Andrew Keen’s - The Cult of the Amateur

This is a great diatribe to read. Although it’s about as subtle as a film directed by Michael Moore on crack making a lot of points null and void, the key debates are debates which the cultural and technology community need to be having…just perhaps not led by Andrew Keen.  

Democratisation of the internet is a major issue. It allows for greater creativity and dissemination by the wider public but it completely distorts Matthew Arnold’s concepts of High and Low culture. The fact is that no longer is information in the hands of experts and because of that, the Internet has to establish itself as a place where valid information can be found. 

Lawrence Lessig dismantles many of Andrew Keen’s arguments here, which is kind of like shooting fish in a barrel but it’s understandable as Lessig himself is targeted (wrongly) in the book.

As I see it, Lessig makes strong arguments for the amateur in society and indeed it’s a position I support. I just don’t think that this position should be seen as default. It was helpful to read Andrew Keen to bounce arguments off his ranting but it would have been even better to read a well researched, even-tempered argument for the expert in society, simply to challenge and maybe even develop how we establish notions of democracy and expertise on the internet.  

IMHO though if you want further evidence of the benefits of the amateur, look no further. 

(Thx to The Age spy for this. Props to old media.)

Professional

Amateur

Engage Media

EngageMedia is a video sharing site focusing on social justice and environmental issues in South East Asia, Australia and the Pacific. It is a space for critical documentary, fiction, artistic and experimental works that challenge the dominance of the mainstream media.

The growth of digital distribution tools mean distributing video online has become a viable option for artists and activists looking for ways to get their work out there. Huge potential exists within these new technologies to bypass the control of big media conglomerates and create our own distribution channels.

EngageMedia aims to demystify and provide access to these new technologies, create an online archive of independent video productions using open content licenses and form a peer network of video makers, educators and screening organisations.

I’ve checked out a few of these videos and some are fun, some are amazing and some are horrible. In cases like Engage Media, though it’s a valiant effort at attempting to bring the democratization of web 2.0 to a political end. I’m not so sure how effective the current web-site structure is or the navigation but it’s an interesting concept.

They’ve also been interviewed by Creative Commons Australia here.