I don’t like it — because it betrays a not-useful point of view. I am not part of a crowd, I am an individual … When you mash us all together you miss the point.
Update : continues
Of course, what Winer is ignoring is that companies are thinking of the crowd as an “aggregate” exactly because that’s the only business model they have. It’s no good calling it bad taste or a failure of vision, companies are entities who’s function is to siphon off surplus value created from aggregates of people and give it to shareholders. If they don’t have someone to “exploit” there is nothing for the shareholders.
Winer’s philosophy is right for the web, and for us individuals, but it demands a new business model, possibly post-company.