Derek P: I'm not sure I agree with you on Nicholson etc. People build huge Web shrines to record every scrap of info on their favorite celebrities, and fans eat this stuff up. I think this ends up strengthening their fame, not hurting it, no?

The other Derek: Yes, media crossover is key here. Why hasn't there been more of it? There is so much creative output on the Web right now. Why didn't someone post such a moving essay on 9/11 that they ended up getting invited to the White House and signing a huge book deal? Why hasn't one of those thousands of unsigned bands started a huge sensation with an MP3 file and ended up in the top ten? Is the power of online word of mouth really that puny relative to the power of corporate marketing? Yes, the sheer quantity of info makes it hard to find good things, but it also means there's got to be some good things out there to be found.