Is the Internet Destroying Knowledge Work?:-
Decades ago, Texas Congressman Jim Wright decried America's declining manufacturing base.
Responding to the rebuttal that ours had become a services-based economy, he quipped that we can't build wealth solely by selling each other pizzas.
The "services" economy of the 80's gave way to the "knowledge" economy of the 90's and current decade. The idea has been that the value we add to other people's lives, for which we are paid, derives from our training, our knowledge, and our ability to use our gray matter.
But what happens when the perceived value of knowledge plummets? Do knowledge workers not only lose respect and esteem, but do their paychecks shrink, as well?
With the rise of the Internet, informational access has exploded. Before the Web, folks such as librarians were the most important gatekeepers in the world, along with professors, writers, public speakers, and other distributors of content.
Traditional publishers, who carefully screened, critiqued, and packaged books, magazines, and newspapers were of crucial import in determining what was read, how important certain voices were to become, and political agendas of major parties.
Now, some of the largest daily newspapers are in bankruptcy, such as the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, while others teeter on the brink of insolvency.
In years past, when you sought more information on a topic, you bolted to the nearest library or bookstore. Today, online, you will find hundreds, thousands, and even millions of documents pertaining to nearly everyone or everything.
I Googled myself the other day, and two and a half million documents came up. Discounting for the odd person that is also named Dr. Gary S. Goodman or Dr. Gary Goodman, and other irrelevant hits, there are still thousands of relevant ones that can tell you about or point you to my books, articles, professional services, ideas and opinions on nearly anything.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2014302
Responding to the rebuttal that ours had become a services-based economy, he quipped that we can't build wealth solely by selling each other pizzas.
The "services" economy of the 80's gave way to the "knowledge" economy of the 90's and current decade. The idea has been that the value we add to other people's lives, for which we are paid, derives from our training, our knowledge, and our ability to use our gray matter.
But what happens when the perceived value of knowledge plummets? Do knowledge workers not only lose respect and esteem, but do their paychecks shrink, as well?
With the rise of the Internet, informational access has exploded. Before the Web, folks such as librarians were the most important gatekeepers in the world, along with professors, writers, public speakers, and other distributors of content.
Traditional publishers, who carefully screened, critiqued, and packaged books, magazines, and newspapers were of crucial import in determining what was read, how important certain voices were to become, and political agendas of major parties.
Now, some of the largest daily newspapers are in bankruptcy, such as the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, while others teeter on the brink of insolvency.
In years past, when you sought more information on a topic, you bolted to the nearest library or bookstore. Today, online, you will find hundreds, thousands, and even millions of documents pertaining to nearly everyone or everything.
I Googled myself the other day, and two and a half million documents came up. Discounting for the odd person that is also named Dr. Gary S. Goodman or Dr. Gary Goodman, and other irrelevant hits, there are still thousands of relevant ones that can tell you about or point you to my books, articles, professional services, ideas and opinions on nearly anything.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2014302
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