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The Age of Distributed Truth (eugenewei.com)

Posted by msmash on from the new-age dept.

Eugene Wei, head of video at Oculus (Formerly with Flipboard, Hulu, and Amazon) writes about how information gets distributed now, and things that were commonly known in specific circles are becoming more widely known. From his article: The internet gave everyone a megaphone, and these days that can feel like that Chinese proverb, you know the one. Perhaps the truth was better kept in the hands of a limited set of responsible stewards, but that age of the expert has passed, and that system had its own issues. As every Death Star reminds us each time they're blown up, concentrating power in a small area has its own unique vulnerability. We live in the age of distributed truth, and it's an environment in which fake news can spread like mold when in viral form. But the same applies to the truth, and if there's one lesson on how to do your part in an age of distributed truth, it's to speak the truth and to support those who do. It may be exhausting work -- is it really necessary to point out the emperor is buck naked? -- but it's the best we can do for now. In this age, the silent majority is no majority at all.

4 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. Re:"Responsible Stewards" by Captain+Splendid · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Show me an inviolate person

    There's your problem. You're looking for perfect unblemished snowflakes (which don't exist) instead of doing the boring, mundane work of verification and cross checking of the facts at hand. No wonder you're paranoid.

    --
    Linux, you magnificent bastard, I read the fucking manual!
  2. What Chinese proverb? by fiannaFailMan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The internet gave everyone a megaphone, and these days that can feel like that Chinese proverb, you know the one.

    No. I don't know the one. After googling I still don't know it. Has anyone figured it out?

    --
    Drill baby drill - on Mars
  3. Experts aren't simply truth receptacles by Dripdry · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Experts are people who take truth/knowledge and process it. They apply what is applicable, creatively and pragmatically.
    This nonsense about the death of the expert is, itself, an untruth.

    --
    -
  4. Quotable quote by Geoffrey.landis · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That goes in my quotable quotes file:
    " if there's one lesson on how to do your part in an age of distributed truth, it's to speak the truth and to support those who do. It may be exhausting work but it's the best we can do for now."

    --
    http://www.geoffreylandis.com