Social networks like Digg.com, Twitter and FaceBook sprung up in the twenty-first century and most people thought this was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Most sites started out small and built up a huge user base who could yap till their heart was content.
Now years into the game, social network sites like Digg realize they need to make a buck and monetize the site. The user base revolts with the most ridiculous sissy-pants tactics like flooding Reddit links and “Do the right thing” posts. Users feel like they are some kind of “activists” because they have the power to ruin a site. We see this all the time on Twitter and Facebook as well.
It’s ridiculous when you think of it because the service is free. They are acting as if they paid for a product like a car and the brakes don’t work. Its the shame of our self-entitled generation who thinks everything should be handed out for free and they have complete say.
On another note, a good post about internet vigilantes can be read here. In summary, the author is making the point how click-activism gets out of hand and forms, unthinking lynch mobs. It’s just too easy to join the bandwagon and go hunting. You’re on the winning team and its some kind of fun game.
True activism takes courage, coherent long term thought and determination. True activism carries on for months and years. What you people are doing is just annoying and shows your ignorance.
These vigilantes should think back to 1985 when you may have had enough money for one or two magazine subscriptions to get news. Now we have so many wonderful tools and it’s still not enough when a site needs to make money.
Click activism is shameful because it’s much too easy to accomplish. Some user floods the site with irrelevant posts and thinks he’s done something great, but after a week or so he’ll get tired of it and things will go back to normal. What did you accomplish really? If you don’t like the site, leave it. If “what you want” is truly a niche product, then a new site will appear in due time and you can help it grow. On the other hand, staying around and incessantly whining like a child who can’t have ice-cream is pitiful.
Capitalism is at work all around us. If you think Reddit is better, shut up, leave and go to Reddit. Digg will eventually loose audience and have to decide the necessary changes to bring in more users. But probably, it will go more like this: The sissies will leave and the site will enjoy a new audience who isn’t controlled by their demands.
Boy I got side-tracked tonight. I was listening to the No-Agenda show and Adam Curry got off on one of his “UFO Rants”. Just to set the tone here, I believe most of the stuff Adam comes up with is absolutely Crack-Pot but Dvorak is much more my type of critic.
Anyway, Curry mentions something about a UFO crash in Santa Fe and so I was in front of the computer and curiously looked it up. In my experience, there is never any real evidence. There’s usually just some really good Sci-Fi writing.
I remain a skeptic to this day.
So I wound up on YouTube and found the video below which has generated a great deal of debate. If you’ve seen it, you know the deal, but I’ll try to write this post the way I look at something presented at fact, yet still I get a sense of doubt about it. (if you’re in a hurry, just skip to 1:38)
After my first view I kind of paused and said, “Wow, that looked very real.”
It’s at this point that critical thinkers and emotional thinkers part ways. Emotional thinkers will just say, yeah that has got to be real. Just look at it. A critical thinker goes into investigation mode.
Whenever I find something suspect, I use Google for the first wave of research. I looked up the phone number, the park location and any other hints to see if they panned out. Of course nothing matches up. There is no “Tacoma County”. Just typing the number in does not bring up an official sherif site. Looking for “Red Rock Park” brings up areas in Las Vegas and Arizona.
What does come up is this site which I immediately deemed a fabrication. Any time I go to a government site, I look for a professional design and a good structure. There should be a menu with “contact”, “resources” etc. This is just some jammed up web page with the hikers images. An emotional thinker will be like, “Oh my god there they are!” but the critical thinker cries foul right away. The next thing I always check out is the domain name. Its www.newbornpix.com which was obvious to me as a scam. I always check domain names to make sure I’m not being phished. You get sites all the time with some random domain like www.paypal38-3eff.com. Any proper sherif or county site would have keywords like “police”, “sherif” or “Tacoma”.
At this point I’m convinced of the hoax, but at the same time I’m holding great respect for the filmmaker as it’s quite believable .
I also come across this forum and it’s here where I become bogged down and intrigued at the mind-set of people. Evidence keeps getting presented and several people in the forum refuse to believe it. There are also many critical thinkers in the forum who think the same way I do. They mention things like:
The number 323-906-2753 is a Southern California number. Googling it does not bring up any evidence of the sherif dept (except the fake newbornpix site)
Tacoma is in Pierce County
Red Rock Park is in either Arizona or Nevada near vegas, depending on which one you mean.
Newborn Pictures IS based in LA though (same name as the fake site).
Finally it’s pointed out that this was in a film festival with the actors Kyle Rankin and Karen Zumsteg. They even give a link.
At this point it should be pretty obvious but the conspiracy nuts all say it’s not enough proof. The forum goes on for eight more pages. There’s all kind of discussion about CGI techniques, time stamps, EXIF data and the like. Conspiracy theory goes into over-drive as people suggest all the links, including the video maker site are all ‘plants’ and the only proof is a video confession. The explanation for the wrong number, place and park is chalked up to “government cover-up”. You start to witness cognitive dissonance on a major level.
Then a person dissects the video with still frames and points out all kinds of lighting irregularities and how strange it is that the camera is so still for a girl who is flipping out.
At this point there are all kinds of things pointed out.
An impact that big would have left a crater.
The people would be dead or at least knocked to their feet at impact.
There was no “rain cloud” of dust that should appear in even the lightest of car crashes.
One thing nobody mentions, but I noticed: The camera “magically gets set down just before she dies so “we” (the audience) can still see the action.
There are even links of the movie makers and actors posted (apparently alive and well)
AMAZINGLY, after all this there are still people who wont believe it until there is a taped “actor confession”. I also get caught up reading YouTube comments and some people still buy into it in 2010 even though the hoax appears to be at least 5 years old.
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All this gets me to thinking again on the massive importance of critical thinking, investigation and analysis. If you read my blog, you’ll know I have a huge problem with Fox News and the way they use propaganda to shift their audiences’ perceptions.
Several of my own family members are caught up in the Fox News propaganda machine. Glen Beck is a huge hero to them. Yet when I listen to Glen Beck, I get an immediate headache because it’s completely nonsensical to me. It occurred to me some time back the the Fox audience has absolutely no capacity for critical thought, that’s why listening to the nonsense each night is almost “soothing” to them. Glen Beck commands tens of thousands of people like this . . .people who think he makes sense.
Most liberal/moderate people think it’s funny and almost entertaining to watch Fox News. They see no issue with the people who whole heartedly believe the hype, but to me it’s scary how, in the age of mass communication our nation is loosing the ability to think critically and pull factual information from several sources. I am seeing a ‘trend’ where just accepting mass communications as fact is much easier than the research and that is terrifying indeed. Growing trends like this can turn into mobs and then we have a repeat of Germany in the 40′s.
The internet, 24-hour news TV , and especially Google was supposed to enrich our information and ability for critical thought, but sometimes I wonder if the technology is outpacing the average person’s ability to use it. Older people think, “Wow this is great, all the information is right here on this great show on Fox News.”
The reality is that with mass information, comes large amounts of mis-information. True journalism is just about extinct, so each of us has to be our own journalist and investigate claims on our own.
We came across another hoax just recently, The Quit-My-Job-by-Dry-Erase-Board Hoax. The story hit social networks like Digg and Reddit and became viral in short time. A day or two later we all found out we’d been had, but since it was all in good fun we didn’t mind.
Still, you began to think about how FAST and a viral news becomes with our mass communications and realize how critical it is for us to pause and analyze the story. I still listen to No Agenda all the time but when Adam launches into Chem Trails, Fema Camps and UFOs, I begin to nod off. Thankfully Dovorak is on the podcast to keep it grounded in sanity. Every now and then I’ll research the claims on the web and find that it’s mostly crack-pot nonsense. I seem to be able to enjoy No Agenda conspiracy theories for the sheer entertainment value. Dvorak and Curry keep each other well balanced. On the other hand, Glen Beck’s audience is fully enveloped in his hatred, half-truth and misinformation which gets them closer to being ready to go out and kill somebody.
I guess the point here is to follow the old adage, “Count to Ten before making a decision.” -and while your at it, research your facts online because journalists are dead and anything you hear could be a complete hoax. In this age of lies, deceit and mis-information we still have a massive population that takes information at face value; maybe even more than in the old days.
Remember, no matter how much somebody tells you they’ve done the research, do your own. If you have a doubt about something, don’t ignore it. Research it.
Has mass comminication helped us to evolve or will it be our self destruction? Unless our collective brains catch up to the tools we’ve invented I fear the later.
Every day that passes and I hear more shameless propaganda pump out of the Fox News machine, I get a bit sicker. I think it hits so close to home because a couple relatives are caught up in it so much that critical thought and self accountability have flown out the window.
I am constantly conflicted. At times I think we need to fight back with truth and other times I see the fruitlessness of trying to have a reasonable conversation with somebody is is obviously been brainwashed by a 24 hour news network.
I caught up to a good editorial by Eric Deggans talking about the latest Glen Beck stunt at Lincoln Memorial. I’ve found myself reading a lot about the responses to this shameless attention grab. To me it goes beyond the simple disagreements of conservative and liberal camps. To me this is a indication of a new “age of astonishing propaganda” that is creeping up on us.
I decided to start rounding up some resources on just what propaganda is. of course we start at Wikipeida. Some notable excerpts from the page are below. As you read this, ask, “Can I find evidence of this in Fox News?”
Propaganda, in its most basic sense, presents information primarily to influence an audience.
Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus possibly lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or uses loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented.
Propaganda can be used as a form of political warfare.
Propaganda is the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions
Propaganda is generally an appeal to emotion, not intellect.
In English, “propaganda” was originally a neutral term used to describe the dissemination of information in favor of any given cause. During the 20th century, however, the term acquired a thoroughly negative meaning in western countries, representing the intentional dissemination of often false, but certainly “compelling” claims to support or justify political actions or ideologies.
Journalistic theory generally holds that news items should be objective, giving the reader an accurate background and analysis of the subject at hand.
Propaganda, in this sense, serves as a corollary to censorship in which the same purpose is achieved, not by filling people’s minds with approved information, but by preventing people from being confronted with opposing points of view.
Propaganda is a powerful weapon in war; it is used to dehumanize and create hatred toward a supposed enemy, either internal or external, by creating a false image in the mind.
The assumption is that, if people believe something false, they will constantly be assailed by doubts. Since these doubts are unpleasant (cognitive dissonance), people will be eager to have them extinguished, and are therefore receptive to the reassurances of those in power.
Common media for transmitting propaganda messages include news reports, government reports, historical revision, junk science, books, leaflets, movies, radio, television, and posters.
Propaganda campaigns often follow a strategic transmission pattern to indoctrinate the target group.
Just a couple things jump out at me on the first read. Would I agree that Fox News is trying to heavily influence there audience? Yes indeed. Each day a set ‘message’ or ‘narrative’ is passed down from the top. You’ll hear the same message in all shows throughout the day. We’ve seen this with “Death Panels” during healthcare. Does Fox hold true to journalistic integrity by giving the viewer an accurate background. No. I remember during healthcare how they ran around the streets looking for opinions on the bill. Funny how everybody they found was against it. Also try to abosrb the idea of “serves as a corollary to censorship”. Ask yourself why the Fox propaganda machine is so powerful. My belief is because they have an audience who largely doesn’t know how to use a computer to get information on the internet. It’s mostly older people who are quite satisfied to watch all news on TV. By controlling their only path to news, Fox controls the entire message and has the distinct ability to leave certain parts out.
The wikipedia post is rich in information and I highly suggest a hot cup of coffee and a long read of it. Pay especial attention towards the bottom where several methods are outlined such as:
Bandwagon
Appeal to Fear
Join the crowd
Ad nauseam
Ad hominem
Cognitive dissonance
Common man
Fear, uncertainty and doubt
Oversimplification
Scapegoating
Transfer
As Eric Deggans smartly noted. The Glen Beck Lincoln Memorial stunt used several tried and true propaganda techniques such a “Transfer”, “Band Wagon”, “Fear” and “Historical Revision”. Most people with a brain are absolutely outraged that this ass-hat held his event on the anniversary of Dr. King’s speech. Only a complete fool would not recognize this for what it is, the “transfer” propaganda technique.
The other techniques I listed are rich in the daily Fox News Propaganda Machine. Ad Nauseam is that constant shouting, “We’re Fair and Balanced”. They figure if they say it enough, you’ll believe it and not bother to research any other news. Ad Hominem is the constant attacking by O’reily, Hanity, Beck and others. It’s not a civil argument with the opponent’s ideas. It’s a direct attack on their person. There is evidence of this in every Fox opinion show. Bandwagon is another popular technique. That’s all the “US Flag Graphics” and constant boasting of their ratings. That’s the “be a part of something” crowd at the event yesterday. Appeal to fear is another big one. How many times have you heard Glen Beck say, “Be very afraid.”
My post is getting long, so I encourage you to read, study and memorize the aspects of propaganda. I honestly don’t know how hard it would be to explain this to a Fox Zombie. The problem is that trying to engage a logical argument with somebody who has already been brainwashed by propaganda is a tough task indeed. You may get ten minutes with them and then they go back and watch 10 hours of Fox News.
There’s a lot of resources on propaganda, so I’ll post more as I find them. Most I’ve found so far echo the Wiki article.
Most of the time I get frustrated with Fox Zombies and just say things like, “Is That Right?” and just change the subject off politics, but lately I feel like I should take each argument they say and explain it as the propaganda technique that it is. At least my soul would feel better.
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At this point I’ve become so disgusted with the Fox News Propaganda machine that I’ve forked off my ideas into a new site: FoxNewsPropaganda.com . My goal is to expose common propaganda techniques in their day to day reporting.
It looks like I lost 3 whole weeks. The gardens have been plugging along in this August heat, but they’ve taken a beating in some places.
The Tomato Bucket was a success. I’ve got nice leaf structure and a tomato growing out of the bucket. It’s been really dry lately so I’ve been aiming the water hose in an arch to get water up. Some people put these on pulley systems which makes more sense.
The back squash garden came out nice. It was touch-and-go with the transplants for a week or two. They finally came around. I just ate a nice yellow squash last week. They taste much better when eaten right away.
Pumpkins fitting into a square foot? NOT! I didn’t know what to expect with the pumpkins and watermelons. I thought they may like the trellis, but unlike cucumbers, the vine is very delicate and doesn’t like to bend much. I’ve just let them run the ground and do their own thing.
I’m going to bet that this is a baby pumpkin.
Here we have a miniature watermelon. I planted late in the season, so I expect smaller melons at season’s end.
Big Boy Hybrid Tomatoes were a huge success. They are one of the best tasting things to come out of the garden. We waited FOREVER for them to turn red. My wife stole several green ones for ‘fried green tomatoes’.
I had incorrectly planted the pumpkin, squash and zucchini in one single square of SFG II. I think you are supposed to use 9 squares and I used just one. Oops. With SFG III I once again broke the rules and went with 3 2′ by 2′ beds. I hope the vegetables will be able to hang over the sides and lay in the rocks and make up for the missing 5 squares. The garden area came out nice and used a lot of junk that was on the lot including old bench legs. The squash struggled all week to recover from the transplant. It was a lot of touch and go.
Close up of zucchini in SFG III
SFG I is a mixture of death and new growth this time of year. Cucumbers are fizzling out. Basil is skyrocketing. Tomatoes are highly successful. Many squares have been replanted with the mid-summer crop.
SFG II is at that wonderful stage of full bore growth. I accidently dropped some Swiss chard seeds in the carrots. SFG II gets a lot better light. I will try to grow the peppers and onions here since they failed in SFG I.
Radishes. Another food I hated as a kid. I was very reluctant to plant some. They came up very quick and tasted wonderful. Just add butter, vinegar and salt.
Pumpkins competing with squash. I didn’t follow the directions and use a 3′ by 3′ space. Typical rookie mistake. I think next year I’ll isolate squash and melons to special 2′ by 2′ beds that I’m planning in another location of the yard. They are huge vegetables and the small bed would allow them to overflow into the surrounding grass.
I ripped up the peppers and onions after about 90 days of nothing. I didn’t have them in a truly sunny spot. I put down some beats and snap peas in their place.
Squash or Zucchini. I still can’t tell. Radish greens.
Dawn has already been picking the green toms for “fried green tomatoes”
In the “by the way” department. I learned a bit too late that once broccoli blooms the yellow flowers, it’s getting too late to eat it. You are actually eating the flowers, so don’t let them bloom.
Sometimes I wonder why I bother chronicling every step of the garden. It gets pretty tedious. Sometimes like today, I don’t really want to add anything. Then I realize that 6 months from now—when we’re miserable, covered in snow—reading the entries will bring me a lot of joy and provide inspiration for the year to come.
Finally, some action from the broccoli. It takes forever to show a floret. You fight cabbage worms all year. Now I know why many people don’t bother with it.
Cucumbers taking a beating. I’m not sure what the issue is, but I loose about 3 to 4 leaves a day. One compete vine is pretty much diseased. Several possible suspects: I fertilized a week ago; there has been a lot of rain (over watering); there is not enough circulation (problems vines are in the ‘corner’ of the garden next to the snow peas)
I’ve learned more about things “going to seed”. Sometimes it’s best to just re-seed instead of the ‘cut and come again’ process, especially with things like spinach. I now realize how critical it is to use vermiculite when seeding. Those little sprouts really struggle trying to come up. One little twig welded with mud can block the sprout for weeks.
Square Foot Garden II sprouts are now into the second leaf pair. Radishes are leading the race.
Either zucchini or yellow squash as I was too stupid to mark it. I did a square of each. I figured it would be obvious in a week or two but one of the squares failed, so I had to re-seed. Then I didn’t know which to put in.
The square foot . . . square bucket garden. I read in Garden Gate on how to turn a 5 gallon bucket into a “topsy turvey” tomato plant. I have the rope ready on the giant maple in the back. They say to wait a couple of weeks so the seedling can get to about 1 foot in height. After that, hang it upside down from a rope.
