One aspect of technology that is both wonderful and terrible is the rapid propagation of new information.
Knowledge is not confined to silos, nor can it be easily blockaded by a single entity, yet false, misleading, overhyped, or simply misunderstood information may spread like wildfire.

Additionally, since small, incomplete pieces of information can be consumed and distributed easily, misleading information often spreads faster than the whole truth, leaving out important nuance or other information that provide context.

And if that extra information gets added on later (e.g. a well-meaning commenter hoping to balance out the conversation), it is often disregarded out of hand since the reader “already knows the facts.” At best, the reader is presented with a confusing portrait of the situation, not knowing whom or what to believe.

But I do believe that people at large are becoming aware of this issue, and novel communication systems may make it easier for us all to correct misinformation and see the full picture.

    Martin (Chaim) Berlove

    Written by

    Software engineer and renaissance man. I love the human side of computing.