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I'm basically incredulous to the point where I simply don't believe this is true. If this was an exercise in 'how to start false rumours to ruin someone' - the

I'm basically incredulous to the point where I simply don't believe this is true. If this was an exercise in 'how to start false rumours to ruin someone' - then it's not just 'questionable', it's shocking. I can see this as part of an exercise to demonstrate how these things are 'powerful' - but as a training exercise .... it's so abrupt I just don't believe it. If this is part of the curriculum it should be posted somewhere, no? Edit: Here is a paper from Paris School of Economics [1] a 'Grande Ecole' where profs have basically studied how information flows through social networks. I can easily see a professor teaching this course asking students to 'start some kind of rumouor' to see how the information propagates through social networks. I don't for a second believe that this would be taught in a manner such that students are being 'instructed on how to use rumours to advance their careers' or some kind of nefarious thing. I believe it's totally misrepresentative to indicate that schools would be doing such nefarious things, and I think that for whatever reason the OP has possibly misunderstood the nature of this kind of activity. A quick glance at the paper reveals that this is just regular, kind of interesting social science. [1] https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00966234/document https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00966234/document

HeWhoLurksLate 7y ago
Once science has determined something, and the steps are reproducible and the papers are published, it's hard to stop it from being weaponized, even if it takes time. For instance, some explosives that were developed for the mining industry are now used in military applications- similarly, there's nothing really stopping someone from weaponizing almost any scientific discovery.
- sonnyblarney 7y ago
  These tactics were weaponized more than 2 000 years ago, we're just actually studying them now. But the issue is not that they exist, it's that people are somehow thinking these Machiavellian tools are literally being taught as part of a curriculum as craft at France's highest institutions - this I find very hard to believe. I think that the kids are learning this in high school outside of class if anything.
  - loup-vaillant 7y ago
    I'm French, and I find it pretty easy to believe. I even have another example: some elite schools teach oenology. Now what could possibly be the point of formally educating people on the finer details of wine making and tasting? It's simply how the aristocracy recognise themselves. There are other class recognition examples: for instance, rich kids tend to play tennis more than they play soccer. I know third hand of someone who paid attention to his watch and smartphone to get a job (or a promotion, I don't recall). It was in finance. The idea is, if you belong to the right social class, you are allowed to go up. If they spot you for a commoner, you're not. Simple as that. Think this is a stretch? I'v read an article (American article) about how someone was denied a job because of how she dressed. Oh she was dressed all right, neat and all, but she also had a dark skin (okay, she was black), and here is what the boss said once the interview was over: "my, you don't wear a tank top under your shirt, you wear a silk shell!". Such a little detail, but that was nevertheless a sign that this applicant was perhaps not as rich as she should have been.

HeWhoLurksLate 7y ago

Once science has determined something, and the steps are reproducible and the papers are published, it's hard to stop it from being weaponized, even if it takes time. For instance, some explosives that were developed for the mining industry are now used in military applications- similarly, there's nothing really stopping someone from weaponizing almost any scientific discovery.

sonnyblarney 7y ago
These tactics were weaponized more than 2 000 years ago, we're just actually studying them now. But the issue is not that they exist, it's that people are somehow thinking these Machiavellian tools are literally being taught as part of a curriculum as craft at France's highest institutions - this I find very hard to believe. I think that the kids are learning this in high school outside of class if anything.
- loup-vaillant 7y ago
  I'm French, and I find it pretty easy to believe. I even have another example: some elite schools teach oenology. Now what could possibly be the point of formally educating people on the finer details of wine making and tasting? It's simply how the aristocracy recognise themselves. There are other class recognition examples: for instance, rich kids tend to play tennis more than they play soccer. I know third hand of someone who paid attention to his watch and smartphone to get a job (or a promotion, I don't recall). It was in finance. The idea is, if you belong to the right social class, you are allowed to go up. If they spot you for a commoner, you're not. Simple as that. Think this is a stretch? I'v read an article (American article) about how someone was denied a job because of how she dressed. Oh she was dressed all right, neat and all, but she also had a dark skin (okay, she was black), and here is what the boss said once the interview was over: "my, you don't wear a tank top under your shirt, you wear a silk shell!". Such a little detail, but that was nevertheless a sign that this applicant was perhaps not as rich as she should have been.