I always did feel that there was an element of technophobia in the sneers against the Internet. Sad to see such sneers still passing for humor even after 20 years of it. Even allowing for the fact that some people do use message boards and the occasional site to propagate lies and rumors I would still match the Net’s overall accuracy against that of TV, newspapers and books. The Net’s main weakness perversely enough lies in one of it’s strengths. Ease of editing means that it is way too easy to send something “down the memory hole while hard copy is harder to suppress. But I would say that’s a censorship issue in some ways rather than an accuracy issue. @_@
Anybody who thinks technophobia is the cause of these kinds of jokes hasn’t spent any time interacting with online communities. The Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory exists for a reason, and the internet provides the perfect avenue for people to heap abuse on others.
Eh, it was the Net’s accuracy rather than it’s online communities I was defending but in my experience not every online community is the Yahoo News Message boards. In fact most of the ones I’ve been in have been mostly better then that. Perhaps I’ve been hanging out with the wrong crowds. ^_^
But that’s the people themselves when they argue politics rather than the Net, I would say. You’d get the same effect in any medium where politics is being discussed freely just because there are always soreheads and hotheads. That is not the Internet being inaccurate, that’s just the people who are talking politics being people who are talking politics. ^_^
That’s where you’re wrong–it isn’t plugged into Mr. Roger’s Internet at all. How this discussion group REALLY works is that anyone trolling gets handed over to Dr. Lee to experiment on. It’s surprisingly effective at keeping everyone but me on their best behavior. (Me they just threaten with a spray bottle and a rolled-up newspaper, nyao.)
Like, look at Monster Pulse: the strip itself might be someone bashing a guy’s head in with a rock, but if you pull out the f-word about it in the comments section someone will politely remind you not to swear. And over at Stand Still Stay Silent, there are like six billion Cronenberg-level monsters that beg for the release of death from their endless torment, but if you’re new in the comments people will offer you imaginary cookies. And an imaginary glass of milk to go with them.
Remember also that internet groups are mostly self-selecting. Some groups form based on mutual interest (for example, this one) but some form for more, “psychological” reasons. That is, a group might coalesce because they all like to hear each other say the same things…. or because they like to fight and argue. Or… just because they like to hear themselves talk…. oops…
It’s not the accuracy of Wikipedia or whatnot she’s talking about here. It’s the accuracy of YouTube comments, Yahoo answers, Facebook clickbait, etc. The Internet gives everyone a platform to regurgitate “What some bloke in the pub told me” and then get offended when informed that the bloke in the pub might have been drunk.
If you genuinely believe this isn’t a major part of the Internet, read the YouTube comments for, say, any highly watched YouTube video mentioning Nazis or the Confederate States of America and observe history twisted into an arsenic-laced pretzel.
“How can I get to the tower unhurt?” can be answered with pretty much any nonsense you care to spout, “Take a taxi”, “Eat a chicken salad”, and “Thirty Four” are all wrong answers, but they’re still answers.
I think the solution here is to just walk past it, ignoring it as you would any other troll. The zaps just do cartoony superficial damage, as far as we know.
Nick, a spokesperson for moderation? Who’d have thought it?
My guess at the strategy is to just bombard it with too many ridiculously dumb questions for it to give any answer to all of them, so that it gives up in confusion. Either that, or unending mockery until it does a troll flounce.
I’m kind of ignorant here, but would it overwhelm the Antisphynx to start producing endless quanitities of Nick’s to all ask questions at the same time? Unfortunate side effect of thoroughly overwhelming Nick though.
I’m honestly curious how this is going to go. Maybe an onslaught of memes?
Backhoe
Unplug the router?
Flame war! With real flames!
It occurred to me, perhaps porn is the only thing that will keep AIs from taking over the earth in the future.
Then we’re safe- YouTube “The Internet is for Porn”… Trust me, and do…
I got to see a local production of Avenue Q. SOOOOO worth it!
You mean like this?
I can *never* see these things, just the yellow background, but thanks!
I mean, it’s certainly helped with Pintsize.
I always did feel that there was an element of technophobia in the sneers against the Internet. Sad to see such sneers still passing for humor even after 20 years of it. Even allowing for the fact that some people do use message boards and the occasional site to propagate lies and rumors I would still match the Net’s overall accuracy against that of TV, newspapers and books. The Net’s main weakness perversely enough lies in one of it’s strengths. Ease of editing means that it is way too easy to send something “down the memory hole while hard copy is harder to suppress. But I would say that’s a censorship issue in some ways rather than an accuracy issue. @_@
Anybody who thinks technophobia is the cause of these kinds of jokes hasn’t spent any time interacting with online communities. The Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory exists for a reason, and the internet provides the perfect avenue for people to heap abuse on others.
Eh, it was the Net’s accuracy rather than it’s online communities I was defending but in my experience not every online community is the Yahoo News Message boards. In fact most of the ones I’ve been in have been mostly better then that. Perhaps I’ve been hanging out with the wrong crowds. ^_^
Well, at least all the reader comment sections of every online news site *I* read is proof that the above comic is true.
But that’s the people themselves when they argue politics rather than the Net, I would say. You’d get the same effect in any medium where politics is being discussed freely just because there are always soreheads and hotheads. That is not the Internet being inaccurate, that’s just the people who are talking politics being people who are talking politics. ^_^
It’s much worse on the internet though, because people can be anonymous and it’s easier to be mean to people you’ve never seen in your life.
Speaking of which, I’m genuinely puzzled how this comments section ended up plugged into Mr. Rogers’ Internet instead of the normal one.
You know, you make a good argument there. I have to admit, I never thought of it that way before. Thanks for changing my mind!
…IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD!
Really though, I think the good parts of the internet are a mix of self-selected and properly moderated.
“There’s not a human being left in Santa Mira! You’re next! You’re next!”
But in a much smurfier way…
Well played, davidbreslin101, well played. I applaud thee.
That’s where you’re wrong–it isn’t plugged into Mr. Roger’s Internet at all. How this discussion group REALLY works is that anyone trolling gets handed over to Dr. Lee to experiment on. It’s surprisingly effective at keeping everyone but me on their best behavior. (Me they just threaten with a spray bottle and a rolled-up newspaper, nyao.)
There are mysteries in this world.
Like, look at Monster Pulse: the strip itself might be someone bashing a guy’s head in with a rock, but if you pull out the f-word about it in the comments section someone will politely remind you not to swear. And over at Stand Still Stay Silent, there are like six billion Cronenberg-level monsters that beg for the release of death from their endless torment, but if you’re new in the comments people will offer you imaginary cookies. And an imaginary glass of milk to go with them.
It’s a strange world out there.
Holkin’s Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory is demonstrably wrong.
How so?
It’s been proven valid through study. Look up Online Disinhibition Effect for the academic review of it.
Why is it called Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory? Is there a Lesser Internet Fuckwad Theory?
Backronym from GIFT.
Remember also that internet groups are mostly self-selecting. Some groups form based on mutual interest (for example, this one) but some form for more, “psychological” reasons. That is, a group might coalesce because they all like to hear each other say the same things…. or because they like to fight and argue. Or… just because they like to hear themselves talk…. oops…
I mean, Baron is a jerk and not particularly creative. Sounds like exactly the kind of joke he’d make.
You! What is the name of that comic your icon is from? I remember reading it about a year ago but lost the bookmark and the name.
Help a vampire out?
It’s called “Prequel”, and it’s found here:
http://www.prequeladventure.com/about-prequel/
It’s not the accuracy of Wikipedia or whatnot she’s talking about here. It’s the accuracy of YouTube comments, Yahoo answers, Facebook clickbait, etc. The Internet gives everyone a platform to regurgitate “What some bloke in the pub told me” and then get offended when informed that the bloke in the pub might have been drunk.
If you genuinely believe this isn’t a major part of the Internet, read the YouTube comments for, say, any highly watched YouTube video mentioning Nazis or the Confederate States of America and observe history twisted into an arsenic-laced pretzel.
Plus you don’t even have to go to the pub to talk to that bloke anymore
DDoS the Antisphinx’s DNS?
So, just ask questions faster than it can say “My answer is” until it loses count and leaves one unanswered?
I was thinking more along the lines of a zap-gun DDoS attack
That was what I was going to say.
Huh, I was hoping the trick was to ask, “How can I get to the tower unhurt?”
Also, *daily* porn trawl? I never took the Baron for an ascetic.
Again, it doesn’t matter if an answer is wrong.
“How can I get to the tower unhurt?” can be answered with pretty much any nonsense you care to spout, “Take a taxi”, “Eat a chicken salad”, and “Thirty Four” are all wrong answers, but they’re still answers.
The Tower Unhurt? Is that similar to the Castle Aaargh?
He just has that many porn sites.
We know the game and we’re gonna play it
Show it cute cat pictures?
Oh yes. Please.
Aren’t sphinxes supposed to be girls?
Not all of ’em, otherwise no new sphinxes.
The Great Sphinx of Giza is a guy.
Haven’t seen any new ones lately…well, there’s Phix over at “Wapsi Square,” but she’s been around awhile…
If the female version of “aviator” is “aviatrix”, then maybe the male version of “sphinx” is “sphincter”?
If you thought THIS one was an a**hole, wait’ll you meet …
Maybe Lovelace and Nick should ask the Antisphinx *that* question.
Yeah, but this isn’t a sphinx, it’s an antisphinx
Does landscape have a gender?
What do you think the difference is between a fort and a fortress?
A fortress has breastworks?
+1
Panel FOUR! Panel FOUR!
And wasn’t that Kim Kardashian pic the last thing to take down the internet?
I think the solution here is to just walk past it, ignoring it as you would any other troll. The zaps just do cartoony superficial damage, as far as we know.
Huh. Guess I was right about the buffer overflow exploit.
There’s no fail like memcpy fail.
Nick, a spokesperson for moderation? Who’d have thought it?
My guess at the strategy is to just bombard it with too many ridiculously dumb questions for it to give any answer to all of them, so that it gives up in confusion. Either that, or unending mockery until it does a troll flounce.
I’m kind of ignorant here, but would it overwhelm the Antisphynx to start producing endless quanitities of Nick’s to all ask questions at the same time? Unfortunate side effect of thoroughly overwhelming Nick though.
Good gravy, I used “Nick’s.” Grammar police, where are you?
Don’t worry, I noticed.
… Kim Kardashian’s butt?
Ask it endless multiple questions and crash it’s server.
I’m sensing a Blaine the Train solution forthcoming…