Most would probably argue ‘no’.

I couldn’t remember the name of an actor that starred in a movie I’d seen recently, so I quickly typed in the name of the movie. Then, without any hesitation, I clicked on one of the first links to come up: Wikipedia.

For a long time, it’s been a known fact that Wikipedia is based on the active contributions of others out there in the digital world, but it is worth considering whether or not we should really be using it as a reputable resource in our day-to-day lives. One such person who doesn’t think so is Andrew Keen, author of The Cult of the Amateur.

Though I don’t agree with everything that Keen has to say in his book (which I am currently reading), I do have to admit that he brings up some points worth ruminating over. One such point that he makes is the notion that modern-day society is being overrun at an alarming speed by a growing generation of amateurs. These amateurs are pumping out free user-generated content with sites such as Wikipedia, YouTube, MySpace, Craigslist and others- all the while undermining industries around the world.

Keen argues that we have quickly become a self-aggrandizing society, characterized by our shameless self-promotion of information that we think is right and which has gradually begun to blur the line between actual researched material conducted by experts in the field versus our own interpretation of what the truth actually is.

And while Wikipedia is just a flagrant example of this idea of amateur authorship, it is certainly not the only culprit. The effects of the digital age have already shown up in the statistics that show how print media is dying. Hundreds (if not thousands) of people around the country have lost their jobs working for newspapers and magazines because many people have stopped purchasing them altogether. After all, why spend $1+ for a paper or magazine when you can read the entire thing for free online? The same can be said of the music industry. Remember when you used to order your DVDs and CDs by mail order; or better yet, remember how excited you used to be to run down to the store to pick up a copy of your favorite new cd? What’s the point anymore when you can go online and listen to the song for free or download it to your iPod for free?

With Wikipedia entries, you don’t see the names of the people who are editing each of the entries 50 times over. On Amazon.com, you can read user-reviews of products before you purchase them, but who’s to say that some of the reviews aren’t written by people already affiliated with Amazon.com in some way?

Keen points out that the very anonymity which Web 2.0 offers “calls into question the reliability of the information we receive…”. A point that is well taken as we continue to struggle to have our voice heard over the next competitor; have our product pushed in front of the next customer and struggle to trust the information so readily placed conveniently before our eyes within the top 10 search results on Google.

*More to come on this topic in the future! In the meantime, what is your opinion on sites like Wikipedia and their effect on society?

[photo credit]

How would you feel if someone asked you to step away from all of your social media outlets for one week? Would it even phase you? Or would you go absolutely insane? As one recent study has revealed, if not managed properly, social media can take over your life. Not only this, but by being constantly “connected” through various social media outlets, it can increase stress, weaken personal relationships and even cause sleep loss.

A week-long study was conducted by Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in central Pennsylvania where approximately 800 students were asked to take a week off from using popular social media outlets such as Twitter, IM, Facebook and others. Eric Darr, college provost, implemented the social media blackout by blocking social media access to the college’s IP address. Most of the students complied, and some were shocked to discover that technology could actually rule their lives:

Darr cited one student who felt compelled to check Facebook 21 hours a day and blocked posts between 2 and 5 in the morning to get some sleep. [source]

The overall conclusion of the study seemed to be that most of us fail to realize what a significant impact social networking plays in our lives; and while networking via the Web may prove to have its advantages, social media should still be used primarily as a secondary tool for communication alongside face-to-face conversations and the like.

[Via: Fox News]

If you’re anything like me, you prefer a more visual experience when learning about how to use something new. The following video explains a little information on how to utilize Social Marker to help bookmark your favorite websites as well as boost your social networking skills.

Originally launched back in 2007, Social Marker has quickly become one of the most used services of its kind for finding and submitting websites and web pages to various social bookmarking and social news sites such as Reddit, Digg and Stumbleupon. Check out the video below.