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> [1] I am not worried that letting some people on the internet say things like “gay people are evil” is going to convince any reasonable people that such a sta

> [1] I am not worried that letting some people on the internet say things like “gay people are evil” is going to convince any reasonable people that such a statement is true. Wait, but why not? Isn't this the crux issue of our time? The Russians and the RNC have spouted fake propaganda so loudly that ~40% of the US believe falsehoods already. And the main reason they believe things that aren't true is because they are said 1000x on the internet every day. I'm not saying we should restrict free speech or anything like that. No way. But how can you ignore the problems of the world? Many people are not 'reasonable' and they do believe false things. That the do so matters, because our collective society is interconnected. It doesn't matter if no "reasonable people" believe a false or bad statement is true. It matters that they believe it because they have and affect on everything. We all do. Now we have President Trump because so many educated people thought that "no reasonable person" would vote for him. But here we are.

ianai 9y ago
I think the lies on the internet thing will have to defeat itself. I remember being led astray by internet “wisdom” back in the first dot com bubble. Then I went and tried to apply that knowledge IRL. I don’t remember any single particular example, but I remember feeling downright embarrassed for believing something off the internet. I then learned to always take anything from the internet with hefty doses of salt rocks.
- cryptoz 9y ago
  Of course - we are all responsible for ourselves. The problem is that critical thinking is not taught in schools, and children grow up without it by the millions. A problem doesn't "defeat itself" and people who have trouble thinking critically cause problems for those who can do it naturally. Saying that there is nothing to worry about from having tens of millions of people believe lies, or saying "that problem will not receive a solution from ME or ANYONE I know!" (basically, "will have to defeat itself") is going backwards. The world, the whole world, has a problem with fake information on the internet right now. The answer is not "oh well, too bad" and the answer is not "I'm not worried".
  - ianai 9y ago
    The onus is on you to propose a solution the “average person” may implement.

ianai 9y ago

I think the lies on the internet thing will have to defeat itself. I remember being led astray by internet “wisdom” back in the first dot com bubble. Then I went and tried to apply that knowledge IRL. I don’t remember any single particular example, but I remember feeling downright embarrassed for believing something off the internet. I then learned to always take anything from the internet with hefty doses of salt rocks.

cryptoz 9y ago
Of course - we are all responsible for ourselves. The problem is that critical thinking is not taught in schools, and children grow up without it by the millions. A problem doesn't "defeat itself" and people who have trouble thinking critically cause problems for those who can do it naturally. Saying that there is nothing to worry about from having tens of millions of people believe lies, or saying "that problem will not receive a solution from ME or ANYONE I know!" (basically, "will have to defeat itself") is going backwards. The world, the whole world, has a problem with fake information on the internet right now. The answer is not "oh well, too bad" and the answer is not "I'm not worried".
- ianai 9y ago
  The onus is on you to propose a solution the “average person” may implement.