Post on Web 2.0

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article, it did a good job of covering the views and incentives of each side, but made some very crucial points in the process. While mainstream media may be a huge industry that has no competitors, it still is held in check by the very public it appeases. News programs have to make sure to check there facts, since putting the wrong facts out there could lead to lawsuits and settlements against them, not to mention the risk of losing viewers. While they may seem like they can put what they want on air for the world, they still are held in check by some laws and by the public themselves. Web 2.0, while it does empower the people to publish and post what they want, it gives such power without any restraint. Who is accountable if a anonymous poster begins smearing someone else with false facts, publishing them as truth? Sadly enough many people will believe what they read, if it made to print or got published online, well they must have checked their facts right? In the interested in receiving news and media that is more or less free of errors, there is a need for some sort of restraint. Mainstream media is held in check by the fact that if they put out something that is false, they could stand the chance of lawsuits costing millions of dollars. While I'm not saying the mainstream media is flawless, I would rather get my facts from them may be safer then getting my information from whichever blog happens to be posting their opinion on a topic.