The Wikipediazation of the World

While digging through old notes for a new semester I came across this graphic that I had found somewhere at some time in the dim past. I don’t actually think “postmodernism” is the issue here. But the graphic does effectively capture the “Wikipediazation” of discussion and debate, particularly in the internet sphere. And it alludes to the democraziation of debate which is both good and bad. It is good that a person who never finished high school can trade their musings on various matters with an expert in the field. And it is not necessarily bad that they can spend five or ten minutes consulting Wikipedia to arm themselves for debate. But it’s not always a good thing. The need for instant gratification can be a horrible thing, in education as in elsewhere. And when we think that a quick read through a Wikipedia article can effectively attune us to the nuances and complexities of the debates on which our interlocutor has been researching and writing for twenty years we make ourselves look rather ridiculous. Now I’m not advocating the return of the philosopher kings. And I think the democratization of information and dialogue is for the most part a good thing. But I propose that we think of Wikipedia and other like sources as akin to finger food. Far from being the main meal, they are merely there to whet your appetite for more. Now where’s that library card?