Jaron Lanier: Digital Maoism – The Hazards of the New Online Collectivism:
The beauty of the Internet is that it connects people. The value is in the other people. If we start to believe the Internet itself is an entity that has something to say, we’re devaluing those people and making ourselves into idiots.
It’s a long essay, but worth the effort if you’re interested in social media/networking and “collective mind” type issues…