"Open Media? Then let’s make it open. Let’s keep the desire to rank and create clubs in check guys."<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nUnfortunately, I don’t think we are going to get our wish. <\/p>\n
It is human nature to congregate with people of like mind. Social groups (cliques) form. Once the group has solidified, it is hard to break into it. Not impossible, but the formed unit tends to resist interlopers. <\/p>\n
In nature, order and structure are a requirement for smooth operation of the unit. Someone has to be in charge of defending the territory etc. etc. <\/p>\n
In human society, however, social groups are formed for reasons other than defense and self preservation. The group may initially apply order and structure to itself to make the group more manageable. You know, to blow up society, even anarchists need a leader \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
It starts with the member list and a definition of the membership requirements. But, sooner rather than later, it becomes clear that "membership has its privileges." Status. Respect. Wealth. Before you know it, the group, which may *think* it is open to all comers, starts to fear dilution of the membership value, and as a result, begins to defend its exclusivity. It may be subtle. It may even be sub-conscious. But make no mistake… it is there. <\/p>\n
This is bad enough when the group is a formal group. But when it is an informal group — a clique versus an organization — it can be downright insidious. Because informal groups aren’t going to have rules in the same way a club or association might. So there’s no way for those on the outside to EVER get on the inside where all those great connections can be found. <\/p>\n
Do I think this has happened in the blogosphere? No. Not yet. But the signs are there, and it would be a shame if we didn’t resist.<\/p>\n
Captain Picard did, and so can we. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Why is it that even in the middle of a media revolution, we can’t resist the temptation to create an aristocracy? Benevolent, but an elite nonetheless. Following hot on the heels of blogebrity (which apparently started as part of a contest), we have the AO\/Technorati Open Media 100. I agree with Fred from A VC, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[5,16],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t