To Burn a Book.

I agree with several things stated in this opinion piece, there are concerns that we should have with this outbreak of information however I do not  believe it is a matter of quantity but of quality.

When looking into our history as humans one can’t help but be aware that we value qualities seeded in intelligence and wisdom. We hold in esteem our elders because of the extensive experiences they have and what knowledge they have to offer, with this in mind what qualms are we to have when set before open sources web databases? They hold information for various topics that hold a presence of wisdom to and from those who read and write their content.

Compared to the wisdom of our elders, we also hold passionate value towards establishments built to preserve the works of intellectual influence. Libraries are esteemed as locations with more of a sacred location due to its job in preserving literature, and other works of those who cannot orally express themselves anymore. We also feel the bane in their disposal. In ancient times where libraries were burned down as casualties of war the history of the people is tampered. The files that were protected by the library walls that held the essence of the society was burned along with the writings, finding and art of their ancestors. In an article written by Preston Chesser the topic of a library in Alexandria founded by the Pharaoh Ptolomy II Siter, successor of Alexander the Great in Egypt. This library was burned down twice throughout history during times of war and social turmoil. The weight of the loss of this establishment was stated towards the end of this article.

“The real tragedy of course is not the uncertainty of knowing who to blame for the Library's destruction but that so much of ancient history, literature and learning was lost forever.”

I firmly believe that if we were to expunge the databases that allow us to access mass information we will feel the same weight of loss as if we burned down a globally esteemed library.

Chesser, Preston. "The Burning of the Library of Alexandria." eHistory. eHistory.com, 6/1/2002. Web. 19 Feb 2012.