Jaron Lanier vs the Hive Mind
Jaron Lanier: “The beauty of the Internet is that it connects people. The value is in the other people. If we start to believe the Internet itself is an entity that has something to say, we’re devaluing those people and making ourselves into idiots.”
More excerpts: “The appeal of a new online collectivism that is nothing less than a resurgence of the idea that the collective is all-wise … This is different from representative democracy, or meritocracy … Collectives can be just as stupid as any individual, and in important cases, stupider … The setup for the most stupid collective is also the setup for the most stupid individuals … when one is both given substantial powers and insulated from the results of his or her actions.”