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I got an e-mail from a friend yesterday. I guess its been making its way around the internet. I don't want to start a religious debate, so I will not go into detail on what it was about. But the subject is getting a lot of people all fired up. Making a lot of people angry. So I did my own investigating, which literally took only seconds. It turns out this e-mail thats been going has been greatly exagerated. I sent a reply to my friend with a link to the info I found so he could see the true facts. So here are 2 questions I have to ask.
1. Why do people use the internet to spread the wrong information? Information that does absolutely no good and causes nothing but trouble.
2. Why is it so easy for us to believe something when we see it on the internet?
Sorry for the rant. And I would love to share my views and talk about the subject of my rant. But it has to do with a very controversial subject and I don't want to start fights here.
1)Because it's so easy both to start and to keep rolling, whether your intentions are good or bad.
2)Because we are gullible, especially when it's something we want to believe.
I get many emails bashing Obama (for one example) decrying that he committed this or that offense or gaffe, etc. Well over 95% of the time a quick snopes check disproves the inflammatory nature of the content and I send a link back to the original sender.
Some have gotten the hint and quit sending to me. Some claim in their email thet "snopes confirms" without posting a link which is a dead giveaway to double check their "facts".
I never believe what someone sends, especially if the material is inflammatory in any way.
1. Why do people use the internet to spread the wrong information? Information that does absolutely no good and causes nothing but trouble.
Because suspicion, mistrust, fear & anger are the easiest things to pander to, then manipulate to one's advantage. Those advantages being money & power. Its much harder to appeal to the postive nature of things.
Originally Posted by Icefan71
2. Why is it so easy for us to believe something when we see it on the internet?
Nothing more than human nature. You want to believe what you want to believe.
I probably would not bet my life on snopes, but they do tend to produce some apparently credible sources with many of their "investigations".
Just the time and effort they put into providing researching the story and the depth to which they go to explain the background of the story gives them more credibility that the average wing-nut site.
I doubt that they are infallible, but I generally accept their version of the story, especially when backed by quotes from cited sources.
Well, just because "Snopes" says it isn't so. . . . does that mean that it isn't so? How are 'they' the authority????
Just WHO put them in charge of "The Internet" truth department??
I mean. . . surely SOME of this stuff is true!
Therefor. . . after all. . . it IS "The" internet.
Just like in "The Wizard of OZ", is "Snopes" the "all knowing OZ"???
Nah.
Now, just what did I do with that sarcasm light?? I forgot where I put it, so, I couldn't turn it on before I posted.