Inside the Growing Flat Earth Movement:
In recent years I’ve begun to feel conflicted about the internet. On the one hand, it’s been wonderful in so many ways. I’ve personally built my entire career on the fact that the internet enables me to publish as a one-person operation. But on the other hand, before the internet, kooks were forced to exist on the fringe. There’ve always been flat-earther-types denying science and John Birch Society political fringers, but they had no means to amplify their message or bond into large movements.
(Via Daring Fireball)
Every day, more and more, I believe the Internet is a privilege. You must prove you are qualified to navigate it safely and securely. Very few can do that and while the beauty of the Internet is free speech, when someone is scientifically wrong, proven wrong, completely incorrect, they really shouldn’t be able to participate in this global conversation that is the web. It’s like drug-dealers. If there was a non-partisan and global body who could censor people who are repeatedly spewing BS and intentionally misleading people, the Internet would be much better. It’ll never happen but it’s a nice thought.
Why will it never happen? Look at the fake news movement. Both sides think that anything, even if proven true, that doesn’t agree with their worldview is classified as “fake news”. You can prove it by interviewing the person the story is about and they’ll say “it’s a plant by the other side to perpetuate the fake news” sigh.