Groupthink

Dear Shirky,

Not going to lie, I definitely found it interesting how Wikipedia came to be.  Of course it was created to be used by men, like a searchable Maxium, but us women found our way in.  Although groupthink might not always be the solution, Wikipedia is a case where I think it benefits the public.  Wikipedia is a huge resource of information.  In basic terms anyone can find and submit articles/information about any topic.  I think this is a great thing, as you said no article is ever finished.  People combine all the information into one resource.  However Keen does not exactly agree.  He does have a point.  He believes that with this groupthink attitude, the loudest person is the one that’s heard, it doesn’t matter whether they are correct or not.  They don’t need credentials to post information.  I like the way he put it, “one person’s truth becomes as true as anyone elses”.  It’s pretty accurate, especially when opinion is involved.  There are certain topics the public cannot post on like George W. Bush, but in general there are no restrictions to what you can post.  Cain is sort of in the middle of you and Keen.  There is a balance in groupthink.  Sometimes it is appropriate.  An example Cain gave is Elementary School.  It makes sense to have children pool their ideas together to foster creativity.  However there are times when it hurts creativity.  Introverts work better in their heads. When they are forced to work as a one unit, not everyone gets heard.  I think the best solution is a happy medium.  A group should work like a puzzle, everyone does their part.  People need to brainstorm on their own sometimes and complete a task that helps the bigger picture. All three of you should get together to debate groupthink.