Open source academics moves ahead
The journal Nature is now giving it a try.
Instead of sending submissions out to a few experts, the journal posts submissions on a site running Movable Type, and then waits for comments. At the same time it's conducting an open debate on peer review.
From what I've seen, the comments left seem to be pretty cogent, not the normal "sez you" you might see on, say, a political site.
Of course, it depends on what you mean by "peer." A peer is a title from English nobility. In terms of normal academic publishing it means that the person reading the manuscript is on the same level as the person who wrote it, that they are a peer. Then, of course, there's the Internet concept of peer-to-peer, which requires no qualifications at all, just an IP connection. (Add the verb peer and the idea of peer pressure if you like.)
Which peers should we trust? It's a key question in this open source age. (Hat tip to Chris Anderson of The Long Tail for bringing the subject to my attention.)
I believe the more peers the merrier.