Our brains can't fully process the implications of the internet yet. What do you think [see details!]?

In Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition having a max 25 charisma you can have 150 henchmen. . . So it’s interesting to know that a pool of accurate knowledge is added to the game.

Very interesting. It is having a huge impact on every day life. A good example would be the anti-vaxxers. They are really in the minority but at one time you wouldn’t think so. And they feed off of each other.

I also think people use their anonymity on the internet to and say things they wouldn’t normally…then then it becomes their actual norm IRL.

people use their anonymity on the internet to and say things they wouldn’t normally

That is The Greater Internet Dickwad Theory

I have often come to this conclusion. I’ve seen too many people care about an overwhelming opinions of so many without ever coming to the conclusion that you cannot possibly agree with everyone. Nor should you. People are putting their real sense of self, on a shelf to be popular.

I’ve recently gone through a mob lynching of sorts within my husbands family. Perceived to be guilty of being selfish because they were all quick to join the general consensus without knowing all the details of my actions. Rumors and innuendos and no facts. Of course me being me. I care very little for the opinions of people who live via the internet and have had no real relationship with me.

Somedays I just have to completely log off. I’ll read commentaries and articles online that make me wish for days before the internet. People who obviously have put no thought into their words before you write them down for the whole world to read.

There is a ton of good valuable information and then there is information that is only suitable for the national enquirer. There needs to be three branches in the internet. One that only serves facts. No opinions. Another for theories, and the last for all the bull crap you never wanted to know but people insist on posting. Things that would make the National Enquirer look like a regular news paper.

Meh….I am not troubled by anything I read or see, it just is what it is. I also do not participate, at all, ( other than Fluther ) in any social media of any kind. FB, Twitter, etc.
I am pretty good at not being attached to internet drama and take most of what I read with a grain of salt.
As a learning tool and social outlet the internet is a superb tool.

Last night I read up on Indian massacres prompted by a Q. here and learned so much. Being a knowledge hound my life has only been enriched by the internet, minus the horrors of FB. haha

I spent a lot of my time online on forums when I was younger because I was a huge introvert and kind of got into the habit of becoming an “armchair expert”. I just used all of my internet interactions to assume that’s how the world was. I assumed most white people were secretly racist, most liberals are smart and rational, and most republicans were dumb and evil, most people were dumb, most women thought all guys were evil and dangerous perverts etc.

But then I got off the internet a little and starting interacting with people in reality more and I realized it was totally different! From my experience a lot of people were nice and friendly and willing to help strangers, and yea some people are polarized politically, but I noticed a lot of people don’t argue about it as publicly, it’s mostly small talk, idle chatter and smack talking about family and friends.

This is why travel is also important, if you stay in the same area, yea you’ll stay around the same ideas, but traveling is kind of like surfing internet forums except with less vitriol. You’ll meet a lot of people that will change your life in a positive way more than negatively (individual experience may vary).

You mean to tell me the entire world isn’t freaking out about gamer-gate?

Some people adapt better than others. The first computer users were largely academic types who were already accustomed to dealing with large amounts of data that the internet was no different than a library.

The ones that seem to be having the most issues are those who care more about celebrity gossip or pop culture than about science, politics, or anything that requires critical thinking, and those who still haven’t quite adapted to the fact that we now have phones that don’t require a wall jack.

@talljasperman If you think that is impressive, then you really need to start playing better games. I keep telling you that both Shadowrun and GURPS have far, far, FAR more of that sort of stuff than anything from D&D. I would think that the way Shadowrun handles the Astral plane alone is enough to make you put away those kid’s books and play a REAL tabletop RPG.

@jerv I’m too old to learn a new system. I will Google Shadowrun and GURPS later tonight and see how much money I will have to pay to play.

@talljasperman If memory serves, I’m a few years older than you, and still able to pick up new systems. I don’t think you’re too old to learn, and I’ll gladly PM you if you need help. Watch your inbox.

Here is something I heard several years ago: www = 666

I’ve learned to categorized information. I think I can decide what to believe and what not. Having to do research on the Internet as a hobby, I have to master that skill so that my brain (and sanity) won’t be overloaded or misled.

I feel like I’m pretty much like @Coloma in the internet drama part. Other than Fluther, I don’t involve much in social sites. I’ve seen tons on Facebook dramas, but I have never involved in one. I just stand outside, reading the mean comments of those insensitive people and laughing silently.

It sounds like you are describing sampling error.

For some reason Facebook employs sociologists. They went as far as modifying your wall to see if they could make you depressed or happy.

In a study with academics from Cornell and the University of California, Facebook filtered users’ news feeds – the flow of comments, videos, pictures and web links posted by other people in their social network. One test reduced users’ exposure to their friends’ “positive emotional content”, resulting in fewer positive posts of their own. Another test reduced exposure to “negative emotional content” and the opposite happened.

It is understandable that they got the results they did. It is absolutely unethical that they even tried without people opting-in.

Apes, together…strong!