Why does Wikipedia Exist?

Because we have time to do it! More seriously, Clay Shirky has written a super short essay on this, and a larger book.

Here is the direct link the essay. Now I'm thinking I need to add Clay Shirky's book to the larger reading list. Along with Dan Pink's. Once I'm finished with reading the Chips diaries (they grow on one), and the outstanding Presentation Zen book (thank you Lisa).

Hat Tip, as so often, to Andrew Sullivan.

"This is one of those essays so brilliant and fun and provocative it stays with you for a while. It's by Clay Shirky and it's about social surplus - or how human beings manage modernity. It's hard to summarize, so here's a taste:"

If I had to pick the critical technology for the 20th century, the bit of social lubricant without which the wheels would've come off the whole enterprise, I'd say it was the sitcom. Starting with the Second World War a whole series of things happened--rising GDP per capita, rising educational attainment, rising life expectancy and, critically, a rising number of people who were working five-day work weeks. For the first time, society forced onto an enormous number of its citizens the requirement to manage something they had never had to manage before--free time.

And what did we do with that free time?  Well, mostly we spent it watching TV.

We did that for decades.  We watched I Love Lucy.