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The accelerationist in me wonders if this is a positive development in the medium term. If everyone's convinced that the entire internet is sketchy, then much

The accelerationist in me wonders if this is a positive development in the medium term. If everyone's convinced that the entire internet is sketchy, then much like state-controlled media in a dictatorship, or tabloids, no one will actually believe it. The scale and sophistication of disinformation is getting to the point where actual verification will be extremely difficult or down to personal connections/experience, outside of direct statements. Maybe the casual majority who's favorite show is NCIS will just throw up their hands and start living more locally/draw from verified sources when they do go on the internet. One can hope, but in the meantime we're in for some chaos. There will also be plenty who can't/won't adapt, and stay stuck in various internet fever dreams for the rest of their lives as they desperately seek that next dopamine hit, and various AI algorithms tailor what they see to keep them hooked.

saulpw 4y ago
> If everyone's convinced that the entire internet is sketchy, then much like state-controlled media in a dictatorship, or tabloids, no one will actually believe it. This breaks down because "everyone" does not include about 30% of people (and 30% is probably generous). Evidence for this abounds.
- pessimizer 4y ago
  > "everyone" does not include about 30% of people (and 30% is probably generous). I suspect that you think that there's only one lie, and that it's a type of person [edit: and I'd also guess that that person is deplorable.] There are any number of lies, and all of them are believed to different extents. Some of them 99% of us believe, others 1% of us believe.
  - saulpw 4y ago
    To a first degree, sure, but I'm also very keenly aware that I'm in that 30% on many topics. It makes the inability for "everyone" to be suspicious of everything even more insidious, because it means we can't just have a nice civil war and kill the "right" 30% of people to clear things up.

saulpw 4y ago

> If everyone's convinced that the entire internet is sketchy, then much like state-controlled media in a dictatorship, or tabloids, no one will actually believe it. This breaks down because "everyone" does not include about 30% of people (and 30% is probably generous). Evidence for this abounds.

pessimizer 4y ago
> "everyone" does not include about 30% of people (and 30% is probably generous). I suspect that you think that there's only one lie, and that it's a type of person [edit: and I'd also guess that that person is deplorable.] There are any number of lies, and all of them are believed to different extents. Some of them 99% of us believe, others 1% of us believe.
- saulpw 4y ago
  To a first degree, sure, but I'm also very keenly aware that I'm in that 30% on many topics. It makes the inability for "everyone" to be suspicious of everything even more insidious, because it means we can't just have a nice civil war and kill the "right" 30% of people to clear things up.