Facebook and Politics

[Dude111]

Since 2008, Facebook users have risen from 100m to 750m. Granted, I don't know how many of them are Americans, AND old enough to vote.

I dont wanna make you mad but FACEBOOK is quite stupid!!

 

[BDBoop]

Since 2008, Facebook users have risen from 100m to 750m. Granted, I don't know how many of them are Americans, AND old enough to vote.

I dont wanna make you mad but FACEBOOK is quite stupid!!

Facebook is a conduit. It doesn't actually have the option of being stupid.

 

[BDBoop]

Since 2008, Facebook users have risen from 100m to 750m. Granted, I don't know how many of them are Americans, AND old enough to vote.

I was just reading in another thread about how people who don't follow politics are likely to vote based on appearance. I'm just wondering, what with all the politically active people on Facebook, if more people are becoming politically aware.

In other words, might the number of politically aware Americans be rising. Might it be getting less easy to fool people, since there is fingertip access to so much information?

And to answer the question....


Yes, people do seem to be more politically aware, but No, that doesn't appear to be stopping them from believing crap anyway.

True. That's how it appears in my circle of acquaintance, anyway.

 

[uscitizen]

A conduit that promotes being stupid then.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Since 2008, Facebook users have risen from 100m to 750m. Granted, I don't know how many of them are Americans, AND old enough to vote.

I dont wanna make you mad but FACEBOOK is quite stupid!!

Stupid it may be but my wife and I use it to communicate with our relatives in California, Tokyo, Okinawa, Brazil and Argentina. (Just never anything political)

 

[BDBoop]

In other words, might the number of politically aware Americans be rising. Might it be getting less easy to fool people, since there is fingertip access to so much information?

Almost certainly not. Increased availability of information is useless to a person if:

1) A person chooses not to access information (perhaps relying on certain ideological gatekeepers to sift through it for them, if they rely on anything at all); or

2) A person is unable to use, interpret, understand, or evaluate that information. Which just leads you back to the gatekeepers in point 1.

Both of these are rampant--read a few threads here if you want some quick examples.

Or, as Feynman put it, "The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool." Still good advice and still largely unheeded.

This Feynman you speak of; does he tell how to avoid fooling oneself?

 

[Greenbeard]

This Feynman you speak of; does he tell how to avoid fooling oneself?

Yes, but it wouldn't help much in this context.

Cargo Cult Science.

 

[BDBoop]

Since 2008, Facebook users have risen from 100m to 750m. Granted, I don't know how many of them are Americans, AND old enough to vote.

I dont wanna make you mad but FACEBOOK is quite stupid!!

Stupid it may be but my wife and I use it to communicate with our relatives in California, Tokyo, Okinawa, Brazil and Argentina. (Just never anything political)

It's how I stay in touch with all my friends and family.

 

[Rinata]

How many bullshit threads do you start every day ?

I think you have some sort of a USMB record for most idiotic threads daily.

Keep up the stupid work.

She's asking a simple question and not even taking any political sides in it. What's so stupid about it?

14 threads in one day. And he night is young.

How would you know if you hadn't been on here just as long??? You're such a jerk.

 

[SFC Ollie]

I use facebook to keep in touch with family and many of my old Army friends. We normally do not discuss politics there. But there is little doubt that if I made a political statement on FB, whether it be true or false, left or right leaning; chances are I would get a dozen comments agreeing with it and 2 dozen likes........

 

[edjax1952]

Since 2008, Facebook users have risen from 100m to 750m. Granted, I don't know how many of them are Americans, AND old enough to vote.


I was just reading in another thread about how people who don't follow politics are likely to vote based on a falsely created appearance. I'm just wondering, what with all the politically active people on Facebook, if more people are becoming politically aware.

In other words, might the number of politically aware Americans be rising. Might it be getting less easy to fool people, since there is fingertip access to so much information?

I would say Facebook makes it much easier to fool people. I have politically conscience friends of all stripes on Facebook. Nine times out of ten when one of them makes a politically themed status update it consists of 99% propaganda commingled with 1% fact. Doesn't matter what side of the aisle - facebook is the Mecca for extremely vapid and superficial political dialogue.

I have been reading some pretty vapid and superficial dialogue on this thread.
I do post political comments on Facebook and have been doing so for about three years now. I also have a blog on WordPress and I have been looking at this blog to make an attempt to find some like-minded people here. I have been able to find them in Facebook.
The reason for Congress’ lack of ability to resolve the recent budget debate, in my opinion, is that most of the politicians in Congress have pledged themselves to a block of other politicians and special interest groups to a point where they cannot resolve issues, they can only support their pledges. They have given up their independent vote to pledges made. They no longer represent the people who voted them in. They represent their loyalty to a certain idea or philosophy that has been created in their years of being on the hill.
It is now necessary for the individual voters to make themselves aware of what is happening in congress in order to decide if individual politicians should remain in office or be replaced by someone not so thoroughly tied to something other than the wishes of the people.
By getting involved with Blogs and social media such as Facebook, we can find other like-minded people who share our own concerns. This will eventually lead to a more informed voter base and will eventually influence the vote to some extent. Hopefully it will influence the vote enough to replace politicians who are not representing the individual voters who put them into office.
I am aware of the influence of big money and how it creates propaganda to sway the public. If the voting block gains enough cohesiveness, it can see past this influence and vote in a responsible manner in spite of big money’s loud voice. It will not be necessary to get everyone on board the social media wagon. We only need enough intelligent people connected together through the social media to sway the vote, not to make a landslide movement. I perceive that in the future these blogs will in fact be a noticeable factor in making a difference in close elections.

 

[RDD_1210]

How many bullshit threads do you start every day ?

I think you have some sort of a USMB record for most idiotic threads daily.

Keep up the stupid work.

"It's an internet message board, lighten up"

Didn't you tell me that once? Perhaps it's time to take your own advice for once and not be a hypocrite.

 

[BDBoop]

Since 2008, Facebook users have risen from 100m to 750m. Granted, I don't know how many of them are Americans, AND old enough to vote.


I was just reading in another thread about how people who don't follow politics are likely to vote based on a falsely created appearance. I'm just wondering, what with all the politically active people on Facebook, if more people are becoming politically aware.

In other words, might the number of politically aware Americans be rising. Might it be getting less easy to fool people, since there is fingertip access to so much information?

I would say Facebook makes it much easier to fool people. I have politically conscience friends of all stripes on Facebook. Nine times out of ten when one of them makes a politically themed status update it consists of 99% propaganda commingled with 1% fact. Doesn't matter what side of the aisle - facebook is the Mecca for extremely vapid and superficial political dialogue.

I have been reading some pretty vapid and superficial dialogue on this thread.
I do post political comments on Facebook and have been doing so for about three years now. I also have a blog on WordPress and I have been looking at this blog to make an attempt to find some like-minded people here. I have been able to find them in Facebook.
The reason for Congress’ lack of ability to resolve the recent budget debate, in my opinion, is that most of the politicians in Congress have pledged themselves to a block of other politicians and special interest groups to a point where they cannot resolve issues, they can only support their pledges. They have given up their independent vote to pledges made. They no longer represent the people who voted them in. They represent their loyalty to a certain idea or philosophy that has been created in their years of being on the hill.
It is now necessary for the individual voters to make themselves aware of what is happening in congress in order to decide if individual politicians should remain in office or be replaced by someone not so thoroughly tied to something other than the wishes of the people.
By getting involved with Blogs and social media such as Facebook, we can find other like-minded people who share our own concerns. This will eventually lead to a more informed voter base and will eventually influence the vote to some extent. Hopefully it will influence the vote enough to replace politicians who are not representing the individual voters who put them into office.
I am aware of the influence of big money and how it creates propaganda to sway the public. If the voting block gains enough cohesiveness, it can see past this influence and vote in a responsible manner in spite of big money’s loud voice. It will not be necessary to get everyone on board the social media wagon. We only need enough intelligent people connected together through the social media to sway the vote, not to make a landslide movement. I perceive that in the future these blogs will in fact be a noticeable factor in making a difference in close elections.

Exactly! Hence my sig.

And welcome aboard.

P.S.: Gracious, your post has a lot of [ code ].

 

[BDBoop]

I use facebook to keep in touch with family and many of my old Army friends. We normally do not discuss politics there. But there is little doubt that if I made a political statement on FB, whether it be true or false, left or right leaning; chances are I would get a dozen comments agreeing with it and 2 dozen likes........

Yeah, same. But then my friends from high school would weigh in "FOX NEWS ROCKS!!1!!eleventy111!!!!1!" and the war would be on. I had to create a 'political me' and friend all my friends so as not to piss off everybody from church, back in the day.

 

[Avorysuds]

I put her on ignore LOL

I did too, a long while back.

This message is hidden because BDBoop is on your ignore list.

 

[uscitizen]

This message is hidden because uscitizen is on your ignore list.

 

[Big Fitz]

How many bullshit threads do you start every day ?

I think you have some sort of a USMB record for most idiotic threads daily.

Keep up the stupid work.

regardless of what you may think of BD, RDean, Chris and Truthiepoo are far and away the champs with this