Comments on: Summer book recommendations II http://www.tomrafteryit.net/summer-book-recommendations-ii/ Tom Raftery, social media consultant, speaker, blogger and podcaster Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:05:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Colin http://www.tomrafteryit.net/summer-book-recommendations-ii/#comment-110817 Colin Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:06:07 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/summer-book-recommendations-ii/#comment-110817 I too am having difficulty finishing Andrew Keen's book. His central argument, that Huxley's monkey scenario has come true, is so incredibly flawed that I wondered if at first he was joking. The monkey/typewriter image implies random output, but user's aren't random. Users have taste, judgment, talents and goals. Mr. Keen can thumb his nose at the lower aspects of our culture all he likes, but he should remember that people are flocking to youtube because his "cultural gatekeepers" are increasing irrelevant and disconnected from reality. CNN has fact checkers, but they buy into corporate and political spin. We know spin when we hear it - whether it's in a magazine or in a blog. I too am having difficulty finishing Andrew Keen’s book. His central argument, that Huxley’s monkey scenario has come true, is so incredibly flawed that I wondered if at first he was joking. The monkey/typewriter image implies random output, but user’s aren’t random. Users have taste, judgment, talents and goals. Mr. Keen can thumb his nose at the lower aspects of our culture all he likes, but he should remember that people are flocking to youtube because his “cultural gatekeepers” are increasing irrelevant and disconnected from reality. CNN has fact checkers, but they buy into corporate and political spin. We know spin when we hear it - whether it’s in a magazine or in a blog.

]]> By: Uncle Jeeves http://www.tomrafteryit.net/summer-book-recommendations-ii/#comment-109580 Uncle Jeeves Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:35:59 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/summer-book-recommendations-ii/#comment-109580 I too had high hope for The Cult of the Amateur. There are good points to be made but he's shallow and silly. Keen's problem is that he doesn't really believe what he's saying - so why should I? This is a bigger problem than his inability to distinguish symptoms from causes (as several reviews point out.) He's much more interested in dropping his trousers and asking, "Who's a naughty boy?" As he confessed recently - "I am not interested in abstract forms of justice, I am interested in building my brand as an author and a polemicist" http://www.charliebeckett.org/?p=192 I too had high hope for The Cult of the Amateur. There are good points to be made but he’s shallow and silly.

Keen’s problem is that he doesn’t really believe what he’s saying - so why should I? This is a bigger problem than his inability to distinguish symptoms from causes (as several reviews point out.)

He’s much more interested in dropping his trousers and asking, “Who’s a naughty boy?”

As he confessed recently -

“I am not interested in abstract forms of justice, I am interested in building my brand as an author and a polemicist”

http://www.charliebeckett.org/?p=192

]]> By: Gerard Hanratty http://www.tomrafteryit.net/summer-book-recommendations-ii/#comment-109399 Gerard Hanratty Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:22:16 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/summer-book-recommendations-ii/#comment-109399 I've just started into the cult of the amature myself and after a few pages he's yet to make one point that I agree with. How can he defend mainsteam media over blogging while fox news is on the air? I’ve just started into the cult of the amature myself and after a few pages he’s yet to make one point that I agree with. How can he defend mainsteam media over blogging while fox news is on the air?

]]> By: Turfreek http://www.tomrafteryit.net/summer-book-recommendations-ii/#comment-109259 Turfreek Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:03:18 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/summer-book-recommendations-ii/#comment-109259 "Andrew Keen’s Cult of the Amateur, I decided it wasn’t worthwhile reading" Can you expand on that a little? Is it because its an anathema to all you believe in? Or is it because its badly written, typical of the type of book which takes a good idea worthy of an essay and makes a lousy book out of it? mm “Andrew Keen’s Cult of the Amateur, I decided it wasn’t worthwhile reading”

Can you expand on that a little?
Is it because its an anathema to all you believe in? Or is it because its badly written, typical of the type of book which takes a good idea worthy of an essay and makes a lousy book out of it?
mm

]]> By: Simon Taylor http://www.tomrafteryit.net/summer-book-recommendations-ii/#comment-109100 Simon Taylor Wed, 08 Aug 2007 02:13:50 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/summer-book-recommendations-ii/#comment-109100 Re Wikinomics - it starts strong and has some good case studies, but IMO much of the content is repetitive and some sections read like breathless propaganda 'do this now or your business is toast'. Good book, but it could have benefitted from either tighter editing or more quantitative research-based content to back up statements - it's no 'Good to Great'. Re Wikinomics - it starts strong and has some good case studies, but IMO much of the content is repetitive and some sections read like breathless propaganda ‘do this now or your business is toast’.

Good book, but it could have benefitted from either tighter editing or more quantitative research-based content to back up statements - it’s no ‘Good to Great’.

]]> By: PaulSweeney http://www.tomrafteryit.net/summer-book-recommendations-ii/#comment-109088 PaulSweeney Tue, 07 Aug 2007 20:43:45 +0000 http://www.tomrafteryit.net/summer-book-recommendations-ii/#comment-109088 Ha ha :) Ha ha :)

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