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As someone else said, great vocabulary workout, Mr. Brin. Thanks. For those who want a Cliff Notes version or can't follow all the (perhaps gratuitous) references, that's what Wikipedia is for.
The key point echoes what I've said since 2001: The number one survival skill in the 21st century will be to become a good filter. Or, as amended by Shirky in personal conversation, to *know* a good filter. This is the true "exaflood"
Brin's comment that the Internet and social networks have only half of what we need is spot on. I call what the market mechanism he refers to "expert networks", and they are forming now. If we can find a way to monetize them that formation will accelerate and become the market Brin imagines.
Of course, it should not be surprising that most of the stuff on the Internet is dross. As Sturgeon wrote, "90% of everything is crap." Always has been, always will. On the other hand, I do agree with the grouches that the couch potatoes may still overrun us.
Our problem is that the sum total of intelligence on the planet seems to be a constant, and the population keeps increasing... :-)
