The Eras of Publishing, Participation and (Now, We Hope?) Certitude

How do we deal with the abundance of digital information now available? Brad Wheeler posits that we are in or approaching the Era of Certitude, which follows and enlarges upon first the Era of Publishing (pre- and early-Internet information world) and then the Era of Participation. (unlimited, fast, production and dissemination of information). He says that colleges and universities must be leaders in the Era of Certitude, which "is about the timely extraction of meaningful answers from content and distribution. . . . As the Era of Certitude evolves, information seekers in college and university communities will continue to look for, and find, improved tools and services for greater certitude. This trend is in motion now, and as noted, many knowledge sources and service providers are implementing tools to span distance and enable real-time responses. Some providers will choose vended systems that enable chat, logging, and modest knowledge-management capabilities. Others will look to open source or homegrown tools, and still others may choose to work out legal agreements with third-party service providers. Blended models of institutional and commercial platforms seem ripe with promise."