Evolution of the Internet...

Yes, 'Fake News' and other B/S has been pumped out for years and years. Look at those supermarket tabloids; 'Aliens Ate My Gerbil'!!! All rubbish. We all knew.

Now other sources are being thrust into the new ether via social media, we should always check and re-check sources of "fact".

Sorry, but ranting from old crazy uncles who have 'been informed on the Internet' of facts are hardly the base one should be working from. Listen to others with experience and a few miles under their belt, generally a good platform to work from.

Yes, it's a very good thing we have the likes of YF around, a good filter of knowledge from a bunch of trustworthy guys and gals.

Before much of the fake news was ignorance. Now it's started with purpose and spread out of ignorance. That's a huge difference.

Before you could do a little Snopes and quickly dismiss false posts. Now they multiply so quickly.

Carl, you left out the number one culprit in all this, Twitter. It's not just the things that hit the news. It's used by students to spread rumors about teachers or other students or to bully.

People have criticized you at times over removing posts you considered inappropriate, didn't want any rules. Well, you see the world without rules in Twitter and Facebook. Facebook now has acknowledged it's a problem but can they address it and keep up with it?

You've had builders and brokers in the past try to infiltrate to promote their product or to criticize another. It happens. Competing restaurants have people give their competitors bad reviews. Rumors spread about boats that just aren't true and they are damaging.

I don't mind any of the advertising. Annoying, but other than that if it pays the way, I'm fine, even if it's totally irrelevant. I wouldn't stop coming to YF if suddenly you had an add for condoms in place of one of the boat ads.

The internet is an incredible source of information. However, what was not planned for is the internet is also a weapon. It can be used to bully one person. It can be used to spread rumors. It can be used to influence elections even with false information. Things posted on it take on a life of their own. Social media put people in touch. Unfortunately, it's become a tool for many to do disruptive and damaging things. It's sad. It's the world without rules, without laws. In my opinion, everyone who owns a site has a responsibility, of not a legal one, a moral one. That responsibility is to not allow their site to be used as a weapon. There are limits on free speech. Always have been. Always have been needed. You can't yell "Fire" in a crowded theater. Now, it's much worse. There's no internet police, but site owners must self police. It may seem like it's impossible but I'd say to them, "You built this mess, now you straighten it out."

This is nothing new, the printed press has been doing it for years and years.

I don't even accept the free subscriptions to boating and yachting rags anymore because they are useless. Disguised advertising with a good dose of self inflating ego boosting personal opinion... and they miss the most riticso things... writers who call themselves experienced captain merely describe pictures with very litttle real information. PAthetic

So it's not surprise To see see so much mis information on line.

A little while ago, I saw a "sponsored post" from yachting magazine on Facebook gloating over how wonderful the azimut line was...

On the plus side, intelligent people will quickly separate the BS from the real information. And you can use the web and social media in many diffent ways. I primarily use FB to follow hobie related stuff (classic cars) or things I want to follow like the Vendée globe, America cup... as well as keep in touch with a handful of people. For too many users it's not just a picture popularity contest but a "how many friends can I accumulate" contest...

The internet has partially become like those tabloids... you ont have to pick them up, or click on those "sponsored stories"

I second that, Facebook is going to control a large part of it also as in withholding the truth. There's one word for this (globalist). Corps who profit from population growth within there interest in the free world. Without illegals and immigrants the US pop growth would go backwards. My news sources fox news and most importantly infowars.

The words I most despise in social media: "brand ambassador".

If I see that in a profile I might as well be reading "shill", "brown noser", or "I'll say anything to get free ****".

I'm with you, Carl.

So who, as a consumer, ticked the little box to agree to this?

Err..No, that agreement was with the content supplier, not every skank willing to scam you. Needs looking into.

I also saw that certain hospitals and clinics can now sell your DNA samples to health insurance companies so that they can calculate the level of coverage you can get over your lifetime. When did we sign-up for that too?

This is why those DNA ancestry services are scary... sure it may sound cool to know that you have 0.01% Native American DNA so can cheat your way into a Harvard professor chair like Elizabeth warren but who knows how your DNA sample will be used down the line.

Just watched 60 Minutes where IT companies have you by the short and curlies.

They now plan your addicition by giving you 'like' pings at your lowest ebb. You'known, like crack dealers do.

People don't believe me when I point out these things about FB. A few are a tad skeptical of it, but don't really think it's anything worse than targeted ads for their online shopping... but the vast majority are completely oblivious, and choose to remain so.

These big dragons are trying to take over everything, Facebook is more or less impossible to visit any longer without registering, which I never will. Apple is not much better, all updates of the OS or IOS are trying to catch all your information to their "clouds". My iPhone was forced to upload it's content when I installed the latest IOS, and I had to delete it manually later, or at least I hope so... The result is I never use my iPhone for anything other than voice calls, never mail or surf. I keep my old Mac's with old programs as work stations and the newer just for the internet. "1984" was just a breeze compared to what we have today...

I agree with most of the opinions posted in this discussion. I'm really disappointed in the direction we seem to be going with all this 'social media' bull___. Even Google and Youtube are ever increasing their advertising content. Facebook and Twitter, forget in my opinion.

And so much of our software seems to be ever changing in order to conform to cell phones,...where many participates voice there opinions to internet sites without ever giving proper thought to what they post.

My father had a very good saying he would voice over and over to me and my brother,....'put your brain in gear before you open your mouth' ....(50's and 60's)

This is a MUST SEE video!

This video, ironically on youtube, provides some insight into the "social media" problem. 23 minutes long but worth a watch.



If the link is a problem, search youtube for "We're building a dystopia just to make people click on ads"

I read that Apple will launch a feature so much of this multilevel information will be stopped, no more ads following you between your media platforms. Probably not a popular feature at Google or Facebook, but welcomed by us who don´t want to be chased by ads of topics long overdue. I remember when my parents died and I had to read ads on funerals for a year..!