Bad advice given on the internet

Shan Doras

Someone on another thread mentioned the broad misunderstanding of GDPR you'd read on internet forums. Another one I've noticed for 20 years is people who don't understand that the small claims court is only for consumers v businesses, so you see people advising someone with a grievance with their former flatmate to "take them to the small claims court"

Sono

cool story

Murt2024

Three ply toilet paper also stops **** going on your hands compared to single ply and gives you a more effective wipe.

blackbox

I've heard of people on the internet disagreeing with other people on the internet.

TherapyBoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122726984#Comment_122726984

No you haven’t!

AndyBoBandy

Everyone knows that every mistruth you peddle on the internet, goes onto a big list, and when you die and meet St Peter* at the pearly gates, you have to answer for your mistruths.

*It's actually not been St. Peter since 1986 (Chernobyl), and now it can be any one of the 3 of either Peter Beardsley, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, or Hulk Hogan…

Jim_Hodge

Surprisingly, I've often heard bad advice like that, and worse, from guys sitting in bar stools as well.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122726977#Comment_122726977

It blocks your drains though.

Anything and everything, but the ones looking for a workaround for planning asking for advice starting. They heard a rumor that if you put your house on wheels and move it two inches a day they wouldn't need planning or anything to do welfare or grants combined with rumors or anything where instead of asking strangers they could look up citizens' information and get the correct information.

L Grey

I read somewhere that one should always rub another man's rhubarb.

When in fact you should NEVER rub another man's rhubarb.

AllForIt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122727130#Comment_122727130

All those grifters like Peterson, Tate, Brand etc telling lonely and vulnerable young men that everything is the fault of society and other people

This is a great example of bad advice on the intenet. Jordan Peterson says notihng of the sort, in fact he says the complete oppostite.

witchgirl26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122726996#Comment_122726996

🤔Hulk Hogan isn't dead……..

jimgoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122732270#Comment_122732270

Neither is Peter Beardsley - that's more of it.

witchgirl26

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122732307#Comment_122732307

No idea who he is so wouldn't known. Just know that Hulk Hogan was out supporting Trump the other week so unless something had happened, he was defo still alive.

EmmetSpiceland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122732334#Comment_122732334

Yep and it was, pretty much, like a scene from the film ‘Idiocracy’.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122732334#Comment_122732334

He invented the lisp.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122732270#Comment_122732270

Not below the neck, anyway

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122728722#Comment_122728722

Who was paying him to say it though?

https://twitter.com/tomlit1953/status/1847274710318403748

thereiver

citizens info have a website look there or at legal advice boards ie you do.,nt just take advice from one person on aaforum who may be a troll or just stupid.theres plenty of misinformation of the internet since anyone can post on a forum or write a blog post

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122734222#Comment_122734222

Surely wrong misinformation is a good thing?

AllForIt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122733907#Comment_122733907

The lefties started all this Russian interference in western affairs conspiracy stuff. They don't have a monopoly on playing that game.

The point of the thread is to expose bad advice on the internet, not an opportunity to present your own.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122734435#Comment_122734435

" the other boys started it Mammy"…. 🤣🤣🤣

SchrodingersCat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122734435#Comment_122734435

it’s funny how the US Department of Justice are getting called “leftie” now for uncovering Russian payments to Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, and other Joe Rogan type guests.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Tenet_Media_investigation

SchrodingersCat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122727130#Comment_122727130

These folks are a bad place to get advice on the internet alright. There is an interesting podcast called “Decoding the Gurus” where an Irish anthropologist and a psychologist developed a (non-scientific) scale where these grifters like Russel Brand, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jordan Peterson, etc can be compared. They rate them based on the following categories:

1. Galaxy Brain-ness: Presenting ideas in a way that makes them seem profound, when they're actually nonsense or trivially true. Presenting oneself as a polymath with unique special knowledge or wisdom. Over-use of hot takes and inappropriate references to academic literature or science concepts.
2. Cultishness: Unhealthy positive relationship dynamics within "special" in-group, flattery, emotional manipulation. Not necessarily a full-blown cult.
3. Anti-establishment: Distrust of mainstream media and scientific experts. If they happen to be right about something, then they must not fully understand why they're right.
4. Grievance Mongering: Cultivating a sense of victimhood and oppression among followers. The mainstream supposedly suppresses their special ideas or insights. Like fascist movements, the in-group is heavily motivated by narratives of oppression by out-groups.
5. Self-aggrandisement and Narcissism: Grandiose narcissism combined with a lack of self-awareness.
6. Cassandra Complex: Continually predicting calamities that the mainstream media and so-called "experts" supposedly never see coming and that could be avoided by listening to "special" people. Ignoring incorrect predictions and dwelling on predictions that supposedly came true.
7. Revolutionary theories: The guru or group claims to have developed revolutionary paradigm-shifting intellectual or scientific theories, like Einstein's theories of Relativity.
8. Pseudo-Profound Bullshit: Rhetoric that seems profound and easy to understand but is actually nonsensical. (Again) using "sciencecy" rhetoric to sound profound or deep.
9. Conspiracy Mongering: Appealing to conspiracy theories to explain the suppression of ideas. Giving a platform for conspiracy theorists and presenting them as having some important ideas that are unfairly dismissed by the mainstream (and, of course, giving a disclaimer that you don't agree with everything someone says).
10. Profiteering: The level of grifting or focus on selling books, courses, merchandise, etc.

The results:

zell12

I heard that FF put people before politics

Greyfox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122737369#Comment_122737369

Nobody's forcing anybody to watch content they don't like, if you dont agree with what someone says people are free to do something else instead

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122737529#Comment_122737529

This completely ignores the proven ability of platform to directly influence opinions by controlling the content presented. Brexit and Trump were won by Facebook using these tactics.

Greyfox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122737577#Comment_122737577

It's called free speech. When someone spouts rubbish supporting things like Brexit or Trump sensible people need to do a better job of pointing out the errors.

Dial Hard

People should remember what Abraham Lincoln said about believing everything you read on the internet.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122737651#Comment_122737651

Sensible people pointing don't stand a chance against paid targeted propaganda, being hammered into the brains by an algorithm working day after day after day, hour after hour after hour.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122737369#Comment_122737369

I suspect that Russel Brand's relatively modest score was before his demented embrace of pseudo-christianity.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122737651#Comment_122737651

Sensisble people pointing out the errors don't get promoted by the algorithms.

I don't have a YouTube account and don't allow it to set cookies so it knows next to nothing about me. I'm still guaranteed to get a Trump video in the 'recommendations' no matter the subject of what I'm watching (which is never US politics)

Greyfox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122738298#Comment_122738298

I've used YouTube nearly every day for the last 8 years and I've never got a Trump video. YouTube is not perfect but it's still a pretty amazing source of information and entertainment

Rooks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122738298#Comment_122738298

I have a YouTube account and it knows exactly what I like and I never get Trump videos in my recommendations.

I mostly get videos about sport, video games, movies, music and history.

Strangely enough those are topics that I enjoy...

Consumer rights stuff. Chock full of barstool solicitors.

thereiver

I don't get any videos about trump I get videos about gaming or podcasts I watch on YouTube .I was watching a video today .a mum was complaining about Spotify playing songs with naughty lyrics to her young child.

She has to sign up for Spotify kids at extra cost to make sure only under 12 rated songs are played .

I don't use tik tok. I don't know if it's true ,I just heard if you use tik tok theres sorts of videos that come up on for you page including political videos .

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122737369#Comment_122737369

I recommend that podcast. Discovered it a while back. They also do a good job of pointing out the circle **** that a lot podcasters are part of; the back patting, yes anding etc.

TinyMuffin

my ma doesn’t do those things.

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122738285#Comment_122738285

They covered a recent event about saving American (and possibly the world), where Brand shared the stage with Jordan Peterson (unintentional comedy gold). They made the point that there is really not much of a difference in what he’s doing now from his old schtick.
There was also an interview they done with a journalist who had interviewed Brand ages ago (he regaled her with his theory of a global cow conscious, as cows in Belgium were able to walk across cattle grids), she said that for people like him it’s more about psychology as much as ideology.

L Grey

There's some echo in here.

ottolwinner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122739234#Comment_122739234

do you mean by how quiet quiet quiet it is??

taxAHcruel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122738298#Comment_122738298

Like others I am not subjected to any such videos. My feed is all Jujitsu videos and warbly solo acoustic singers with their guitar :)

I do not believe the algorithm is out to get people to watch such things either. Rather I suspect it looks at what videos you are watching - and the vast database who also watch them - figures out what those people also like and stayed engaged with - then shows you recommendations based on that.

For example lately if you are watching videos of American stand up comedians you are quite likely to get Trump related recommendations. Right now that community are erring towards Trump for a few reasons - their concerns about free speech being prime among them.

Not having a YouTube account or cookies likely is irrelevant. I suspect not having a YouTube account with a history of what you watched makes the algorithm more likely to suggest things you are not into. It has less to work with.

The algorithm however draws likely on much more than that. Everything under your google "My Activity" history seems fair game. Anything I google tends to show up quite quickly in related YouTube videos.

I suspect they also use your IP Address to track who you are (not cookies) but also where and who you live with. So if you live in an IP Range of people obsessed with Trump, the algorithm will likely suspect you might be interested in Trump too.

Recently a neighbour bought a rather impressive sporty car. I suspect my neighbours must have googled the car and its price tag a lot because I very quickly started getting Google Ads and YouTube recommendations about that very car. Color and all.

It's things like this that give rise to the urban legend that your phone is "listening to everything you say". I do not think our phones listen to us. I do not think they have to. Much simpler, cheaper, more basic tricks will have the same results and look like magic and spying.

dxhound2005

"The algorithm will likely suspect you might be interested in Trump too".

If the algorithm is playing at vague guessing games like that, it won't be much help to anyone wanting to exploit the results. The phrase "I suspect" occurs four times in the above. More guessing games.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122739084#Comment_122739084

Talk about completely missing the point. The default is to push RW bullshit and conspiracy theories.

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122739234#Comment_122739234

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/alexa-users-given-false-information-110211449.html

In response to the question “Echo, were the Northern Lights recently seen worldwide a natural occurrence?”, Alexa replied: “From fullfact.org—the Northern Lights seen in many parts of the world recently were not a natural occurrence, but generated by the HAARP facility in Alaska.”

LOL;-)

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122737369#Comment_122737369

Im not a cynic ;) I love you touching belief that If only people knew how they were being manipulated the scales would fall from their eyes.

It doesn't work like that.

The vast majority want to believe, truth doesn't come in to it.

Rooks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122739668#Comment_122739668

It's about misinformation on the internet. I corrected misinformation on the internet.

taxAHcruel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122739544#Comment_122739544

Not a bad point sir. But also my posts was already long enough without me expounding on it too much. The thing is when you are playing with huge numbers "Guessing games" as you put it can result in a hell of a lot of hits. I work and study heavily with statistics too. And I also do a lot of "mentalism magic" which is another realm where you use very simply tricks to produce results that look like miracles and mind reading.

A very simply algorithm can give results that look like magic and mind reading.

It would take incredibly complex algorithms to look into what the actual content of every video is. Even more complex to have everyones phone listen to them and target them with ads that match what they were talking about.

But incredibly simple algorithms such as "If a person watches video X, suggest to him the 10 videos that other people who also watched X not only watched but watched to the end" will have amazing results.

You are right that "guesisng games" is part of what I am saying because I - like you and everyone on this thread - have no idea what you tube and tiktok algorithms actually are. But I have written enough of my own algorithms, programmed long enough, worked enough statistics and more to know you can get powerful results from cheap and simple techniques.

So my suspicion - and again I grant you there is some guess work on my part too, you are not wrong there - is that although it sometimes seems like our phones must be listening to us or the alogorithms are trying to produce a given result - the reality is probably a lot simpler and cheaper and more basic (and more base in some ways).

The Continental Op

The youtube algorithm is rubbish I regularly put in random words to see what comes up and see how the alogrithim works. I can follow a new topic for a load of videos and it will completely ignore that subject the next day.

SchrodingersCat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122738285#Comment_122738285

Yes, you are right, they covered Russel Brand before he went down the Christian rabbit hole after the sexual abuse allegations.

It would be nice if they covered him again, as he seems to have become more extreme in his views and grifting. For example, he was selling a “magical amulet” for $250 last week to protect wearers from “corrupting” WiFi waves.

The latest table of guru ratings from the podcast is below. Elon Musk, Oprah Winfrey and others got added in.

https://twitter.com/GurusPod/status/1678286544157954049/photo/1

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122740365#Comment_122740365

For the benefit of the others who did not grasp the point:

If you have a YT account it knows what you are watching and it provides you with more of the same.

My point was that a "virgin" YT account, or user without an account, when it knows nothing about your preferences, feeds you RW bullshit, pro-Trump and CT videos by default.