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My current beliefs about how people use and trust information on the Web. First, trust is _everything_ on the Web, it is the thing people first think of when a
by softwaredoug 4y ago
My current beliefs about how people use and trust information on the Web.
First, trust is _everything_ on the Web, it is the thing people first think of when arriving on some information. But how people evaluate trust has changed dramatically over the last 10 years.
- Trust now comes almost exclusively from social proof. Searching reddit, youtube, etc and other extremely _moderated_ sources of information, where the most work is done to ensure content comes from actual human beings. How many of us now google `<topic> reddit` instead of just `<topic>`?
- Of course a lot of this trust is misplaced. There's a very thin line between influencers and cult leaders / snake oil salesmen. Our last President used this hack really effectively.
- Few trust Google's definition of trust anymore -- essentially page rank. This made more sense when the Web essentially was social, where inbound links were very organic. Now with the trust in general Web sites evaporated, the main 'inbound links' anyone cares about come from individuals or community they trust or identify with. They don't trust Googles algorithm (its too opaque, and too easily gamed).
This of course means the fracturing of truth away from elites. Sometimes this could be a good thing, but in many cases cough Covid cough it might be pretty disastrous for misinformation
- mountainriver 4y ago> How many of us now google `<topic> reddit` instead of just `<topic>` I sure hope not, Reddit is horrible place for information
- romanhn 4y agoWhen I have a specific technical question, I append "stackoverflow" to my search queries. When I want to read a discussion, I add "reddit" (or "hacker news").
- failTide 4y agoI use the strategy for a few things - including when I want to get reviews of a product or service. There's still potential for manipulation there, but you can judge the replies based on the user history - and you know that businesses aren't able to delete or hide bad reviews there. But in general I agree with you - reddit is full of misinformation, propaganda and astroturfing
- wolverine876 4y ago> How many of us now google `<topic> reddit` instead of just `<topic>`? One of us lives in a bubble. I don't trust Reddit for anything, or YouTube or any social media. IME, it's mis/disinformation - not only a lack of information, but a negative; it leaves me believing something false. My experience is, and plenty of research shows, that we have no way to sort truth from fiction without prior expertise in the domain. The misinformation and disinformation on social media, and its persuasiveness, is very well known. The results are evident before us, in the madness and disasters, in dead people, in threats to freedom, prosperity, and stability. Why would people in this community, who are aware of these issues, trust social media? How is that working out? > This of course means the fracturing of truth away from elites. Sometimes this could be a good thing I think that's mis/disinformation. 'Elite' is a loaded, negative (in this context) word. It makes the question about power and the conclusion inevitable. Making it about power distracts from the core issue of knowledge, which is truth. I want to hear from the one person, or one of the few people, with real knowledge about a topic; I don't want to hear from others. In matters of science the authority of thousands is not worth the humble reasoning of one single person.
- Brian_K_White 4y agoThey already acknowledge the problem of trusting the crowd, but you seem to not acknowledge the problem of trusting a central dispensary. In fact it's unwise to trust either one. Everything has to be evaluated case by case. The same source should be trusted for one thing today, and not for some other thing tomorrow.