M.E. Monday #4

Today's M.E. Monday is from Mcluhan:

"Xerox comes as a reverse flip as the end of the Gutenberg cycle; whereas Gutenberg made everybody a reader, Xerox makes everybody a publisher" (McLuhan UnBound: #5, 2005).

This blog is evidence of how on the money McLuhan was in terms of the direction things were heading. Whilst it hasn't been Xerox (or the photocopier) that has made everyone a publisher, the growth in the internet and digital media has.

It was an interesting coincidence that at the very time I was writing this post there was a current affairs style show on in the background which had medical doctors somewhat bemoaning the growth of self styled health experts. People who are publishing their own books and video content, released over the internet. They are on how to cure all manner of things, not the least of which is cancer, yet the authors have no medical qualifications whatsoever. All they have is their experience of the world. And in at least one instance they were a blatant fake. Not even having suffered from the ailment they were now expounding their miracle cure for.

This is one of the noticeable changes in an environment where Gutenberg (the printing press and it's resultant media structures) is no longer dominant. No longer are those who became qualified as experts through print based channels now the only experts allowed to have a voice. And with the loss of "gatekeepers" (those deciding what will/won't be published) anything goes. In the end, it seems popularity and celebrity, are just as valuable credentials as an academic qualification.

Have you noticed the vast array of areas where the traditional experts are being challenged by the new self styled experts?