While both sites effectively function as oligarchies, they are still democratic in one important sense. Digg and Wikipedia's elite users aren't chosen by a corporate board of directors or by divine right. They're the people who participate the most. Despite the fairy tales about the participatory culture of Web 2.0, direct democracy isn't feasible at the scale on which these sites operate. Still, it's curious to note that these sites seem to have the hierarchical structure of the old-guard institutions they've sought to supplant.
Kris Abel on 02 Nov 12"Smartphone apps allowing consumers to book private hire cars on demand instead of a taxi may be illegal, the New South Wales government says. It's going to piss off a few people but when the dust settles people will realise that ultimately it's just offering more choices to Australian consumers for ground transportation."
