"Pre-filters" vs. "Post-filters": "But in Long Tail markets, where distribution is cheap and shelf space is plentiful, the safe bet is to assume that everything is eventually going to be available. The role of filter then shifts from gatekeeper to advisor."
Comments: The two most significant directions of society (in terms of learning and how we organize) relate to networks and centralization/decentralization. I'm not sure which is the greater force (though it could certainly be argued that they are strongly connected). On the one hand, networks are altering how we see information flow and its impact on learning. On the other hand, centralization/decentralization is altering how we organize ourselves in relation to the information flow. If information flows (somewhat naturally) across corporate/organizational networks, then certain "control points" act as filters. In a centralized environment, traditional hierarchy often determines how information flows. In a decentralized environment, each network node is perceived as having equal access to any other node (and as a result, any type of information flow).