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Do you trust online commentary to gauge opinion?

Robsweezie

for example, looking at comments on social media for opinions on a topic, which are the most liked,up voted whatever... do you think its a fair reflection of the views of irish society and beyond?

I would think so, apart from trolls, its as good a medium as any.

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Ms Doubtfire1

probably quite accurate as pretty much every person of voting age has a social media account of some shape or form.

seamus

No. The vast majority of comments on social media (facebook, twitter and comments underneath articles) are those who are very self-assured in their opinions and not willing to engage in actual discussion on the topic.

In reality most people aren't that solid in their position on topics and while willing to discuss them, are not very open to discussing them in a wide open public arena like a comments section on social media.

Especially when virtually any opinion, no matter how innocuous or light-hearted, is likely to receive replies recommending that one violently places things in their anus or lamenting that your mother didn't get an abortion when she was pregnant.

Dirty Dingus McGee

No.This place for example is full of extremes and the silent majority couldn't be bothered arguing with these type of people a lot of the time.

DefinitelyMarc

Depends on where the online commentary is coming from and the subject.

Strangely enough, I've found a few folks on Facebook (Irish folk) that are big Trump fans. No Hilary fans, but a lot of anti-Trump ones.

I have a weird friend-list on Facebook.

uch

I find most online reports and commentary to be bulsh?t, facebook being the prime example

red ears

Robsweezie wrote: »

for example, looking at comments on social media for opinions on a topic, which are the most liked,up voted whatever... do you think its a fair reflection of the views of irish society and beyond?

I would think so, apart from trolls, its as good a medium as any.

No because far to many people are sheep and are very easily influenced by the opinions of others, the media and famous people. Quite often unaware they are being manipulated by vested interests.

[Deleted User]

No, there's massive manipulation on pretty much every site.

Pac1Man

I only read comments that have 7 thanks and above, apart from the OP of course.

c_man

Do you trust online commentary to gauge opinion?

Yes, which perfectly explains why Sinn Fein have an absolute majority in the Dail (and have done for the past 10 years).

.......

This post has been deleted.

Jayop

c_man wrote: »

Yes, which perfectly explains why Sinn Fein have an absolute majority in the Dail (and have done for the past 10 years).

Considering the vast majority of posting in any SF related thread here is anti-SF I think your comment is miles wide of the mark.

Fathom

Robsweezie wrote: »

for example, looking at comments on social media for opinions on a topic, which are the most liked,up voted whatever... do you think its a fair reflection of the views of irish society and beyond?

Opinions are opinions. Subjective. Thereby limited. If provide data that can be checked, more useful. If not, caution.

mahamageehad

In general with online debates, the most vocal people tend to take extreme positions and then attempt to tear strips off each other. If you just read social media or forums or any other type of online commentary you would take the false impression that most people have very defined opinions on specific topics, when in reality a lot of people don't care enough to have an opinion unless the issue affects them directly.

Things like Facebook promote this a little more because people tend to gravitate towards people that think like them, therefore most of the articles or posts shared on these networks actually just affirm your current position.

Senna

Definitely not. Social media opinions aren't even the persons real opinion most of the time, it's just populist whoring.

Yourself isit

....... wrote: »

No.

Social media and/or the comment sections in places like thejournal.ie are not real.

In fact id be inclined to say that a lot of online commentary is made by a very vocal and in some cases psychotic minority.

A good recent example of this was the marriage equality referendum. It passed by a good majority, yet online there seemed to be a huge amount of very vocal homophobic comments ranging from worried opinions about gay people adopting children to threats of the collapse of society as we know it.

This very site had threads absolutely full of vitriolic and offensive homophobes spouting horrendous hate speech. Yet not once in real life did I ever meet anyone who expressed such opinions.

There are no consequences to spouting hate, being offensive, and generally being an ar$ehole online - hence it attracts a lot of people who want to behave that way but cant in real life.

You got any links to those comments. I didn't participate in those threads but did peruse them and didn't notice much homophobia (besides the opposition to gay marriage itself)

Arghus

No.

Annasopra

Senna wrote: »

Definitely not. Social media opinions aren't even the persons real opinion most of the time, it's just populist whoring.

But sure a lot of the time they are not even people. Just computer programmed bots.

snowflaker

No way.

Annasopra

Yourself isit wrote: »

You got any links to those comments. I didn't participate in those threads but did peruse them and didn't notice much homophobia (besides the opposition to gay marriage itself)

Thejournal.ie and boards.ie tend to moderate the extreme hate speech so there wouldnt be many links when it has been moderated.

For Forks Sake

Jayop wrote: »

Considering the vast majority of posting in any SF related thread here is anti-SF I think your comment is miles wide of the mark.

Go the thejournal, read the comments below most politics-related stories, report back.

Beyondgone

Robsweezie wrote: »

for example, looking at comments on social media for opinions on a topic, which are the most liked,up voted whatever... do you think its a fair reflection of the views of irish society and beyond?

I would think so, apart from trolls, its as good a medium as any.

An average, hugely "popular" Boards post gets 100-500 "Thanks". That's 100-500 people. Out of 4,500,000. The other 4,499,500 couldn't give a hoot about that opinion. Boards is grand, I like Boards, I always did, but it's a tiny micro-environment. Ok, it's filled with the best, cleverest people who actually have something to say, and are capable of actually posting it -and in AH, they're generally witty too, but it's tiny. FB is much the same. It's worldwide. 100,000 people "like" a post. The other 7 billion give not a fcuk. It's tiny.

Probably because the rest are too much stunned mullet to have an opinion, let alone post one.

Senna

Beyondgone wrote: »

. Ok, it's filled with the best, cleverest people who actually have something to say, and are capable of actually posting it -and in AH, they're generally witty too.

Where is this forum you speak of??

[Deleted User]

No I'm capable of making up my own mind. I do wonder now that younger people don't read as much newspapers how do they receive a broad enough range of opinions.

Capt'n Midnight

Way too much astrotuffing

wakka12

Maybe but people act differently in real life. Im sure racism/antimuslim sentiment is a lot stronger online, as its simply not socially acceptable to say a lot of the stuff thats said in those terrorist attack/immigration threads in real life. But obviously a lot of people must think it, even if they don't say it in person

mikemac2

David Norris would have won the presidency by a landslide if boards.ie decided things. Luckily for the state it does not

Hank Scorpio

Robsweezie wrote: »

for example, looking at comments on social media for opinions on a topic, which are the most liked,up voted whatever... do you think its a fair reflection of the views of irish society and beyond?

I would think so, apart from trolls, its as good a medium as any.

No, what generally happens is people find a site or forum with other like minded people and live in that bubble. It's the same thing here on boards, if you have a differing opinion on certain subs you get swarmed upon and labeled names by most of the regular posters. You can tell there's some good honest posters but it's not enough to make you stick around.

The above is happening so much now that legacy media is becoming far less dominant and influential.

Persephone kindness

Robsweezie wrote: »

for example, looking at comments on social media for opinions on a topic, which are the most liked,up voted whatever... do you think its a fair reflection of the views of irish society and beyond?

I would think so, apart from trolls, its as good a medium as any.

Hi Robsweezie. It's an interesting question.

I don't no. Online opinion is often formed by group think. People will think differently as individuals.

People have mentioned things Such as Norris Running for president. And while I think he is a wonderful man in many ways I understand why people might not have voted for him. But in commentating on him online. People can be moved to say something more favorable. Particularly if undecided. I don't mean they are suppressing themselves. It's just in reality people are less political in life and less polarizing.

Online is a search engine filter. Different forums or media reflect differently. I am filtered by my preferences.

The way a question is asked can affect an answer.

Persephone kindness

Hank Scorpio wrote: »

No, what generally happens is people find a site or forum with other like minded people and live in that bubble. It's the same thing here on boards, if you have a differing opinion on certain subs you get swarmed upon and labeled names by most of the regular posters. You can tell there's some good honest posters but it's not enough to make you stick around.

The above is happening so much now that legacy media is becoming far less dominant and influential.

The bubble is stronger online and less influenced by information supported by reality. It's prone to over emotional reactions and over dramatization.

Brendan Bendar

Deleted User wrote: »

No, there's massive manipulation on pretty much every site.

Absolutely..... No way would I trust social media as a barometer of people's opinions.