Truth Decay

[Dahnsouff]

Yeah, dumb term, but I think this is may be a genuine concern and unless we take careful steps to counter it, we may see more ideologically divisive populations in the west as we move forward

 

Obama has his view

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-54946926

 

And a bit more https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay.html#:~:text=“Truth Decay” is the diminishing reliance on facts,and civic institutions%2C and uncertainty over U.S. policy.

 

What say you?

 

[leicsmac]

Kojima called it two decades ago. Especially the last couple of paragraphs.

 

Edited 16 November 2020 by leicsmac

[Dahnsouff]

Interesting read @leicsmac but it stings to read, as the seeming correctness of it coupled with a slight shame at being in agreement with some facets of the reasoning. 

[Izzy]

I read the title as Tooth Decay 

[Aus Fox]

19 minutes ago, Izzy said:

I read the title as Tooth Decay 

You’re eyes are better than mine, I thought it was Troy Deeney

[Babylon]

1 hour ago, Dahnsouff said:

Yeah, dumb term, but I think this is may be a genuine concern and unless we take careful steps to counter it, we may see more ideologically divisive populations in the west as we move forward

 

Obama has his view

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-54946926

 

And a bit more https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay.html#:~:text=“Truth Decay” is the diminishing reliance on facts,and civic institutions%2C and uncertainty over U.S. policy.

 

What say you?

 

It's scary, I've touched on it a few times in various threads. But I'm seeing so many people I know, who are far from idiots, being influenced by the absolute shite being peddled online, disguised as "truth". 

 

Social media companies have got to step up, the tide of misinformation and bots promoting it is now out of hand. It's finding an audience and politicians and Bannon, Hopkins and 1000 other names are then exploiting that for their own ends. 

 

This has always happened to a lesser extent, with the leanings of certain newspapers or TV channels to influence. But this has snowballed and it's getting dangerous. 

[Innovindil]

Always said the internet was the best and worst human creation. 

 

With the cat out of the bag, can't see a way it's stopped though. You can ban/censor whatever you want but it will just pop up somewhere else, probably worse than before. See reddit banning the_donald subreddit and where that collection of idiots ended up for a recent example. Now safe in their censor free echo chamber, they can continue to think the way they do without any challenge at all. 

[leicsmac]

1 hour ago, Dahnsouff said:

Interesting read @leicsmac but it stings to read, as the seeming correctness of it coupled with a slight shame at being in agreement with some facets of the reasoning. 

Yeah, the character saying it is a rogue AI which has taken over the world with hardly anyone noticing, which is of course a horrifically undesirable outcome, but the points it makes about digital information propagation are spot on today.

[Dahnsouff]

1 hour ago, Babylon said:

It's scary, I've touched on it a few times in various threads. But I'm seeing so many people I know, who are far from idiots, being influenced by the absolute shite being peddled online, disguised as "truth". 

 

Social media companies have got to step up, the tide of misinformation and bots promoting it is now out of hand. It's finding an audience and politicians and Bannon, Hopkins and 1000 other names are then exploiting that for their own ends. 

 

This has always happened to a lesser extent, with the leanings of certain newspapers or TV channels to influence. But this has snowballed and it's getting dangerous. 

It is. One could argue that the rise of cynicism coupled with social media meant this was inevitable. Although it is clear a single point of agreed truth is now likely forever out of reach, currently any points of even partial truth (Such as once trusted outlets) are becoming lost in a tide of derision, alternate truths or conspiracy theories.

 

Bit grim really, or maybe its just a getting old thing  

[ozleicester]

old news 

[rachhere]

3 hours ago, Izzy said:

I read the title as Tooth Decay 

Likewise! I was like 'what's going on, why is Obama so concerned about this all of a sudden!'

[Dahnsouff]

45 minutes ago, ozleicester said:

old news 

Yet still painfully relevant

[foxile5]

The thing is that any discussion is shutting the gate after the facts have voted. We are in a post-truth society.

 

Senior figures are using the phrase 'alternative facts' with straight faces and I fear that any absolute truth is irrevocably gone. It no longer matters that the sky is blue because there are personalities that will argue otherwise and echo chambers to amplify it.

 

 

[Sampson]

7 hours ago, leicsmac said:

Kojima called it two decades ago. Especially the last couple of paragraphs.

 

That takes me back.

I remember when that game came out, a few of us in the place I used to work were really excited about it at the time it came out. Then when we all played it, it absolutely screwed with everyone's minds at the time, don't think anyone had seen a computer game like that before and no one at the time had a clue what all that was about.

I guess now looking back it all makes perfect sense and it's incredible someone wrote all that pre-9/11. I guess we hadn't quite understood what the internet and the "digitised age" would become, but so much of it makes perfect sense now and is quite on the nose.

[Pliskin]

6 hours ago, Babylon said:

It's scary, I've touched on it a few times in various threads. But I'm seeing so many people I know, who are far from idiots, being influenced by the absolute shite being peddled online, disguised as "truth". 

 

Social media companies have got to step up, the tide of misinformation and bots promoting it is now out of hand. It's finding an audience and politicians and Bannon, Hopkins and 1000 other names are then exploiting that for their own ends. 

 

This has always happened to a lesser extent, with the leanings of certain newspapers or TV channels to influence. But this has snowballed and it's getting dangerous. 

Social media is the beginning of the end for me..... All of a sudden cultures that stayed thousands of miles apart but for summer holidays, sitcoms, the news and sports are thrown into a melting pot together and it has caused a catalog of chaos.... Some of the bollocks I see on social media is a sorry reflection on today's society and we seem to be unwittingly digging our own grave as a race..... 

 

There is far too much information up for grabs instantly, and as you pointed out all kinds of people are being swindled by others (influences) peddling their bullshit for the world to see. Life has been over complicated to the point that some people literally have no idea what to believe, unless they see a post on instagram confirming their bias.

 

I think we've lost control of our online presence, and it is descending into anarchy, it will only be a matter of time before someone hits the "big red button". 

[Trav Le Bleu]

[leicsmac]

Nearly five years later... and pretty much every worst fear about the very idea of truth being subverted has come to pass. 

 

The latest posts in the Gen Chat thread regarding the ME and Epstein show just how effectively those willing to abuse power are using the idea of "alternative facts" and making the objective appear subjective in order to keep abusing that power. 

[Paninistickers]

On 16/11/2020 at 16:11, Trav Le Bleu said:

 

[grobyfox1990]

It's so bad it's funny now. Especially the anti-UK right wing bots on Twitter. Constant posts on 'this is why I'll be leaving the UK to Dubai soon, let's compare tax burdens...'

A) It's all untrue

B) You are talking to anxiety-ridden middle class numpties who have been working for the same employer for over a decade, and will never have the balls to leave their 50 mile radius, never mind move to another country!!!

[CornwallFox]

Trump sacks intelligence chief following intelligence report saying Iran's nuclear programme only put back a few months. 

 

Follows him sacking a statistics head after it was shown there was a jobs slow down.

 

Yet still the maga masses think it's others covering things up.

[leicsmac]

"Power doesn't come from a badge or a gun. Power comes outta LYING and lying BIG and getting the whole damn world to play along with you. Once you got everybody agreeing with what they know in their hearts ain't true, you got 'em trapped." - Senator Roark, Sin City

[when_you're_smiling]

Genuinely clicked on this thinking it was a new name in the transfer forum. 

[VLC86]

18 minutes ago, when_you're_smiling said:

Genuinely clicked on this thinking it was a new name in the transfer forum. 

Clicked on the thread wondering why someone opened a thread about their dodgy teeth 😂

[bovril]

A lot of what the English complain is misinformation about their country circling online is basically what their press and politicians have said about other countries since forever. 

[whoareyaaa]

Obviously there is a deeper work at play and they push the narratives, we are just slaves to higher up if you think about it.

 

Just look at the trans stuff you have got celebs with kids as young as 10 changing there identity this has been pushed by some elites, this shit was not happening 10 years ago

Edited 30 August 2025 by whoareyaaa