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I have noticed a trend on the internet that has been growing since the days of ARPAnet: The Democratization of knowledge.
More specifically, it's the idea that everyone has an equal say in to what is true or false. Rather than turning towards the Encyclopedia Britannica or other authority, we turn towards online. In doing so, we seem to fall victim to the idea that 99 loud fifteen year old boys shouting down a single plumber will know more about fixing your leaky faucet.
It might be considered elitist, but the depersonalization of online interaction and the inherent belief everyone has that they are an authority on any given subject of interest to them has resulted in most threads being near impossible to read. If one were to go to a website and say, "I was at the White House today. Barack Obama seems like a good father.", then the response to this would be very dependent upon whether this particular website leaned left or right. If you said something like, "I believe in God.", then your responses would depend on how religious a particular group were.
Twenty-five years ago, for the most part our beliefs were shaped by the geographic and social limitations that we had. Everyone we knew agreed with us in everything and anyone who disagreed was obviously wrong as everyone you knew agreed with you.
Now, there is a kind of forced integration. I have found that this is a mixed blessing. Ignorance is loudly cried forth and actual information is difficult to find as the democratization of knowledge has meant that the one knowledgeable person is shouted down by the masses.
I have noticed a trend on the internet that has been growing since the days of ARPAnet: The Democratization of knowledge.
More specifically, it's the idea that everyone has an equal say in to what is true or false. Rather than turning towards the Encyclopedia Britannica or other authority, we turn towards online. In doing so, we seem to fall victim to the idea that 99 loud fifteen year old boys shouting down a single plumber will know more about fixing your leaky faucet.
It might be considered elitist, but the depersonalization of online interaction and the inherent belief everyone has that they are an authority on any given subject of interest to them has resulted in most threads being near impossible to read. If one were to go to a website and say, "I was at the White House today. Barack Obama seems like a good father.", then the response to this would be very dependent upon whether this particular website leaned left or right. If you said something like, "I believe in God.", then your responses would depend on how religious a particular group were.
Twenty-five years ago, for the most part our beliefs were shaped by the geographic and social limitations that we had. Everyone we knew agreed with us in everything and anyone who disagreed was obviously wrong as everyone you knew agreed with you.
Now, there is a kind of forced integration. I have found that this is a mixed blessing. Ignorance is loudly cried forth and actual information is difficult to find as the democratization of knowledge has meant that the one knowledgeable person is shouted down by the masses.
Is there a solution to this?
Its not about an equal say, its about how weighted your argument is in fact.
Try all you want, but selling a lie only lasts so long. Sooner or later, your argument fails up against the candle of truth.
"The truth shall set you free"
In a free country, every opinion, right or wrong, are equitable and valid. Its up to you as an individual to prove your position to free thinking people.
You'll never be able to completely change everyones minds. You mention "God" and religious arguments, but God is a different person for each and every person. What I run into is that when I ask for specifics of why someone believes one religious argument because "its in the bible", and not the other, they get defensive and generally don't have a good answer.
The internet has spurred individual debate, with history and truth. Overall, I think thats a good thing.
What's worse is that you can't even tell news from opinion anymore.
The proliferation of blogs and alternate sites has sucked in numerous people believing what they read.
I have noticed a trend on the internet that has been growing since the days of ARPAnet: The Democratization of knowledge.
More specifically, it's the idea that everyone has an equal say in to what is true or false. Rather than turning towards the Encyclopedia Britannica or other authority, we turn towards online. In doing so, we seem to fall victim to the idea that 99 loud fifteen year old boys shouting down a single plumber will know more about fixing your leaky faucet.
It might be considered elitist, but the depersonalization of online interaction and the inherent belief everyone has that they are an authority on any given subject of interest to them has resulted in most threads being near impossible to read. If one were to go to a website and say, "I was at the White House today. Barack Obama seems like a good father.", then the response to this would be very dependent upon whether this particular website leaned left or right. If you said something like, "I believe in God.", then your responses would depend on how religious a particular group were.
Twenty-five years ago, for the most part our beliefs were shaped by the geographic and social limitations that we had. Everyone we knew agreed with us in everything and anyone who disagreed was obviously wrong as everyone you knew agreed with you.
Now, there is a kind of forced integration. I have found that this is a mixed blessing. Ignorance is loudly cried forth and actual information is difficult to find as the democratization of knowledge has meant that the one knowledgeable person is shouted down by the masses.
Is there a solution to this?
So true.
Internet democracy of knowledge shakes out to something like, "My ignorance equals (or trumps) your knowledge."
Ignorant, childish opinions are continually presented as facts by those who don't grasp the difference.
What's worse is that you can't even tell news from opinion anymore.
The proliferation of blogs and alternate sites has sucked in numerous people believing what they read.
Most news is opinion these days, which is really sad.
The proliferation of the internet has made it easier to prey on gullible people.
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