[pnathan]

Yes, I don't buy most of what the essay said, but that was bang on, generally. I disagree heavily with the last sentence, but the bit about how we've generally shifted from models->actuality is very, very true. It's acutely obvious when you look for knowledge that isn't in the consensual standard places online, or really try to use Google as a search engine as opposed to a handy-dandy bookmark replacement thing.

[pesmhey]

Could you give an example of looking for knowledge that isn’t in the concensual standard places online, where that search ends up finding nothing?

[pnathan]

Not a specific thing, no. It tends to be trade knowledge or bits of history & beliefs that were printed, or orally known. I have a certain store of oral history regarding a few 20thC movements that was passed down, for instance. But there are no electronic editions of that information - if you find it on Wikipedia, it'll be filtered, somewhat mangled, and altogether minimal in description.

These days when I want to find obscure knowledge, I purchase books written on the topic by scholars; they concentrate the information very well with good sourcing.