My apologies.
I assumed you started a thread on conspiracy theories/theorists to get people’s opinions on conspiracy theories/theorists.
My mistake.
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What to do about the conspiracy theory problem?
- Thread starter tigersnake
- Start date
I assumed you started a thread on conspiracy theories/theorists to get people’s opinions on conspiracy theories/theorists.
My mistake.
You obviously didn't read or comprehend the first post. This thread proceeds on the basis or assumption that conspiracy theories are false and a societal problem. Apology accepted. We all make mistakes.
You also said you were interested in discussion.
Just so I know for the future, would you mind explaining why my post didn’t fit the context of your thread? I’d hate to make the same mistake in another thread.
EDIT: Actually, don’t worry.
F*ck me it is hard to avoid conspiracy theorists.
Geez, there's more than 1. This is a thread about why people believe conspiracy theories which have little or no evidence to back them up and masses of evidence to show they are wrong. Now, you can debate whether particular theories should be considered a "conspiracy theory" but it is not the topic of this thread. We may disagree on which theories are considered to be conspiracy theories but the debate here is why people believe them, not which theories fall into that category. This was very very clearly stated in the first post and those of us with manners discussed the topic at hand and carefully avoided specific theories.
DS
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Ha ha. What about them wasn’t effective? Stats don’t lie.
Questioning is fine but making *smile* up is stupid.
The internet is an amazing innovation, we all know the joy it has brought us all on this site.
The downside of the internet, is that it has allowed a lot of unhinged people to espouse all sorts of hair-brained drivel.
There's always been conspiracy theories. The dark web, and social media has allowed them to spread like wildfire, to the extent that it has got way out of hand.
Stating the obvious, there needs to be a lot more policing and censorship of those platforms.
The downside of the internet, is that it has allowed a lot of unhinged people to espouse all sorts of hair-brained drivel.
There's always been conspiracy theories. The dark web, and social media has allowed them to spread like wildfire, to the extent that it has got way out of hand.
Stating the obvious, there needs to be a lot more policing and censorship of those platforms.
Pfizer admitted the vaccines weren't tested with regard to stopping transmission. The public were told (repeatedly) to get vaccinated to stop the spread (and stop your Grandma from dying). What were they basing their advice on?
What are the stats you mention? The ones where the jab stopped people getting COVID? The ones that showed zero transmission? Or the ones that showed the unvaxxed got really sick? Co-morbities were the real issue - as they are with most illnesses.
(I'm triple vaxxed by the way, before you go down that route.)
you are quick to label.As I said in my previous email I will go back to the footy talk sections and leave you to pontificate and wallow in your own self importance.A club that only allows speech that one wants to hear.
Or maybe go to the thread about climate change, where people want to discuss climate change.
Im not sure much can be done. Most of the people who dispute the science on climate change, or the evidence about Covid or the vaccines, that planes were hijacked on Sept 11 back in the day, refuse to hear anything that is said to them.
I think for some it is the only "power" they have in their lives, a way to fight authority.
others find a "community", while others refuse to listen to the science, as it would cause them to have to reflect on their way of life, or make sacrifices.
others just simply peddle the lies because their is money and fame in it for them.
i reckon all you can do is try to point to the facts, and if the conspiracy theorists continue to ignore them, walk away- at least from that topic.
I think for some it is the only "power" they have in their lives, a way to fight authority.
others find a "community", while others refuse to listen to the science, as it would cause them to have to reflect on their way of life, or make sacrifices.
others just simply peddle the lies because their is money and fame in it for them.
i reckon all you can do is try to point to the facts, and if the conspiracy theorists continue to ignore them, walk away- at least from that topic.
Dude there are other threads where you can bloviate on whatever insane cooker nonsense fills your tiny head, and people may or may not choose to engage with that. This thread is not about that.
There have always been conspiracy theories and conspiracy theorists but to me the major thing that has changed is access to those theories.
Before the internet and social media many who are susceptible to them may never hear about them because the general public would only have media access through radio, print and TV as well as word of mouth.
Now every crackpot theory is available for us to see through multiple platforms.
I have severely limited what I read on Twitter because it was doing my head in. I am amazed at what some people believe and how many posters there are spouting factually incorrect garbage.
Before the internet and social media many who are susceptible to them may never hear about them because the general public would only have media access through radio, print and TV as well as word of mouth.
Now every crackpot theory is available for us to see through multiple platforms.
I have severely limited what I read on Twitter because it was doing my head in. I am amazed at what some people believe and how many posters there are spouting factually incorrect garbage.
Back to the topic of why people believe in conspiracy theories. Here's a classic example of a coalition MP defending the cookers, this week of all weeks.
Dutton shed a tear yesterday for the Qld cops who were killed. I hope he takes Rennick to task and banishes him from the party. But he won't. The coalition, desperate for votes, are playing to the cookers for their votes.
When the media and some factions of the government are allowing, and pushing the conspiracy theory, those who are susceptible to conspiracies will succumb.
Dutton shed a tear yesterday for the Qld cops who were killed. I hope he takes Rennick to task and banishes him from the party. But he won't. The coalition, desperate for votes, are playing to the cookers for their votes.
When the media and some factions of the government are allowing, and pushing the conspiracy theory, those who are susceptible to conspiracies will succumb.
Still the best off-season debate/rage posting in PRE's history.
Yes. I also think that on any given social media platform, fb in particular, people susceptible to falling for conspiracy theories are grossly over represented. I'm only guessing, but say around 5% in society, you'd get the impression it was well over 20% if you look at fb. (Also not unrelated, racism. Every news story on race the comments will be 70-80% racist. Racism is a big problem and the percentage is high, but not that high).
It was funny, but also an eye opener for me. Until that discussion I actually thought that facts and evidence could convince people. And it was my first exposure to a whacky complex conspiracy theory. Id read an assertion, it was new on me, do some quick reserach, see very quickly it was BS, and I'd think to myself 'OK I'll go and tell the gang, they will be interested'. Wrong. For example, someone would say 'well how come the plane (the pentagon one) had no windows huh? how do you explain that huh?' People would reply with 'there were windows, here's a series of photos and articles on the plane which shows its a normal plane with windows'. Crickets. 'How come the landlord didn't have lunch there on the day huh?'. etc etc etc. presenting facts made no difference.
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No idea whether your numbers are correct but the theory is probably right. What i noticed also on twitter is that when there is a subject being posted about the vast majority of comments fall into two categories i.e. either they are an echo chamber or they are trolls just stirring up trouble.
Very rarely do you see serious debate on twitter
It’s not a thought it’s fact.
Platforms sell advertisements
Advertisements rely on time spent on the app
Crazy *smile* makes eyeballs stick to the app
Crazy *smile* gets prioritised and shared more.
Voila - mainly what you see on these apps is outrage.
Grandma took her neighbours pet to the vet and cleaned out its kitty litter because neither of them were feeling well won’t sell ads.
