The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Net a window on the world, but not always the facts > Comments

Net a window on the world, but not always the facts : Comments

By Leslie Cannold, published 21/8/2006

Mainstream news organisations exercise important quality control over what we see, hear and read.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All
There’s a lot to be bothered about in this article.

First, there’s a failure to distinguish between what happens in the main content of most opinion sites, and what readers dish up in the comments. Let’s assume for a moment that OLO is the “one Australian opinion site” being discussed here. We get five doses a day of truly varied comment, covering just about every imaginable topic from a wide range of perspectives. Even broader is possible, of course (some articles in Urdu, perhaps?), but I reckon the internet serves us very well in this particular case.

Of course the comments are often ignorant, self-serving or just plain loony, but there’s usually some evidence of an intelligent readership among them too. When reading outside one’s area of expertise, there’s often stuff among the comments which challenges or informs views already held.

Second, generally the mainstream media claim to be presenting factual information, so they have an obligation to check their facts. Yet as we all know, they regularly fail to do so. Opinion sites generally don’t claim to be presenting the truth, so the obligation to check facts rests with the reader. Where is the problem in this? I hope Charles Duelfer went on to explain exactly what’s wrong with challenging commonly agreed facts.

Yes, we all read through the filter of our own pre-conceptions, and possibly many of us are unable to distinguish fact from opinion. However I think it’s a bit rich to argue that A: many Americans believe untrue information and B: many internet information sources are inaccurate therefore C: the internet is dangerous.

It’s speculation, of course, but I’ll bet that more of those Americans who believe in Iraqi WMDs got their information from “fact-checked” mainstream media than from online opinion sites. The answer is to help people to think critically about what they read, not to regulate it.

The Wikipedia’s authority lies in its lack of a claim to authority http://www.reason.com/links/links081506.shtml The long-term effect of the internet may be that we question everything, which can’t be so bad.
Posted by w, Monday, 21 August 2006 8:53:47 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Dan Rather's Fake Memos
Reuters Doctored Lebanon Photos
Terry Lane publishing lies in The Age.

There's your reliable mainstream media for you.

All of these deliberate lies by mainstream media sources were exposed by Internet opinion writers.

This article is just a pathetic attempt by a media organisation with falling market share to pretend they are still relevant. And The Age is by far the most unreliable media source in Australia.

Terry Lane not sacked? What does he have to do, shoot a baby in the face?

"This Is The Internet. We can fact-check your ass".

Ken Layne, 2001.

You guys probably still haven't heard that quote, you are so far out of touch.
Posted by Yobbo, Wednesday, 23 August 2006 7:56:21 AM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Somewhere in sleazy downtown Sydney, two unwashed, filthy bloggers in pyjamas chat while dunking hotdogs in their coffee at lunchtime...

"Hey Maximus."

Yeah what?

"There's some woman on OLO saying there's a band of "forum participants" getting around, sort of like gang-cyber-stalkers, I guess, roaming around female-authored articles, taking the P out of them."

Is that right?

"Yeah, and she says that they've got gladiatorial sounding names. Have you ever heard of these guys?"

No.

"And she reckons they've got anger management and comprehension issues."

'Struth! We'll keep a good lookout for them - we wouldn't want them coming around to our site. It's a good thing we took down that forum section.

"Yeah. I reckon."

That's the problem with the Internet. It gives little people too much voice. There's far too much freedom of expression these days. It's getting so a bloke can't spin lies and get away with it anymore. I reckon this woman's right. Spin and lies, erroneous research, advocacy propaganda, all these things should be strictly controlled and remain the domain of the elite - the journos, academics, spin doctors and the like. Imagine the chaos in society if people ever started to work out the truth. Just imagine. It'd be shocking. This woman's completely correct. What's her name? What does she do?
Posted by Maximus, Thursday, 24 August 2006 2:43:48 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Had to think of you, Maximus, when I was watching this video blog: http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/archives/2006/08/082306.html

[on an airplane] “Although reclining your seat is technically your right, just like free speech, if you exercise it to your limits, everyone around you will think you’re an asshole.”
Posted by w, Thursday, 24 August 2006 11:12:53 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Hello w.

Sometimes a man has to be an asshole. It's not necessarily what he wants to be, but it's something sometimes he has to be - so his stink gets up the noses of those who deserve it. Getting up the right noses is something a good mate of mine - Miranda Devine - taught me and expressed pleasure in so doing. I respect the woman. She's my kind of woman. Strong, personal and very independent. The sort of woman a man can respect.

If in the meantime, sad little lowercase w, my "asshole" gets up your nostrils, trust me, the pleasure is all mine. I grin from ear to ear with delight.

And to you Mr Yobbo, respect! Good fortunes in your endeavours.
Posted by Maximus, Friday, 25 August 2006 9:15:39 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
What absolute dribble!

The only redeeming feature of Ms Canold is that she is at least consistent in supporting the media bias and social engineering so typical of the fourth estate and the spin industry that rewards her handsomely.

Probably the silliest article I have read on OLO for some time.
Posted by Reality Check, Tuesday, 29 August 2006 9:42:57 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy