When first looking through Chapter 3 of Clay Shirky’s book, “Here Comes Everybody” we learn the reason behind professions and why they in most cases shape our lives into a certain direction. We live in a world of specialization. It is much more valuable in our world to be an expert on one thing than have adequate experience or knowledge in multiple areas. Once we graduate high school, we start to hone in on what it is we want to specialize in and by the time we are our of college and graduate school, we are expected to be at a “professional” level in that area.

What the internet has been changing is the access to information needed to be considered an “expert” in any given field. Before, you needed a diploma, degree, and often a publishing contract or media related job in order to write about something and have it available to a large quantity of people. Now, all the research necessary to become an expert is at the hands of almost anyone and so is the forum necessary to publish their ideas. Wikipedia is a prime example of the capabilities amateurs have when it comes to contributing to the professional world. Obviously the world will always need its professionals (you wouldn’t want an amateur “volunteer” brain surgeon cutting open your head based off of 5 Youtube videos they’ve watched would you)? What the internet has been able to do however is give the “average” non professional a leg up on that similar person 20,30,50 years ago. A much higher percentage of the worlds population today has the ability to have their thoughts understood and their words read then at anytime before in the world’s history.