Information can appear from almost anywhere, whether it be word of mouth, online or in a book. But that information that you could possibly be reading might be different elsewhere. Would you then put your trust in the material you are reading or would you look somewhere else? With all the information being passed around is too much of it bad? Or is it a good thing? Well I’m here to tell you what I think about the Democratization of Knowledge.
What exactly is the Democratization of Knowledge? Basically, it’s the means of having knowledge available to the people thanks to technology. The use of technology meant that information could be shared throughout the internet and in turn, can help out in a lot of different scenarios. I believe personally that the means of sharing information around is great.
One of the main reason’s why I think the means of sharing information is great is because it’s convenient and beneficial. How often do you look for something that you don’t know online on your phone? It’s so easy and accessible that it doesn’t require much effort to even do at all. As said by Larry Sanger (the co-founder of Wikipedia) in the article “Who Says We Know,” “you aren’t limited to looking at what The New York Times and Encyclopedia Britannica are taking for granted. You can turn to online sources that reflect a far broader spectrum of opinion…”
With this in mind it’s so much easier for students to learn in their studies and much more helpful than ever. You can simply go on the internet and find the information that you are seeking for. One of the common criticisms against information on the web is that the information could be wrong or misleading but personally for me that just encourages more discussion between students and professors alike.
That isn’t to say that it’s perfect as there are some cons that come with it. Certain websites like Wikipedia, for example, constantly has information changed on the website and sometimes the information given could be misinformation or wrong, or maybe you search something online and still don’t get the concrete answer that you are looking for. Not much can be done about this aside from looking at books and asking others for more info.
Overall, however, I find that sharing information is extremely helpful and educational and I don’t really have any issues on how people share information online. It might have its cons but the pros definitely outweigh it in my opinion. Sharing info online is a huge benefit to our society and learning and I hope it doesn’t change.
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