Sometimes paid help can get knowledge that free help cannot. I would hate to be relying on someone who wasn't an engineer for engineering advice. We have a co-worker who went to school but we couldn't let the person work on installing 220 volt electric because our co-worker wasn't licensed.
Sometimes a friend without the proper engineering degree can fix your (motor)bike or your lawn mower. Often it is done better than done by a shop as it is more than a job for them but also a passion.
Wikipedia cannot substitute for a doctor or true medical advice.
Nor can encyclopedia Britannica.
I think viewpoints and personal things are one thing but knowledge from someone who has a master's or Phd goes a long way than something that is free on Wikipedia.
As if they can't have false believes or make mistakes; I don't find the reference but saw once some statistics comparing errors in a commercial encyclopedia vs. wikipedia. There was no clear winner. Probably the investigation was tainted by what the guy who did the research wanted to prove. But I don't think that information commercially produced is by default trustable or the only way to generate correct information. Look at the whole commercial rubbisch you can find in papers and on television.
I'm amazed that Wikipedia has some good content but I've had to pay for specialized content because only true professionals can provide that. I think more man hours was put in the making of Brittanica and it will sorely be missed.
I am convinced that in a few years time we will laugh with such statements; people used to think the same about putting money on the bank, calling each other anywhere with just a small box in their hand, etc. You can't stop progress, I don't see why general knowledge can only be made in a commercial way and not done by a community. And yes, I also think the academic world will be the last community to conform to the new reality.
greets,
Staf.