Declining Quality of the Internet

[nksmfamjp]

I'm not sure if I'm the only one who sees this. Before all this video, communication and social media, people had to self develop skills. I feel like gen x combined these self developed skills well with internet learned stuff. Kind of creating an enhanced level not possible before. Maybe this is overstated.

Now, it seems like there is a lot of circular opinion content with little "work" or skill development being done offline to build real knowledge.

Is seems like there is actually a circular conversation that is declining in knowledge content.

Is anybody else seeing this? Am I just getting old? Am I nuts?

 

[FEENIX]

 

[nksmfamjp]

Yea, that topic could be a popcorn thread or healthy opinion sharing. Hope this goes the right way….do you have an opinion or are you just getting "in before the lock."

 

[MtPockets]

I totally agree.
In my opinion, the internet USED to be a place to go to enrich your knowledge base.
With so much disinformation out there, I trust very little of what I see (present website exempted from that).
My wife and I were talking just the other night how with social media being SO important these days, people lose all sense of reality to follow what some "influencer" says. That "influencer" may not have any clue what they are talking about, but it doesnt matter because hords of people who follow that person believe every bit of it and it spreads like wildfire.
These people don't actually have any real world experience but it no longer matters. They saw it on the internet, so that's all that matters.

 

[MtPockets]

Is anybody else seeing this? Am I just getting old? Am I nuts?

To answer your questions, I'd say yes to all three...

 

[74honker]

I totally agree.
In my opinion, the internet USED to be a place to go to enrich your knowledge base.
With so much disinformation out there, I trust very little of what I see (present website exempted from that).
My wife and I were talking just the other night how with social media being SO important these days, people lose all sense of reality to follow what some "influencer" says. That "influencer" may not have any clue what they are talking about, but it doesnt matter because hords of people who follow that person believe every bit of it and it spreads like wildfire.
These people don't actually have any real world experience but it no longer matters. They saw it on the internet, so that's all that matters.

And people pay them for this! What a gig, get paid to make other people as stupid as themselves. Stupid is just like herpes, no cure and VERY contageous!

 

[FEENIX]

Yea, that topic could be a popcorn thread or healthy opinion sharing. Hope this goes the right way….do you have an opinion or are you just getting "in before the lock."

Yes to both.

 

[bdlesh]

I totally agree.
In my opinion, the internet USED to be a place to go to enrich your knowledge base.
With so much disinformation out there, I trust very little of what I see (present website exempted from that).
My wife and I were talking just the other night how with social media being SO important these days, people lose all sense of reality to follow what some "influencer" says. That "influencer" may not have any clue what they are talking about, but it doesnt matter because hords of people who follow that person believe every bit of it and it spreads like wildfire.
These people don't actually have any real world experience but it no longer matters. They saw it on the internet, so that's all that matters.

You know Abraham Lincoln said the exact same thing in his Gettysburg Adress....

 

[MtPockets]

Dang, that puts me in pretty good company!

 

[RichCoyle]

nksmfamjp,
Perhaps I'm a conspiracy theorist. I agree with the late Rush, who often mentioned the dumbing down of America. I am convinced it is working. The results are on the net and every Democrat run city and state.

 

[comfisherman]

Forum quality had definitely slid, but mainly due to the rapid rise in alternative mediums. 15 years ago this was one of the fastest ways to find put about new and shiny or where to showcase a project. I'd say most of that has moved to other forms of communication.

Also what once was diy niche hobbies became mainstream and required much less barrier to enter. The thrilling specialized threads of yesteryear are just about over the counter. In our hobby when I got in it 18 years ago cartridges and rifle platforms let alone scopes we have on the shelf at the regular were diy, specialized and diy... now your big box store carries it.

It's the case in most aspects of life, guns trucks sleds atvs... you name it there are now factory options as good as a wild build from 20 years ago. Think it makes it feel like nothing is as cool as it once was.

An off the shelf can am xmr 1000 is a better machine than the most impressively pimped out and well built atv from 15 years ago, same is true of most rifles/scopes. Makes it seem like cheating, well up until you see a price tag.


In the internets defense.... this season is at a lull and the prices are horrible. Figured I'd take a summer week off since this year it won't cost me much (we haven't seen prices like this in 20+ years, if inflation is adjusted maybe ever). Decided to try vaccum infusing some composite panels for a boat project, watched hrs of videos on starlink on the days long trip home. Built a very nice panel from what I'd learned, and had the best BBQ ribs for dinner I've ever eaten that my wife cooked from a YouTube video she'd seen....

It's still got some use...