Information Pollution ?

[flowperson]

Hello All:

We in America are all familiar with the phenomenon of "spin". As soon as news hits the wires and networks, the spinners work their backsides off to slant interpretations to their perceived future advantage, especially during political campaigning, which nowadays is neverending..

Notwithtanding this practice, certain governmental, corporate institutions, and celebrity individuals even doctor information prior to public release in order to maintain their authority and status, which might otherwise be negatively affected by a more transparent presentation of the information. In America this practice has been endemic in distorting realities all out of proportion.

Now it seems that informaton sources that many of us rely upon for checking our facts when it comes to historical recollections cannot be trusted to be free of this virus-like contagion. I rely upon Wikipedia as a quick reference in my research to mostly confirm those things i believe that I already know to be factual. But now, even this source seems to have been tainted with prejudicial edits due to the very nature of Wiki's societally transparent methods and procedures.

Any thoughts on all of this ? How reasonable is it to be able to determine what is real and true as opposed to that which is fallacious and potentially destructive anymore ? Inquiring minds want to know .

BBC NEWS | Technology | Wikipedia 'shows CIA page edits'

flow....

 

[Muslimwoman]

Good post Flow. Not a surprise but a worry all the same. I believe that for centuries our 'information' has been massaged by those with political motives (political & religious leaders, corporations, etc).

It is an eternal problem, no information is really new. People that write books do so by reading other books. Take any subject and look at the diversity of opinions in different books. So the new book is going to be influenced by which books they rely on (usually decided by their own opinions on the subject matter). Then add the censors, who decide what is acceptable for us to 'learn'. Governments decide what books our children should read and advertising agencies decide which books we should 'want' to read.

As for governments, they simply can't allow any information that does not tow the party line. If the world found out that the Iranian leader, while not all good was in fact not all bad, it would make starting a war there more difficult.

Perhaps we have not really moved on from the days when you were put to death for suggesting that the world is not flat?!

 

[Snoopy]

Sorry folks, don't take this personally but I don't believe a word of your posts; I don't believe a single word I read any more (not even my own, strangely).

s.

 

[Muslimwoman]

Sorry folks, don't take this personally but I don't believe a word of your posts; I don't believe a single word I read any more (not even my own, strangely).

s.

I am not trying to be rude Snoop but that was really very childish. It is blatantly obvious that I cannot believe that you don't believe a word of them and if Flow says that is wrong, don't believe him.

 

[Snoopy]

I am not trying to be rude Snoop but that was really very childish. It is blatantly obvious that I cannot believe that you don't believe a word of them and if Flow says that is wrong, don't believe him.

don't believe you