As a dabbler in many things, I appreciate that there are people who are the right kind of nerdy and obsessed to keep antiquated technologies (and musical styles) alive. For people who devote entire web sites to
wristwatches that have appeared in movies. For people who spend their free time making
mashups of Transformers with Thomas the Tank Engine. For
trainspotters. For Renaissance Fairers.
I don't have the time or interest to study all these things firsthand myself, but as someone who truly enjoys learning new things just for the sake of knowing them, I enjoy reading the fruits of others' labor. I like knowing that, if I ever want to get interested in out-of-print music that is only available on vinyl, I can go to my local record shop and find someone who can show me how to set up a turntable. I like that, when I walk into a comic book shop looking for the latest "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" book, the guy behind the counter will give me a once-over and suggest that I might also enjoy "Fables." No supercomputer will ever approach the wealth of knowledge and experience that the human race collectively represents.
So thank heaven for all the people in the world with a touch of Asperger's, because their single-minded obsessions with obscure topics makes the internet -- and indeed, life -- that much more interesting and useful.