Ask Lemmy

Don't trust anything online

We've had a nice run of the world where photos and videos could be used as proofs of the reports and everyone with a camera could be a trusted journalist (about 1895–2025). This world is now gone. Just like in 1800s, now you either trust someone's words or don't, and reputation of the individual is the only thing you might consider. Established newspapers are relevant again, citizen journalism is dying.

Critical thinking.

Take your time and think about things. It's a lot easier to overcome your cognitive biases when you slow down. Saying that, this is going to be a tough road we go down. Always having a nagging doubt about whether something is real or not is going to weaken the foundations of our reality in ways that open us to further manipulation.

Same way I do now: source info from many sources. Then use my best judgement.

There’s no way to know 💯 if you’re being shat on even before AI. You just do the best you can.

A question I've struggled with my whole life. Some people are really good liars.

The same way we did up until now. Reliable sources and critical thinking. That these aren't very popular lately doesn't mean that they disappeared.

When I was young, the assumption was that technology and the internet could never actually be trusted. It always felt weird when that shifted.

In a way, it's kind of comforting going back to that. I think a lot of us just won't do that with tech anymore.

Critical thinking is great, but none of us can sustain it perpetually. Shortcuts and heuristics are the way we actually evaluate the world.

The good news is that self-awareness will improve your ability to detect deception regardless of the quality of the lie. learn what kind of deceptions ring true to your ears, and you'll be less credulous. Be doubly suspicious of the things that confirm your priors.

1. accept you don't know what's happening outside your 50km radius
2. ?

Its always been this way, that's a good starting point. People have been pushing bullshit since forever.

Photos or even video have been unreliable since we learned how to use a light table and an editor. Or actors and a scene.

So:

We really need to get back to facts matter in journalism, contacts and government have a reputation as individuals.

But good luck with that.

It depends on the criticality and sensitivity of the information, but let's say that the information is of such a nature that I care about it's authenticity and integrity (in no particular order):

• I verify the information with at least three independent sources.
• I vet the information: where is the information coming from? Is the information probable? What is the general tone? What perspective is it present from?
• I vet the sources: do the sources have any particular agenda? Do they have an interest in/anything to gain by spreading false information?

As soon as the information comes from somewhere you can't verify directly, assume that it is misinformation. You can reduce the likelyhood of it being misinformation by vetting sources and verifying that other sources give the same information. But in the end - if you haven't seen it with your own eyes, you cannot fully depend on it, just make educated guesses if the sources that have proven themselves to you agree on something.

Actually, this has been true since at least the advent of Facebook, AI just increases the scale. Look up the Cambridge Analytica stuff.

I downloaded an offline copy of Wikipedia in 2019, so probably that. Others, use wayback machine, it's too big to upload here.

ai slop is really getting better nowadays.

i just initially doubt anything until i get a matching news from more sources.

reading more variety helps since you get a base list of what sources tend to put up reliable news.

Having a reliable source that you trust certainly goes a long way. Not fool proof, but I'd say good enough. Still good idea not to consider it a source of absolute truth and to continue to think critically.

Otherwise, eye witnesses will be crucial. "Pics or it didn't happen" is a relic of a bygone age.

Thats the neat part: we won't!

Focus locally, consider first your own community, first in fact then in metaphor. I mean, focus first on what's actually going on around you, in person. Not plugged in enough to understand that? There are lots of people who need help. Volunteer with your local food not bombs, outreach group, or food pantry.

Then if you need to consider events outside your community, think about how they would map onto your own community and how people you really know would act and react.

Of course this only works if you're not a gentrifier or trying to maintain segregation or anything like that. You've gotta recognize what you have in common with the guy on the street more than the rich fucks that dominate the news.

Same as anything. Multiple sources, trusted etc