Note 1

We are operating on the assumption that, in general, more information is better than less in a participatory democracy. This is not always true, however. One has to decide whether the benefits of extra information outweigh the costs.

Of course, the information is there, and that's not going to change. Unless we are prepared to place severe controls on freedom of speech online, it's pointless to ask whether more information is good. The information is here to stay. The more fruitful line of inquiry is whether