3 ms·
Applies to empires in general. That doesn't mean the empires are a good thing. The Internet was always going to be a cultural amplifier. Those of us who grew
by TheOtherHobbes 3y ago
Applies to empires in general.
That doesn't mean the empires are a good thing.
The Internet was always going to be a cultural amplifier. Those of us who grew up when culture wasn't just about greed, narcissism, and sociopathy assumed it would amplify all those old-fashioned values: intellectual curiosity, informed democracy, and public education.
It actually does that. Up to a point. It's far easier to get accurate information about almost everything than it used to be.
But it's been swamped by narcissistic garbage, automated exploitation and greed, and pathocracy.
That's not really the Internet's fault. It's just amplifying the culture it's a part of. The mistake the idealists (like me) made was underestimating just how toxic and self-destructive that culture is.
- chx 3y agoIt is however, even easier to get inaccurate information. Most recently, see what happened to the Cochrane review on "Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses". Mass media have readily interpreted it as "masks do not work" and even media which was not that hysterical https://www.health.com/cochrane-review-do-masks-work-7112631 https://www.health.com/cochrane-review-do-masks-work-7112631 had "A new Cochrane review, published last month, sought to answer how effective masks are at preventing COVID-19." In reality, as https://www.cochranelibrary.com/web/cochrane/content?urlTitle=/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub6&doi=10.1002/14651858.CD006207.pub6&p_p_id=scolariscontentdisplay_WAR_scolariscontentdisplay&_scolariscontentdisplay_WAR_scolariscontentdisplay_action=comment-details&p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_mode=view&type=cdsr&contentLanguage=en&messageId=396049107 https://www.cochranelibrary.com/web/cochrane/content?urlTitl... points out > this review did not assess at the impact of wearing a mask in comparison with not wearing a mask. Indeed the wording of the review was confusing but still.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- worik 3y ago> It is however, even easier to get inaccurate information. True. And accurate information
- WillPostForFood 3y agoThose of us who grew up when culture wasn't just about greed, narcissism, and sociopathy assumed it would amplify all those old-fashioned values: intellectual curiosity, informed democracy, and public education Wait a sec, I'm pretty old, but totally missed this era before human greed and narcissism. When exactly are we talking about?
- revolvingocelot 3y agoIt can't be an issue of reading comprehension -- the parent post actually quotes the grandparent, but then pretends the grandparent wrote of an "era before human greed and narcissism" instead of a time "when culture wasn't just about greed, [and] narcissism" (emphasis mine). I get that it's easier to engage with what one wants someone to have said, rather than what they actually said, but why quote the relevant part just to ignore it? Fiendish!
- WillPostForFood 3y ago[flagged]
- revolvingocelot 3y ago[flagged]
- WillPostForFood 3y agoYes you did. You took my post in bad faith. You incorrectly assume I took the ggggp's post in bad faith, and now are engaging in your own battle against your own incorrect assumption. The hypocrisy is you are complaining about failing to engage with the main point, while refusing to engage and derailing yourself. Please stop, let's just move on. -- gggggp claims that culture is more narcissistic and greedy now. I dispute that, if you want to defend that claim, tell me what era you grew up in that was less so.
- 3y ago