The Books of the Times (NYTimes) has a review of a new book from Jaron Lanier titled “You Are Not A Gadget: A Manifesto” that I found insightful, and I think I’m going to pick up the book to read more. In 2006, Lanier published a controversial essay about “digital Maoism” — about the downside of online collectivism, and the enshrinement by Web 2.0 enthusiasts of the “wisdom of the crowd.” In that piece Lanier argued that design (or ratification) by committee often does not result in the best product, and that the new collectivist ethos diminishes the importance and uniqueness of the individual voice, and that the “hive mind” can easily lead to mob rule. According to reviewer Michiko Kakutani:
Now, in his impassioned new book “You Are Not a Gadget,” Mr. Lanier expands this thesis further, looking at the implications that digital Maoism or “cybernetic totalism” have for our society at large. Although some of his suggestions for addressing these problems wander into technical thickets the lay reader will find difficult to follow, the bulk of the book is lucid, powerful and persuasive. It is necessary reading for anyone interested in how the Web and the software we use every day are reshaping culture and the marketplace.
The topic that I am most interested in reading into more is his examination of the wisdom of crowds. Having spent a lot of time in public engagement circles and trying to develop better forms of online engagement, his questioning of whether or not it is such a hot idea to take the lead from the crowd rather than thoughtful, creative or even deeply unpopular individuals is definitely worth thinking about more:
Decisions made in the formative years of computer networking, for instance, promoted online anonymity, and over the years, as millions upon millions of people began using the Web, Mr. Lanier says, anonymity has helped enable the dark side of human nature. Nasty, anonymous attacks on individuals and institutions have flourished, and what Mr. Lanier calls a “culture of sadism” has gone mainstream. In some countries anonymity and mob behavior have resulted in actual witch hunts. “In 2007,” Mr. Lanier reports, “a series of ‘Scarlet Letter’ postings in China incited online throngs to hunt down accused adulterers. In 2008, the focus shifted to Tibet sympathizers.”
Mr. Lanier sensibly notes that the “wisdom of crowds” is a tool that should be used selectively, not glorified for its own sake. Of Wikipedia he writes that “it’s great that we now enjoy a cooperative pop culture concordance” but argues that the site’s ethos ratifies the notion that the individual voice — even the voice of an expert — is eminently dispensable, and “the idea that the collective is closer to the truth.”
I am attracted to this book in part because it is written by a Silicon Valley insider who is deeply questioning some key assumptions about our modern era. It seems to cover a lot of territory that communications professionals should be thinking about. I’ll let you know what my own review is later.
About Michael Hamill Remaley
Michael Hamill Remaley is the President of Hamill Remaley Communications. Previously, he was Director of Communications at the Russell Sage Foundation and Prior to that was Vice President and Director of Communications at Public Agenda. He has held a variety of positions at organizations such as The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, TCC Group and the Center for Social Policy and Community Development.