Web 2.0 libel suits multiply

Feature
The Web 2.0 movement ushered in an interactive Internet and put power in the hands of the people, tapping the so-called wisdom of the crowds to change the world — and to keep such a digital democracy in check. A decade later, as defamation lawsuits mount in response to an explosion of vicious attacks and anonymous gossip, some are questioning the wisdom of the crowds — and wondering if it hasn’t turned into mob rule. Deborah Gage reports in the San Francisco Chronicle.