Right about Web 2.0, Wrong about Old Media
Book Review: The Cult of the Amateur, by Andrew Keen
Andrew Keen sounds the alarm: the Internet is being used to spread false information, cheat artists and authors, steal our identities, destroy our reputations, violate our privacy, and lower our standards. He’s right about all of that. As a society, we need more discussion of the Internet’s corrupting influence, and we need to update some laws to reflect the new online reality.
However, Keen is wrong about two crucial points, and it detracts from the value of an otherwise impassioned and clearly-written book.