'm an NPR zombie!!!!!!
Please help me!
why is money such an issue for this crank?
I heard this guy on BBC Five Live while sitting in the car park of Sainsburys in Warwick, UK and here he is again on WNYC. He needs to get a life and stop whinging.
Did he write a book? I can't seem to tell - oh wait he keeps saying, "In my book".
Andrew Keen is a chicken-little of a fool who can't seem to realize that offline media that derives revenue from ads is somehow holier than online media that does the same.
I did not hear the original broadcast of this show, but I agree with much of what Andrew Keen is saying. I don’t know why when someone challenges a popular “thing”, so many people try to shout them down. People need to learn to listen more & I don’t mean sound bites. The biggest problem in Western society today “myself included” is that we are increasingly become mostly interested in only that which entertains us. Everything that challenges our trivial beliefs is discounted as nonsense and annoying; and we are supposed to be adults.
Keen = zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
the man is completely irrelevant
Re: 14 --
Yes, there's something about Keen that I distrust. He needs to be stopped -- preferably via a very forceful Web 2.0-powered robot uprising. (In fact, I read about this newfangled robot in Wired just the other day, then commented anonymously, then lent my copious creative skills for free -- despite the extremely lucrative market for such expresssions -- to produce a marginally humorous, to several 12-year-olds anyway, three-minute YouTube video on my iFilm about this promising robot future.)
I being working with Information Technology for more than 24 years and connected with the information which appears in the Internet in many ways.
Some of Andrew Keen thoughts are relevant on this day due to the amount of information which distort the true and people have to be aware of these, especially the ignorant, be young or old.
But the Internet needs to be kept the ways it is with opportunity for anonymity because there are good reason to some times present information without identifying you fully per the prejudice, bigotry, etc. in all spheres of the world.
Now. There is way of allowing others that your information is truthful and worthy by means of identifying yourself with non for profit organization and/or organizations dedicated fully to backup groups of individual, which may have a common interest.
Example: Doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. identify themselves to belong to XYZ groups of professionals to let others that he/she is real professional.
Some of this type of organization already exists in the Internet but their jobs is not
well known and not well diversified. The task of creating them will take time, but Is the only reliable way of showing others that the information you are providing Is trustworthy for at least taking time to read.
Regards!
I have to disagree with Keen that online anonymity is all bad. I work in HIV prevention and run a program whereby trained workers answer questions online through email / chat / im concerning private matters in sexual health. Precisely because of online anonymity, many people are more willing to ask very personal questions that they would otherwise feel very inhibited in doing in person. Many of the questions deal with topics that we as a culture consider taboo, including very private concerns around sexual practices especially in relation to HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The taboo is only heightened when it involves same sex issues. This is one crucial example where anonymity is our good friend, and we need all the help we can when trying to halt the spread of HIV.
Who is this guy's publicist? Keen is getting his money's worth, but I'm not, as a WNYC contributor. I heard him the first time around, and he was awful.
I do agree with most of Andrew's views. Among other things, the Internet is a black hole that lacks civility and language skills. We have gone too far left, to our own detriment. Regarding anonimity, why be a coward when you could be brave? Stand up for your views and write using your real name. I'm definitely buying Andrew's book.
Hi Folks,
I am amused at the complaining...
The author is doing his job, selling his book,
the radio station is doing its job as the medium.
(the listener is paying)
The listener should do its job by tuning out.
Read some blogs, listen to some indie audio casts.
Peace.
talat
the biggest problem for mr keen seems to be that he does not trust people's judgment and he believes very much in authorities. i wonder what's his take on democracy? simply demagogue?
this is nothing about someone is challenging a popular “thing”. many of mr. keen's points are irrelevant, misleading and would not lead to anywhere bcs he's finding the wrong hole (don't you think he sounds very much like the chinese gov? and the solutions he proposed are the same as what the chinese gov has been implementing).
btw, those big traditional media (NYTimes, WashPost, CNN, ...,etc.) will remain big as long as they keep providing good quality and reliable info. while they may be producing less paper prints, their influence has actually enhanced, not reduced, thru the internet.
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