I love the Internet. It reminds me often of the Enchanted Forest in Marchen or Fairy Tales. Both the Internet and the Enchanted Forest are places of opportunities and danger; populated by friends, foes, and tricksters; where truth, lies and beautiful truths exist side by side. Once you realize you will not have a problem going to and through the woods. In other words you have the snatch those rose colored glasses through which you view the Internet.
In recent weeks, there has been an increase interest in propaganda and digital assassination or black ops. Most notably there is what seemed to be an orchestrated campaign against the Free Mobile Internet of Smart Communications and its digital sister Sun et al. Every time a tweet mentioning Smart and Company’s Free Internet a response with the hash tag lie more is tweeted. Oddly enough this occurs nearly 24 hours 7 times a week. It seems that a team is working on full time to do this or someone came up with a bot (a program) that automatically replies to a set of words or phrases. ( It would be something to see two twitter bots at it: Replies with minimal human interaction … Gives new meaning to Robot Wars or Bot Wars).
Whoever did this just crossed into covert character assassination. Basically using propaganda techniques enabled by technology to destroy someones reputation. It is not promoting a business but attacking. And if might say so very clumsily.
Other forms of this attacks are done in blogs, the comment threads of blogs, forums, emails and even on Instagram. The form is the same it is an ATTACK. It is relentless and merciless. More importantly it relies heavily on emotion rather than logic. It wins on stubborn emotion and not logic. It uses ad hominems and ad naseum to win the discussion.
What about the other propaganda? There are five people you meet online:
Those who want to talk and share with you
Those who want to be seen and heard
Those who want to help and teach
Those who want to hurt
And, Those want to sell
Those who want to sell can sell anything:
A Pen
A Phone
A Product
A Person
A Perception
A Proposal
A Philosophy
A Point of View
So is the Truth Out There?
Is the truth dependent on one’s point of view?
The answer is it depends.
Does it pass the test?
What test?
Has it been proven through more than one evidence?
How does It fare against other ideas and opinions?
Is it dripping with emotion?
Who is the source?
In the end it pays be doubting Thomas, seek proof and test the ideas. Saint Thomas of Aquinas, who was responsible for the introduction of the works of Aristotle, Suggested that the Earth was at the center pf the Universe. It was not. Aquinas did say that it was a working theory … It was still a hunch. The problem was Aquinas’ disciples believe and insisted it was the law. And there lies the problem my friends.
