3 ms·

I had an interesting conversation yesterday with a co-student of mine. He recently (+/- 8 years ago) found religious faith. He uses the Internet to spam me wit

I had an interesting conversation yesterday with a co-student of mine. He recently (+/- 8 years ago) found religious faith. He uses the Internet to spam me with videos about how we didn't land on the moon. And a bunch of weird ones about a gold mountain found in the Euphrates that means the end of the world as we know it is coming soon. So much for technology made possible by the wealthiest. I share your enthusiasm but not your views :(

InclinedPlane 14y ago
On the whole I think things like that are still a net positive. One of the consequences of ubiquitous communications is that it makes crazies more visible. On the one hand there is the very real ability for this to give a stronger voice to people with reprehensible or counter-factual beliefs. However, it also exposes these things to the light of day, and it empowers people who wish to put forward counter-arguments just as much. This isn't a new phenomenon. Literacy and printing have made it possible for reprehensible ideals to gain greater traction than they might have through books such as Mein Kampf. But on the whole I think literature has still had an overwhelmingly positive influence on mankind.
- johnchristopher 14y ago
  > One of the consequences of ubiquitous communications is that it makes crazies more visible. On the one hand there is the very real ability for this to give a stronger voice to people with reprehensible or counter-factual beliefs. However, it also exposes these things to the light of day, and it empowers people who wish to put forward counter-arguments just as much. I hadn't thought of that. You have a point.