Sphinn - Misinformation In the Blogosphere

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Sphinn It!

Posted By: SpostareDuro 346 days ago
Topic Type: News Story (Jump to http://www.jonathancrossfield.com)
Category: Water Cooler

There are a few different ways that misinformation occurs. The problem is that the internet amplifies each of these errors to dangerous proportions.

10 Comments

Who Desphunn This (0)

Comments

from Jill 346 days ago #

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The power of the internet is such that inaccuracies and myths can be spread far wider and far more pervasively than ever before in human history. Accepted knowledge becomes the knowledge most commonly believed to be true, instead of what is actually true. The group consensus becomes truth and reality becomes transient and changeable.

So true, so true. This sums up one of the problems with SEO right now. Instead of actually testing and trying different techniques out, people just use accepted techniques that they've heard about. Unfortunately, a good portion of those techniques won't make an ounce of difference towards increasing targeted traffic search engine to your website.

from SpostareDuro 346 days ago # - show/hide this comment

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Agreed. "The group consensus becomes truth and reality becomes transient and changeable"

This is also why 'herd mentality' is harmful especially in marketing arenas. They are selling ideas in order to profit for themselves. Truth is too frequently discarded.

Those who think independently of the herd are the ones most likely to find their niche.

from streko 346 days ago #

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@SpostarDuro - you even do seo? Just wondering.

from Jill 346 days ago #

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Those who think independently of the herd are the ones most likely to find their niche.

Not sure about their niche, but they'll definitely have a chance to prosper. Unfortunately, people like that are so very few and far between in this world. It seems it's mostly easier for people to just go along with what everyone else is saying.

from SpostareDuro 346 days ago # - show/hide this comment

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"Unfortunately, people like that are so very few and far between in this world."
Yup.
"It seems it's mostly easier for people to just go along with what everyone else is saying."
Sadly, yes. But, to their loss and anothers gain. The rich get richer..well, you know the rest.

from Kimota 346 days ago #

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Thanks for spinning this Kim. And I agree with you both. It is the herd mentality that can actually damage the internet as an information source. The democratic web is just as distorted as real democracy.

from jmaulson 346 days ago #

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And will that trend continue to increase?

Digg-feature driven serps personalized
further (ie based on your click-stream data
and purchase history :)
could reinforce any and every BS one believes.

from IncrediBILL 344 days ago #

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"Truth is too frequently discarded."

Case in point, your comment which was on the money was voted down, like mine will be as well.

Whether it's the truth that hurts or it's just an unpopular opinion, the result is the same.

from Phil 344 days ago #

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"people like that are so very few and far between in this world"

I wouldn't class the behavior of lateral thinking as a trait only carried by some people, I would rather class it as a trait that occurs in all people when they feel the need arise.

It is healthy to have a balance of instinct, or where the instinct lacks, a routine that err's both directions. To have a stringent approach to all problems, based only on what you know, sometimes gets things done, while other occassions call for an abandonment of logic and embrace of free thought.

When deciding what information to believe on the internet, I'm sure an acquired sense for the art of bullsh*t is a handy tool to possess. A "Spidey sense" as it were.

Thoughts on the post:

I hate that moment when clicking away from reading an article, mid formulating a strategy for whatever I'm doing, and at the last second, seeing that the date reads three years ago. That is the point when my disposition visibly sags.

As Edmund Blackadder once said, "Sir walter Raleigh is an utter birk".

"The Matrix' may not be such an unreal idea after all"

My brain will never be able to organise the information of the multiverse as the internet can, unless I have memory implants installed at some point, so I need the "hive" don't I? Otherwise my brain augment would make a cool manga cartoon :)