The dumbing down is done by the same people who are watching the success of Wikis, Blogs, etc. on the public internet but fear that it would rouse the fire within the walls.

Whatever be the circumstances — I have personally seen grassroot level sparks, people trying to use these tools internally without any corporate backing and without any IT support. However long the time it takes, the future of Writable Intranet is very much on its way.

I completely agree with your argument in favor of transparency as a way to further thinking. However, collaboration in the enterprise is often hampered by the perception that advancement is a zero-sum game. In this setting an individual who discloses information without knowledge that similar disclosure will be reciprocated is at a disadvantage.

That is why it is so important for management to model and incent collaborative behaviors. Internal transparency must come from the top of the organization, because management already has an information advantage over those under them. The rational behavior is for employees to limit discretionary effort (i.e., collaboration) because they are unsure whether they or that behavior will be rewarded. However, if management demonstrates a legitimate commitment to collaboration and collaborative tools (such as making it a part of performance evaluations) they then start rewarding participation in a larger conversation that moves the organization forward, instead of singular efforts.