Who are these people - do you ever wonder?

[Roaddog]

Originally Posted by carterstamp

I'm here because it's fun. When it ceases to be fun, I'll resume pulling wings off flys and torturing cats in my basement...

I agree, why would anyone be here if it wasn't for fun.

[Strel]

Originally Posted by vamos

So, it's yet another day on CD where, while reading through some of the posts, I can't help but wonder who some of the posters here are.

At times, I simply cannot believe the statements I read here. I must admit that some posts make me lose a bit of my belief in humanity, while others make me doubt that learning ever occurs.

Do you ever read posts that make you shake your head in disbelief? Posts that make you wonder if these people (and/or their opinions) can possibly be real?

All the time. And this board is actually moderated fairly strictly as compared to others, believe it or not.

Are you ever disgusted by your fellow posters?

Every day. Mostly I am bewildered at how well some of them can stick to a belief despite all evidence to the contrary. I got in an argument yesterday about whether the 14th amendment made the 1st applicable to the states. This is a basic fact of constitutional law, yet I had two posters swearing up and down through the whole thread that it wasn't true. Despite many case cites and careful explanation, they didn't just fail to grasp the concept, they actually refused to believe it.

It was breathtaking cognitive dissonance, or a really good brainwashing job. Not sure which, but seeing it in action was kind of disturbing. It is disturbing to me that people can delude themselves so easily and maintain a delusion in the face of any amount of contrary evidence or argument.

Are you ever worried that the internet has provided a voice to even the most uninformed, unintelligent, bigoted, egotistical, over-opinionated demographic?

It has! And yeah, sometimes is its downright scary. Because people who can delude themselves into believing some of the nonsense I see here could also be capable of acting on those beliefs.

I always knew there were stupid and crazy people in the world, but I never realized how many there were out there until I got on the Internet.

Do you feel that reading such posts distorts your perception of reality?

Sorry if this sounds a bit like a rant...

Only in the sense that it is depressing and a bit frightening.

[lhpartridge]

Originally Posted by MaseMan

I'm sure a lot of people on here are astroturfers, or just folks trolling to get a rise out of others.

I'm always very curious wondering who are the paid content-writers who are sowing dissent on the various forums that I frequent, CD and others.

I've read that the phenomenon is very widespread in Australia, where there is an immediate pro-China response to any news post, etc. regarding any issue remotely dealing with China. It makes me wonder to what degree this happens on the forums that I read.

Have you ID'ed any astroturfers? Do you know if anyone goes around outing them?

The problem these days is determining who is a professional journalist and who is trying to spin the outcome of events as they unfold.

[Calvinist]

Originally Posted by andrea3821

yes. I shake my head daily at most of the liberal posters on here.

+1

[Strel]

Originally Posted by Calvinist

+1

Case in point, do you still think the 14th amendment doesn't make the 1st applicable to local school boards?

ROTFLMAO.