On the other hand, expertise in information retrieval is a very valuable skill that allows one to penetrate (if not cover) spheres of knowledge previously consi

On the other hand, expertise in information retrieval is a very valuable skill that allows one to penetrate (if not cover) spheres of knowledge previously considered the domain of experts or connoisseurs. I remember my introductory writing class in college where the professor emphasized how important it is for students to know how to use external sources, libraries, indexes, catalogues, etc. It's funny that nobody would ever question whether using libraries would negatively impact our brain. Why then, in 2011, people still ask this question about Google? Answer: gerontocracy is afraid of being replaced by a younger, smarter generation. Of course diversity of sources is important, but then any smart search engine user has figure that out already.