The age of the amateur

2 June 2006 - 9:43am — Laura Scott

Yesterday I was in Barnes & Noble (bricks & mortar) and saw that Vernor Vinge's new book is out -- "Rainbow's End."

I've loved his novels, especially "A Fire Upon the Deep" and "A Deepness is the Sky." So I pulled it down and took a peek.

Warning: Page 1 spoilers!-----

On the first page, we read about an epidemic that was discovered by amateurs that caught everyone, including what seems to be an international Center for Disease Control. This extra insight from the amateurs of the world is something of a shock to the officials.

I stopped reading there. Already having a book to read in my all-too-rare spare moments, I returned Mr. Vinge's novel to the shelf -- something for another time.

But it struck me an hour or so later just how unprofound the events of the first two pages was to me. Amateurs scooping the establishment? These days it happens all the time, online.

As Lisa Stone's thumbnail recap of a Netsquared presentation by Tara Hunt captures so well:

Tara described a major directional change in influence. Used to be that Influence began with Elites and then petered out with Amateurs. Today she says (and tomorrow too) it'll be the reverse -- Amateurs will be major influencers.

...and not just "influencers," imho, but informers and reporters as well.

Back before the age of the www, I had a writing teacher tell our class, "The world has infinite knowledge." In other words, don't bullshit because someone will call you on it. Better to consult and connect with the world.

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