By Andrew Keen

In the beginning, there were high hopes for the worldwide web. Hailed as the network of the future, it was intended to be a platform for equality – an online democracy that empowered the user collective.

But Web 2.0 has left this utopian vision far behind. Everyday activities – communicating, shopping, consuming content – are easier and the audience is more accessible than ever. But this convenience has not benefited all.

The online environment rewards individualism at the expense of everything else. Promotion of free user-generated content by sites such as YouTube and Reddit has spawned the cult of the amateur. Read full story ›

Source: The Drum