Chapter 1 - Spoiling Survivor

I have never before thought that people could become a ligit community simply by communication via the internet. The book suggests that "the older forms of social community are breaking down" and so called "knowledge communities" are replacing them. I am caught on the fence with this statement. First, I never knew what a knowledge community was; now that I know, it does not sit right with me to think that knowledge communities would be "replacing" our pre-existing social communities. They might be an addition to our current communities, but by no means are they replacing them. I agree that social media networks are becoming more prevalent and more widely used, but just because we now have a greater variety of social outlets does not mean that the older outlets are going to disappear.

Page 27 also suggests that our ties to "extended and even nuclear family are disintegrating;" they obviously do not know me nor do they know my family. Family is the most important thing we have to offer. It is the sole group of people that will stand by us no matter what: unconditionally. Knowledge communities have no weight when it is being compared to family. I understand that extended families may not be as close, emotionally or geographically, but that is not to say that it is breaking down. I know all of my 14 cousins and hang out with them more than simply at holidays.

I also find it interesting that there is a difference between shared knowledge and collective intelligence. This concept enthralls me. If everyone in the world could put together everything we know, we as a human race could advance further than our years. This would be such an awesome thing. I do like how Jenkins suggests that there are only certain things that we can fully know. We cannot know everything. Not a single creature can know everything. My exception here is my God. God, the Creator of the universe knows all. He is the only one, but He does know ALL.