Wikipedia and Knowledge

The Dutch television program Tegenlicht (Backlight) at VPRO featured a documentary on Wikipedia. Questioning the construction of knowledge as either expert generated in Encyclopaedia Britannica or collaboratively created in Wikipedia the documentary follows the various perspectives. Interviews with enthusiastic promoters of new technologies contrast with the culture pessimist view represented by self acclaimed "Anti Christ of Silicon Valley" Andrew Keen. However the documentary does not point out that neither Keen nor the techno-enthusiasts are part of the analysis of this question of knowledge in the digital age but one of its symptoms. Reducing cultural production dichotomously to mediocre amateur creations or to a revolution of professional amateurs is rather short sighted.

The documentary's website provides extra information and valuable links to a more comprehensible understanding of the debate and its participants. It also features my comments on Wikipedia.

Tegenlicht/Backlight: Wiki's Waarheid, website at VPRO
The Truth According To Wikipedia, at YouTube