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ForumsDiscussion Forum → Pommy's Poll #57: Stupidity on the internet
Pommy's Poll #57: Stupidity on the internet
2009-12-08, 2:16 PM #1
tl;dr:

Internet stupidity is because of

  1. facetious stupidity
  2. truly stupid people
  3. the fact that people think differently
  4. how easy it is for young and/or uneducated people to express themselves



Please see below for poll options as they are too long to place in the actual poll:

The conflict and stupidity expressed on the internet (e.g. Youtube comments, online product reviews, forums, social networking sites)...

  1. is a result of the anonymity it provides, allowing people to be fake: people say things they know are stupid or don't even really mean because they can piss other people off with no fear of personal repercussions. People are not actually this stupid in real life.
  2. is a result of the anonymity it provides, allowing people to be real: people are able to say things they really really believe deep down that they are unable or unwilling to say in person, as it would invite ridicule or have repercussions. People are much more stupid in real life than they appear.
  3. is a result of the fact that the internet brings together the taken-for-granted mentalities and beliefs (norms) of many demographics, which often puts them at odds with each other. Everyone thinks differently.
  4. is primarily the result of the capacity it gives children and less-educated (not "stupid" -- that would be circular) people to express themselves. The internet is a soapbox from which "stupid" ideas can easily propogate.
一个大西瓜
2009-12-08, 2:20 PM #2
5. is a result of DIE IN A FIRE
free(jin);
tofu sucks
2009-12-08, 2:21 PM #3
I posted other - my other being 'all of the above.' Perhaps one might be more the case than another, but at the very least, I think they're all significant reasons.
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2009-12-08, 2:25 PM #4
1, 2 and 4. Not so much 3 because a whole lot of the stupidity on the Internet is objectively stupid.
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2009-12-08, 2:30 PM #5
Most of the 'stupidity' on the internet originates from one of the following (in my opinion):
  1. Some kid, who is not yet educated enough to comment on a certain subject, but who still feels the urge to say something anyway.
  2. Some (possibly educated) person who really feels the need to comment on how great god is, how the american goverment is killing us all, or how the moon landing was fake.
  3. Trolling posters taking advantage of the anonymity of the internet. Signs of trolling can be: ignorance on purpose, just shouting something stupid/inappropriate or calling people all kinds of names.
  4. Stupid/uneducated people, who aren't even understanding they're posting something completely ridiculous.


Edit: so, either 1 or 4. But I think 4 covers the majority of internet stupidness. So I chose 4.
2009-12-08, 2:47 PM #6
4 mostly.
nope.
2009-12-08, 2:52 PM #7
A lot of it is also people who overestimate their own intelligence/education/whatever, but refuse to admit their limited capability (even when proved incorrect). Since the internet is largely anonymous, failing to admit error has no repercussion, so it never happens.
2009-12-08, 2:54 PM #8
[http://kyle90.info/images/_misc/dunning-kruger.gif]

Stupid people think they're smart, pretty much.
Stuff
2009-12-08, 2:57 PM #9
Dunning-Kruger effect, again.
2009-12-08, 5:20 PM #10
3 mostly.
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2009-12-08, 5:52 PM #11
All of the above, and I'll add a fifth.

The fact that you (we) are capable of recognizing how much stupidity there is on the internet indicates that you are yourself not stupid. What you perceive as a mass of stupid people is actually a mass of average people.

Meaning, 5) They aren't stupid, you're just smart.
2009-12-08, 5:54 PM #12
Originally posted by JM:
All of the above, and I'll add a fifth.

The fact that you (we) are capable of recognizing how much stupidity there is on the internet indicates that you are yourself not stupid. What you perceive as a mass of stupid people is actually a mass of average people.

Meaning, 5) They aren't stupid, you're just smart.


No, that's stupid
2009-12-08, 6:19 PM #13
2.

People really are stupid in general. Just reading the comments on news items makes me want to kill myself every freaking time. I try to avoid reading comments altogether, but every time I do, I die a little.

What mostly gets me is blatant racism. And most of it sounds like they really mean it.
ORJ / My Level: ORJ Temple Tournament I
2009-12-08, 6:35 PM #14
Originally posted by ORJ_JoS:
What mostly gets me is blatant racism. And most of it sounds like they really mean it.


This. Combined with sexism and every other fun -ism you can think of. Not views that anyone would dare to express in real life with the veil of anonymity removed.

A little bit of #4 as well, which (I think) is mostly an age thing. I don't remember being obnoxious like that when I was 12 online, but probably I was. (Actually, though, when I read old things that I wrote, I feel like I'm more annoying & less intelligent now than I was then, so...)
2009-12-08, 6:37 PM #15
Lets not forget that most of these comments (news, Youtube, etc) come from people who have both the time and inclination to make them - they're not busy doing anything useful anyway.
幻術
2009-12-08, 8:29 PM #16
2. Lots and lots of stupid people, it's just more evident because the smarter people can't be arsed to try and speak against the idiot horde.
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Ye Olde Galactic Empire Mission Editor (X-wing, TIE, XvT/BoP, XWA)
2009-12-08, 8:35 PM #17
Two, exacerbated by four.
2009-12-08, 9:21 PM #18
Option 1.
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