Knowledge Nazi

At the Vistage meeting yesterday, A.S. talked about a situation where I.T. vendors were being swapped (i.e. Web host and designers).  "It's tough, when the outgoing vendor is a Knowledge Nazi", he said. Barriers to competition include intellectual capital and, in this case, willingness to transfer information technology assets. 

The information age might very well be called the age of knowledge.  Military intelligence has turned the tides of wars.  The recent press about advance knowledge of intent to buy stock by institutions provided opportunities to beat the order to the seller and profit by selling to the institution at a higher price.  Censoring information provides politicians an advantage in swaying public opinion. 

Those individuals that "hoard and hide" knowledge are appropriately called Knowledge Nazis.  Monopolizing information is a way to exert your power over others - in a way attempt to make others "dumb".  That is why freedom of the press is paramount to individual freedom.  In George Orwell's book "1984" the government had the Thought Police - or again "Knowledge Nazis". 

The internet is a shining light in a darkness of censorship and propaganda.  A ubiquitous and free internet access would serve our society the very best of countering the Knowledge Nazis of today.