Are you getting sick of social media and online forums?

eeguy

I was listening to the Joe Rogan podcast and he was interviewing Dan Carlin, who has a very popular politics podcast.

He made a point that it's become almost impossible to have a measured discussion about almost anything as people can't even agree on basic facts. We live in an environment of fake news, alternative facts, doublespeak and the illusion of truth where absolutely everything can and is challenged.

On top of that we have competing and self defeating agendas, SJWs, virtue signallers, whatabouterers, right wingers, left wingers, conservatives, liberals, snowflakes and more and more labels being invented daily.

Personally I've stopped reading comments on theJournal, stay out of most forums on Boards to do with politics, social welfare, social commentary and the economy. Twitter is a total no-go zone and I've all but cut out facebook. Even a few years ago there was lively and interesting debate but those times have long past it seems.

Does anyone just get sick of it all? Are online forums just turning into a cesspool of people trying to outdo each other, and extremes from both sides of the debate trying to shout the loudest? Are there any ways to restore some balance and decency to these discussions?

The Horse Said Woof

Some sites are better than others. Facebook is very hit and miss. With twitters character limit it limits discourse. Some forums and comment sections will be better and worse than others, mainly because of the type of people a certain site may attracts and how the site is run and moderated.

Mint Sauce

eeguy wrote: »

I was listening to the Joe Rogan podcast and he was interviewing Dan Carlin, who has a very popular politics podcast.

He made a point that it's become almost impossible to have a measured discussion about almost anything as people can't even agree on basic facts. We live in an environment of fake news, alternative facts, doublespeak and the illusion of truth where absolutely everything can and is challenged.

On top of that we have competing and self defeating agendas, SJWs, virtue signallers, whatabouterers, right wingers, left wingers, conservatives, liberals, snowflakes and more and more labels being invented daily.

Personally I've stopped reading comments on theJournal, stay out of most forums on Boards to do with politics, social welfare, social commentary and the economy. Twitter is a total no-go zone and I've all but cut out facebook. Even a few years ago there was lively and interesting debate but those times have long past it seems.

Does anyone just get sick of it all? Are online forums just turning into a cesspool of people trying to outdo each other, and extremes from both sides of the debate trying to shout the loudest? Are there any ways to restore some balance and decency to these discussions?

Expecting many 'thanks' for that OP?

JiminyRickets

eeguy wrote: »

I was listening to the Joe Rogan podcast and he was interviewing Dan Carlin, who has a very popular politics podcast.

He made a point that it's become almost impossible to have a measured discussion about almost anything as people can't even agree on basic facts. We live in an environment of fake news, alternative facts, doublespeak and the illusion of truth where absolutely everything can and is challenged.

On top of that we have competing and self defeating agendas, SJWs, virtue signallers, whatabouterers, right wingers, left wingers, conservatives, liberals, snowflakes and more and more labels being invented daily.

Personally I've stopped reading comments on theJournal, stay out of most forums on Boards to do with politics, social welfare, social commentary and the economy. Twitter is a total no-go zone and I've all but cut out facebook. Even a few years ago there was lively and interesting debate but those times have long past it seems.

Does anyone just get sick of it all? Are online forums just turning into a cesspool of people trying to outdo each other, and extremes from both sides of the debate trying to shout the loudest? Are there any ways to restore some balance and decency to these discussions?

Social media is a joke, will be classified as a debilitating disease soon enough, a digital disease. Online forums are okay, simply because they aren't social.

The whole internet will cease to exist in its current form, instead becoming a glorified library of information with no personal interaction whatsoever. And then all the bumholes and freaks will shrink back into the darkness from whence they came, and normal people will be allowed live in a bit more peace and quiet again.

Don Kiddick

Balls to the lot of 'em

eeguy

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Expecting many 'thanks' for that OP?

I'm expecting some measured discussion. Feel free to contribute.

Biggest lickspittle on boardz

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Expecting many 'thanks' for that OP?

Says the guy with over 26,000 posts. :rolleyes:

dxhound2005

eeguy wrote: »

I'm expecting some measured discussion. Feel free to contribute.

Are you sure you chose the right forum?

me_irl

So... let me get this straight.

You want to debate online, about how we're not able to debate online any more.

...


......

u ok hun?

_Brian

eeguy wrote: »

I was listening to the Joe Rogan podcast and he was interviewing Dan Carlin, who has a very popular politics podcast.

He made a point that it's become almost impossible to have a measured discussion about almost anything as people can't even agree on basic facts. We live in an environment of fake news, alternative facts, doublespeak and the illusion of truth where absolutely everything can and is challenged.

On top of that we have competing and self defeating agendas, SJWs, virtue signallers, whatabouterers, right wingers, left wingers, conservatives, liberals, snowflakes and more and more labels being invented daily.

Personally I've stopped reading comments on theJournal, stay out of most forums on Boards to do with politics, social welfare, social commentary and the economy. Twitter is a total no-go zone and I've all but cut out facebook. Even a few years ago there was lively and interesting debate but those times have long past it seems.

Does anyone just get sick of it all? Are online forums just turning into a cesspool of people trying to outdo each other, and extremes from both sides of the debate trying to shout the loudest? Are there any ways to restore some balance and decency to these discussions?

I think the experience is guided by the reason you visiting such sites.

If your going for facts and engaging discussion in any sort of respectful manner then I’d say your going to be disappointed.

If your going on sites understanding that many of the opinions that are being garnered as fact are indeed the ramblings of a group of people who may at best have a passing understanding of the topic - you’ll be less disappointed.

Also, there is a whole section of society going online looking to be offended, the truth is that the internet isn’t really for these people.

danjo-xx

Members should have to provide a verifiable i.d. as that would soon sort out all the trolls and keyboard warriors.

Mint Sauce

Biggest lickspittle on boardz wrote: »

Says the guy with over 26,000 posts. :rolleyes:

I'm not the lad talking about his issue with social media and internet forums, on what is a Social Media/Forum Site.

:P

JiminyRickets

danjo-xx wrote: »

Members should have to provide a verifiable i.d. as that would soon sort out all the trolls and keyboard warriors.

That would only get rid of the jokers. The real problem are the "true believers"

dxhound2005

Down a long dark lane away from ye all in a village at the End of the Universe.

Do they issue ID's there?

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

_Brian

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Down a long dark lane away from ye all in a village at the End of the Universe.

Do they issue ID's there?

No we don’t.

Snotty

I think Twitter is really the problem, people lose their sh1t over the most inconsequential remarks or failed attempts of humour, it's almost like a parody but their just not "in" on the joke. Hate campaigns start over perfectly legitimate opinions or beliefs and it's really just people whoring themselves for followers or likes.

RobbingBandit

Yeah a wee bit might start talking to the cats and pigeons instead.

wylo

Ironically it used be a joke when people referred to Wikipedia as their source of knowledge. Now it’s probably most reliable, balanced , impartial and unbiased source of knowledge about any topic there is online. All it’s content has academic references and it’s non profit. Mainly because the dumbasses couldn’t be bothered becoming editors.

People talk about the negative side of regulation. But we forget why it started. I’d love if content online was regulated.

Oh and yea stay a million miles from journal.ie comments

eeguy

Snotty wrote: »

I think Twitter is really the problem, people lose their sh1t over the most inconsequential remarks or failed attempts of humour, it's almost like a parody but their just not "in" on the joke. Hate campaigns start over perfectly legitimate opinions or beliefs and it's really just people whoring themselves for followers or likes.

Twitter is just awful.
What's worse is how it's relied on as a news source. Totally unverified, unproven, opinionated comments being used as the basis of factual journalism is dangerous.

And when journos find out they've been duped, their articles are quietly edited with no tracebility.

I'm pro net-neutrality, but I'd welcome regulation of any website that provides "factual" information to it's readers.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

MilesMorales1

I'm sick of social media, not necessarily forums and the like. Seems much harder to have a balanced opinion or discussion on facebook and the like, least with the people I know. I tend to be left wing leaning, but when a discussion by anything is dominated by 'communism is inevitable' all men are evil' 'all white people are evil' etc etc, and any attempts to refute those points gets you shouted down, it all gets a bit tiresome.

donegaLroad

I rely on social media for my work, especially Twitter. I do not get involved in political debate on Twitter or Facebook. The posts I put up on Facebook are usually humour, and harmless banter with old friends.

Twitter is different, I find it really useful for doing business.

I used to get involved in political debate on boards, especially during the Lisbon Treaty, NAMA and Anglo, but it was a futile waste of time.

bobsman

I only use FB as social media but it's seriously getting me down lately. Had a bad break up recently so part of the "healing" was avoiding it. However, I def think FB is a dying breed or maybe at 44, I'm too old??

Instagram is something I personally loathe . Just don't get it at all and def seems to be geared towards younger folk !

However, I have found Boards invaluable to me over the years. Some wise members out there

Del.Monte

I despise ****e like Twitter especially when supposed 'grown-ups/world leaders' like Trump, May, Varadkar seem to think it's statesman like to use it to address the masses. I use Facebook - I have three accounts and eight friends in total - I had more but defriended them all and gave them my email/phone number instead where appropriate. I use Facebook for research and you have to be on it to access many other pages.

One of the worst social media (?) sites is YouTube which, while being a fantastic resource, is filled with racism and bad language in the comments never mind the content of many videos. YouTube needs far better moderation both on content and comments. It should be made more difficult to sign-up in the first place so that people if banned would not bother trying to re-reg.

buried

Don't have facebook, twitter or any of that. This place is grand though, I enjoy looking at and using the various forum sections here on boards. I also enjoy seeing and reading posts of viewpoints that I would'nt agree with, it's good not to exist in a echo chamber and it is also good not to attack every little thing you see that you don't agree with. I know from certain threads and discussions the political leanings of some posters here that I would not agree with but I also know from other threads those exact same posters are sound people I could enjoy a pint and a laugh with. The mixture and difference of debate here is a good thing. For all of its faults I feel like here is probably one of the last places on the internet that mixture is happening as more and more different factions, both cultural and political, retreat into their own online echo chambers.
And like bobsman said there above, there is a lot of wise members on here contributing to different forums and subjects that are a great free resource to gaining further actual knowledge to other people interested in those different subjects. That is great thing up on here and shows just how the internet can be used to move forward a proper healthy functioning society.

bobsman

Janes Blunt was a legend on Twitter he's very quiet lately!

keith_sixteen

eeguy wrote: »

Twitter is just awful.
What's worse is how it's relied on as a news source. Totally unverified, unproven, opinionated comments being used as the basis of factual journalism is dangerous.

And when journos find out they've been duped, their articles are quietly edited with no tracebility.

I'm pro net-neutrality, but I'd welcome regulation of any website that provides "factual" information to it's readers.

Spot on. In addition, to make things worse, it's given a lot of credibility by the way people act.

Have a look at Cyrus Christie getting abuse after the Denmark game. How is abuse on twitter any different from getting abuse from some muppet in the stands.

Twitter is given such a degree of credibility and weight, it beggars belief.

AllForIt

I'm on a number of tech forums such as xda. I find them all great sources of information and thus of great value to my education and knowledge. Tech forum are great, you ask a question and get an expert answer. That's amazing really. Same-as on boards. Noone needs to be sick of what's on offer, if you don't like it don't engage in it. The internet brings choice so just choose what your interested in and ignore the rest. Don't see a problem really.

Atoms for Peace

Interesting essay written in 1994 when social media wasn't really a thing like today but now seems prophetic:

"when i went into cyberspace i went into it thinking that it was a place like any other place and that it would be a human interaction like any other human interaction. i was wrong when i thought that. it was a terrible mistake......"
https://gist.github.com/kolber/2131643

ahnowbrowncow

keith_sixteen wrote: »

Spot on. In addition, to make things worse, it's given a lot of credibility by the way people act.

Have a look at Cyrus Christie getting abuse after the Denmark game. How is abuse on twitter any different from getting abuse from some muppet in the stands.

Twitter is given such a degree of credibility and weight, it beggars belief.

It's not just twitter, it's seems to be most media now.

I've stopped listening to the Matt Cooper show as he has journalists on for the first hour or so now just giving their opinions as if it's fact, on whatever topic, and they're very rarely challenged.

CalamariFritti

Yes to all of the above. What we thought was possibly going to be another revolution - like giving everyone an equal voice in an equal medium - turned out to be the greatest disappointment ever. Because apparently most people are either plain fkn stupid or dickheads or both. What social media really shows us is what a sorry mess we are. So I'm out. A bit of boards is all I can muster these days and even there I have to be very selective.

AllForIt

CalamariFritti wrote: »

Yes to all of the above. What we thought was possibly going to be another revolution - like giving everyone an equal voice in an equal medium - turned out to be the greatest disappointment ever. Because apparently most people are either plain fkn stupid or dickheads or both. What social media really shows us is what a sorry mess we are. So I'm out. A bit of boards is all I can muster these days and even there I have to be very selective.

But isn't this knowledge valuable in itself. What I mean is is that we now know ppl are thick or stupid or dickheads or whatever.

bobsman

I like th odd bit of banter on FB but mostly it's ridiculous nonsense :mad: