The Link Generation

Hagar

I always thought the forums here were for discussion. Everywhere you go on boards somebody seems to demand a link from another poster to back up something that has been said. How many people would go on the same way in a normal conversation down the pub or wherever? Would they shout down people who can't instantly put their hands on facts and figures as they do here on boards? Do these people bring wi-fi laptops everywhere with them in case they have to back up somthing they say or want to challenge someone? Or perhaps they make do with a set of encyclpaediae secreted abouted their person for just such an occasion?

Whatever happened to taking people as being genuine? Maybe not 100% correct all the time but at least holding an honest viewpoint based on their own experience.

Fair enough links do provide a useful role in some ways but I feel they are becoming an end in themselves rather than a means to an end. Are we raising a whole generation of Wiki-Slaves? I am beginning to hate these link monkeys.

Beruthiel

Hagar wrote:

How many people would go on the same way in a normal conversation down the pub or wherever? Would they shout down people who can't instantly put their hands on facts and figures as they do here on boards?.

where's the link to prove they don't hagar?!

Hagar

Sadly you're probably right there. No link though so I can't be sure.;)

Beruthiel

pas bien!

Hagar

Hagar wrote:

I always thought the forums here were for discussion. Everywhere you go on boards somebody seems to demand a link from another poster to back up something that has been said. How many people would go on the same way in a normal conversation down the pub or wherever? Would they shout down people who can't instantly put their hands on facts and figures as they do here on boards? Do these people bring wi-fi laptops everywhere with them in case they have to back up somthing they say or want to challenge someone? Or perhaps they make do with a set of encyclpaediae secreted abouted their person for just such an occasion?

Whatever happened to taking people as being genuine? Maybe not 100% correct all the time but at least holding an honest viewpoint based on their own experience.

Fair enough links do provide a useful role in some ways but I feel they are becoming an end in themselves rather than a means to an end. Are we raising a whole generation of Wiki-Slaves? I am beginning to hate these link monkeys.

When you're face to face with someone in the pub or where ever you are, you can see them, and judge their sincerity (although I'm gullible as ****, and always fall for the easy ones). On Bulletin Boards, you can't see their faces, and can't judge for yourself whether they're lying or not.

Unfortuently there's alot of people on the net that like to embellish or make stuff up about "facts".

Archeron

link monkeys, Ha! Phrase of the day. I will endeavour to use that at least 5 times in conversation today.

Morrigan

You can't trust much of what you find on the internet, anyway.
See :
http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue10_12/cohen/
http://practical-tech.com/lies_damned_lies_and_the_internet?PHPSESSID=747cc7c1e86cc5bca97ffd4c17cada85

sorry sorry i just had to

Hagar

The Link Monkey Bible

I debate a lot in another forum and people come out with the most absurd crap. Asking for at least a link makes sure we know whether we're wasting our time and they're just lying, or not.
I suppose the line between a normal argument and a debate online gets a little blurred

It's the way we are now.. we need evidence for everything. But it could also have something to do with the fact that, before the advent of the internet, your communication and correspondence with other people was limited. Not only that but you had to take things for face value

Binomate

Is there something wrong with asking for a link to a source of information? If I were having a serrious debate in a pub with mates I'd ask them where they got their information from if what they were saying sounded rediculous. Same thing on the net.

Hagar

Binomate wrote:

Is there something wrong with asking for a link to a source of information?

Do you believe every source quoted? The web is so anarchic that I'm sure that there is a least one site to back up every point of view.

Binomate

Hagar wrote:

Do you believe every source quoted? The web is so anarchic that I'm sure that there is a least one site to back up every point of view.

No, hence why I have no problem with people asking for links to sources. If you can provide a source of information you can judge for yourself how relyable the source is and whether or not the person is making it up. Sometimes people will state rumour as fact.

Dave!

Yeah that annoys the sh!t out of me...

Hobbes

Hagar wrote:

Do you believe every source quoted? The web is so anarchic that I'm sure that there is a least one site to back up every point of view.

You know I used to post on politics my opinion but it annoyed certain people so much (in that they thought I was lying) that I would be routinely asked for a link to sources. Which I gave.

After that I do the same. There is a valid reason behind it.
1. What you are saying the people have never heard before. They want to see your sources you are basing this on.
2. If it is a well known fact then 5 seconds in google will generally pick it up, so it is something in particular that they can't find which you could save time on educating them.
3. The person could be chancing thier arm.
4. The person may of read a site and misread what it said.

The chancers are the ones to catch out with this as they will claim someone as fact when eventually pressed for sources to read up on the incident you find it is not facts at all but completely made up.

On the net you have the chance to straight off debunk stuff like this and stop it spreading as rumours which may have damaging effect.

Personally though I don't treat it as an accusation and more of the person wants to learn more about what I have said.

biko

Like Hobbes said, you need to provide linkage so as to prove that your claims are substantiated, see this conversation for an example. If the links are to a site such as BBC or CNN then it's like showing them an article in a newspaper, no?
Of course you can argue that CNN or BBC are twisting facts etc but that's a different kettle altogether.