An Emerging Trend
There's a thought provoking piece in the October issue of Fast Company magazine that deserves some attention in light of so many societal changes we see taking place. Written by Charles Leadbeater, Amateur Revolution, chronicles the growth of a "Pro-Am" movement which is coming about as a result of the continual knowledge explosion:
Look at the Home Schooling movement. In the last 20 years this movement has successfully proven that motivated parents can educate their children far better and much less expensively than can government schools. My wife and I can speak with firsthand knowledge and experience about the superiority of home education.
The ubiquitous home improvement centers, such as Home Depot and Lowes, located conveniently throughout the urbanside contribute mightily to the home do-it-yourselfer, negating the need for professional craftsmen in many cases. These stores offer classes so that the handy homeowner can do it himself and save big bucks.
Even grocery stores are doing away with professional checkers. Self check-out counters are all the rage.
These are but a few examples. I'm not saying this trend is necessarily good or bad. It's good for some and not so good for others. It's just a matter of fact. Like the old idiom states, "knowledge is power," and in an age where almost all information is available at our finger tips instantly via an easy "google search," we are not as dependent on "professionals" as we once were.
The 20th century was marked by the rise of professionals in medicine, science, education, and politics. In one field after another, amateurs and their ramshackle organizations were driven out by people who knew what they were doing and had certificates to prove it. Now that historic shift seems to be reversing. Even as large corporations extend their reach, we're witnessing the flowering of Pro-Am, bottom-up self-organization.Please read the article in its entirety. It's worthy of consideration on how this phenomenon may change things in the future. Just look at what has happened to the MSM, for example; the New Media, much of which is dominated by the "Pro-Am" internet information junkies, a la Drudge, Lucianne, FreeRepublic, Powerline and the ever-growing blogosphere, along with Talk Radio, has relegated the MSM to virtual irrelevancy. Rank amateurs in the eyes of the professional journalists.
Look at the Home Schooling movement. In the last 20 years this movement has successfully proven that motivated parents can educate their children far better and much less expensively than can government schools. My wife and I can speak with firsthand knowledge and experience about the superiority of home education.
The ubiquitous home improvement centers, such as Home Depot and Lowes, located conveniently throughout the urbanside contribute mightily to the home do-it-yourselfer, negating the need for professional craftsmen in many cases. These stores offer classes so that the handy homeowner can do it himself and save big bucks.
Even grocery stores are doing away with professional checkers. Self check-out counters are all the rage.
These are but a few examples. I'm not saying this trend is necessarily good or bad. It's good for some and not so good for others. It's just a matter of fact. Like the old idiom states, "knowledge is power," and in an age where almost all information is available at our finger tips instantly via an easy "google search," we are not as dependent on "professionals" as we once were.
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