Most of the information isn’t filtered that way, for various reasons. Maybe we could but we generally don’t.
We could make information that’s easier to filter. For example, tags telling us how many steps-removed from the original source.
Yeah, solipsism.
Consider that when you read, there are 2 sources of information, the arrangement of the words and the meaning of the words. The arrangement comes from the screen the meaning comes from you. Which is the bigger hunk of information?
That much is obvious.
I’d say that the important things are
That we swallow knowledge gained this way pretty much automatically. Like the default is to believe it or react to it, with very little filtering.
That it lacks indicators that might help us filter it. First-hand knowledge and tenth-hand knowledge look exactly the same.
Of course not. Why?
I’m talking about any statement about reality. All by itself. With no knowledge about the person who said it.
I think that the guy who saw it and the guy who heard it tenth-hand get equal weight, because we have no way of telling the difference.
So maybe we should have a way to tell the difference.
I imagine language with some new tags.
Tags like “original source” and “number of iterations from original source”
(“Iterations” probably isn’t the right term. If Bob saw it, then Bob told Sally, then Sally told Frank. Frank has “3rd iteration” knowledge. But what’s the better term?)
I mean if I tell you about the taste of a peanut butter sandwich, how do you tell whether I actually ate a peanut butter sandwich? Or I just read about a peanut butter sandwich??
That’s a damn good point. It could be chat bots talking to chat bots all the way down and we’d never know the difference.
This is a quality of the kind of knowledge we deal in here. Compared to first-hand experience, it is a lesser quality of knowledge. A trashy knowledge if you will.
I didn’t even read the community title. Sorry. My mistake.
Because being a jerk is more fun than sex?
That we are.
But it’s just talk. Just. Talk.
Meanwhile in the real world other CEOs create investment products, home furnishings and consumer entertainments. While Musk creates spaceships. Yes, those other guys look damn petty in comparison. And by petty I mean small. Do I need to underline my point again?
this is a really dumb question.
Youtube, reddit, facebook. Careful algorithms to maximize my exposure to advertising membranes, to absorb nutrients out of my bank account.
And you asked so nicely. How can I refuse?
Yes, he’s doing it. And all those other guys aren’t (in fact they look rather petty in comparison). So yes, I give him credit. Bigass credit.
Like he’s doing more to run it than you are suggesting.
I think yr kinda pulling that out of your ass there. I think there’s more to it.
But he runs a spaceship company. How many of those have we got?