Is there any point in even using the internet anymore?

[xrayy]

at least you need "common sense" to get what YOU personally want from the internet. if you are aware of that try to prepare for gaining essential and believable souces for the information you search for.

it is on you to compare information and if the info makes any sense at all in comparison. conspiracy and extremist (also influenced) channels are out of question and not a reasonable source for anything at all. you find many negative examples here posted in the debate forum.

if you trust putin or trump already you definitely failed to check the source and the influenced networks they rule with their propaganda and money or you are actively working on getting lost, just to give a few examples on an endless list... no one said this is an easy task. you can find the truth or at least you come close to it but - it all depends on your serious efforts, your intelligence and your education or at least your will to educate yourself. and you need a lot of patience... and nothing is just black and white! at least for western countries the www is open and media and press is not country wide under permanent censorship like in russia, china, turkey or even worse: north korea. be happy to be able to post freely in this forum without censorship and unreasonable, sometimes politically motivated restrictions.

 

so i'm really kind of speechless if people argue like they are under permanent censorship while they live in freedom of press and media. make a trip to north korea, china or russia and you will probably understand what i mean if you make it back home...

 

on the other hand the things happening in the ukraine are so rediculous and are still tolerated by the world with its not functioning un - i think no one needs a special explanation for what is happening and what are putins plans, still forcing this criminal aggression until the bitter end.

so maybe this topic will become obsolete in the next few month and we will play real fo4 with our planet just because any reasonable reaction (including nato) against the well known criminals came too late.

[showler]

Frankly, if you've already decided that everybody is lying to you all the time then there probably is no point of going on the internet. Or talking to people.

 

If, on the other hand, you judge information based on sources, corroboration from other sources, whether it makes a lick of sense and also the motivation of the people reporting it (mostly money) you can actually still learn things.

 

Just remember, the things you don't know and need to ask about...other people might not know either.

[InDarkestNight]

 

so i'm really kind of speechless if people argue like they are under permanent censorship while they live in freedom of press and media. make a trip to north korea, china or russia and you will probably understand what i mean if you make it back home...

Freedom of speech IS on the decline in the US for a variety of factors. Social media sites like youtube and facebook have been censoring certain content. Facebook was censoring both right-wing and religious content for years, and nobody suspected the latter at all until it leaked. Youtube's also the biggest racist site on the internet! This has resulted in them de-listing ANYONE who talks about anything remotely political, even if they're a debunking channel. Seriously. There's also been rampant complaints from the history community about how youtube is trying to stop them from talking about history just because its become politicized. Social media has far too much control over what people say. Yeah, they have the right to do so on their platforms, but with the internet now so monopolized if they decided to ban you, you have nowhere else to go. If they stop you from talking, you're essentially not allowed to talk at all.

 

It goes far beyond that. It leaked a couple of years ago that the government was PUTTING PEOPLE ON A WATCH LIST IF THEY CRITICIZED TRUMP. Seriously. So yeah, you're branded a threat to society if you exercise your right to call out the president when he's doing something wrong. I don't know if they're doing this for Biden too or not, but that would be even more f*#@ed up if they weren't.

 

There's also the rampant problem with self-censorship, where most Americans avoid saying certain words because they believe it would get them in trouble, completely regardless of what they said. Yeah, its disproportionately affecting the right, but I'm not right-wing and never have been and I've been doing the same thing for years now (keep in mind, I live in a town ruled by the far-right). I even censor myself on this site, even though I do get away with saying a lot of things that I would never utter out loud (such as the previous paragraph).

 

Yeah, censorship in the US may not be as bad as some other countries, but a lot of people are fearing America is heading in that direction. I mean, the book 1984 actually re-entered the best seller's list a few years back because of the way this country is going. When the mass surveillance thing first leaked around a decade ago, people were comparing the government to China. Seriously. Honestly, part of the reason why I've become increasingly reluctant to say anything on the internet is because I'M SCARED TO DO SO.

 

It also doesn't help that seemingly everyone is an extremist now, and not just the right wing either. I mean, the republicans are even trying to REDUCE VOTER TURNOUT by making it illegal to give water to people waiting in line to vote, or reducing the number of polling stations. Even after Biden won the last election most republicans were even still acting like Trump was president, because they believed he honestly was!

 

Democratic backsliding is a real thing that has happened many times, and America lately is going down the same dark path. People have been trying to curtail it for years, with no success. I mean, social media sites like youtube actually punish debunking channels more than conspiracy channels (though this is believed to be a consequence of the fact that they tend to have more viewers simply because there's fewer of such channels, meaning conspiracy theorists have a far easier time flying under the radar despite having more viewers overall).

 

I could go on like this all day. There's corruption scandals coming out of every facet of society, all manner of denialism is spreading, there's the gerrymandering thing that's been going on for decades, meaning that all the elections in my own home state have been RIGGED FOR 40 YEARS. There just isn't anything going right. I mean, I'm even scared to make certain decisions in Skyrim because I'm afraid SOMEONE WILL TRY TO USE IT TO CLAIM I'M DOING SOMETHING WRONG IN REAL LIFE. I've seriously been questioning if its even safe for me to play a black person in this game things are getting so bad. I actually got branded a reprehensible person over on steam some years ago simply for stating that I preferred to side with the empire. Seriously. I even got banned once for pointing out that the great war actually happened 20 years before the start of the game, according to in-game books. Seriously.

 

Honestly, if Trump does get elected again (which lets be real could happen given Biden's incompetence, and honestly the republicans would probably try to put him in power anyway even if he did lose, I mean they did try to last time), I'm going to disconnect from the internet and never go online again, FOR MY OWN SAFETY.

[xrayy]

 

 

so i'm really kind of speechless if people argue like they are under permanent censorship while they live in freedom of press and media. make a trip to north korea, china or russia and you will probably understand what i mean if you make it back home...

...

 

Honestly, if Trump does get elected again (which lets be real could happen given Biden's incompetence, and honestly the republicans would probably try to put him in power anyway even if he did lose, I mean they did try to last time), I'm going to disconnect from the internet and never go online again, FOR MY OWN SAFETY.

 

wow, what a statement! it seems to me the topic was more your personal statement and not a question at all. vote for trump and ignore whatever - for your own safety and all u.s. citizens! it is ok to discuss biden. it is dangerous to even allow trump as a candidate. it is not about about bidens incompetence, it is about the voters and party incompetence - not only in the u.s.

 

[HeyYou]

 

 

 

so i'm really kind of speechless if people argue like they are under permanent censorship while they live in freedom of press and media. make a trip to north korea, china or russia and you will probably understand what i mean if you make it back home...

...

 

Honestly, if Trump does get elected again (which lets be real could happen given Biden's incompetence, and honestly the republicans would probably try to put him in power anyway even if he did lose, I mean they did try to last time), I'm going to disconnect from the internet and never go online again, FOR MY OWN SAFETY.

 

wow, what a statement! it seems to me the topic was more your personal statement and not a question at all. vote for trump and ignore whatever - for your own safety and all u.s. citizens! it is ok to discuss biden. it is dangerous to even allow trump as a candidate.

 

 

If the republicans run Trump, they will be handing the election to the democratic candidate, regardless of who he/she is. Hilary could win against Trump the second time around.....

 

I am hoping the republicans figure this out, and run ANYONE else..... not that I am very hopeful..... The republican party is developing a rather bad habit of doing truly stupid stuff....

[InDarkestNight]

Trump's already a nominee. He's also pretty far in the lead against the other republican nominees. His next best competition is that DeSantis guy, who's arguably even more a threat to this country than Trump himself! I mean, the naacp actually claimed not too long ago that you SHOULD NOT GO TO FLORIDA IF YOU'RE A MINORITY. And they emphasized they didn't just mean blacks either, citing all the homophobic laws he's been passing. The supreme court has also been doing a lot of bad things lately too, and every vote has been 6 to 3 too (there's three democrats and six republicans in the supreme court right now). During the trump administration the republican senate even refused to consider a bill proposed by the democratic house that was supposed to outlaw corruption, claiming it was 'yet another ploy to establish one party rule'. The republican party's just straight gone the way of the nazi party in Germany (which was an already existing political party before Hitler came to power, and is still an active party even today, though until recently they've been struggling to get their vote percentage into the double digits, I believe they now go by 'alternative for Germany', a name they only recently adopted). Yeah, fun times. Oh, and we now have people saying that anyone who's criticizing the government may need to just flee the country in the next years. Seriously. I feel like I'm putting myself in danger just typing all of this.

[HeyYou]

Trump's already a nominee. He's also pretty far in the lead against the other republican nominees. His next best competition is that DeSantis guy, who's arguably even more a threat to this country than Trump himself! I mean, the naacp actually claimed not too long ago that you SHOULD NOT GO TO FLORIDA IF YOU'RE A MINORITY. And they emphasized they didn't just mean blacks either, citing all the homophobic laws he's been passing. The supreme court has also been doing a lot of bad things lately too, and every vote has been 6 to 3 too (there's three democrats and six republicans in the supreme court right now). During the trump administration the republican senate even refused to consider a bill proposed by the democratic house that was supposed to outlaw corruption, claiming it was 'yet another ploy to establish one party rule'. The republican party's just straight gone the way of the nazi party in Germany (which was an already existing political party before Hitler came to power, and is still an active party even today, though until recently they've been struggling to get their vote percentage into the double digits, I believe they now go by 'alternative for Germany', a name they only recently adopted). Yeah, fun times. Oh, and we now have people saying that anyone who's criticizing the government may need to just flee the country in the next years. Seriously. I feel like I'm putting myself in danger just typing all of this.

Erm, correct me if I am wrong, but, isn't corruption ALREADY illegal???

 

And yeah, the field of potential candidates is going to end up being the choice of the lesser of several evils. Unfortunately, they are ALL evil in one fashion or another. I am all for having a "none of the above" on the ballot, and if NotA wins, we dump the current crop of candidates, and start over with a new crop. Of course, that will never happen.

 

So, basically, we are left with a choice of which way we want to see our country destroyed.... And the politicians wonder why voter turnout is so abysmal.

[InDarkestNight]

Erm, correct me if I am wrong, but, isn't corruption ALREADY illegal???

 

Technically, but a bribe is only a bribe if you say its a bribe. Lobbyists from oil companies for example, just call it a 'donation', and they promise to keep giving 'donations' as long as the politician in question keeps voting against any environmental activity that's detrimental to oil companies. Yes, American politicians all know climate change is real, they just don't give a s#*! because none of them will live long enough to see the ramifications of it, and they're getting paid a pretty penny to stop anyone doing anything about it. Many of them openly admit this too, though solely to stop people calling them idiots for not acknowledging climate change. So yes, corruption is legal in America, again as long as you don't say the word 'bribe'. Yeah, fun times. There's more than that too, though they don't always result in direct money. Let's just say slavery never actually ended in the US, it transformed and is still alive and well today. And I'm not talking about workers or legitimate employees here. I would be more specific, but doing so may seriously make me a target.

Edited July 2, 2023 by InDarkestNight

[HeyYou]

 

Erm, correct me if I am wrong, but, isn't corruption ALREADY illegal???

 

Technically, but a bribe is only a bribe if you say its a bribe. Lobbyists from oil companies for example, just call it a 'donation', and they promise to keep giving 'donations' as long as the politician in question keeps voting against any environmental activity that's detrimental to oil companies. Yes, American politicians all know climate change is real, they just don't give a s#*! because none of them will live long enough to see the ramifications of it, and they're getting paid a pretty penny to stop anyone doing anything about it. Many of them openly admit this too, though solely to stop people calling them idiots for not acknowledging climate change. So yes, corruption is legal in America, again as long as you don't say the word 'bribe'. Yeah, fun times. There's more than that too, though they don't always result in direct money. Let's just say slavery never actually ended in the US, it transformed and is still alive and well today. And I'm not talking about workers or legitimate employees here. I would be more specific, but doing so may seriously make me a target.

 

Lobbyists are simply legalized influence peddling. They should be illegal. Of course, the Citizens United decision basically threw the american public under the bus. Corporations being able to donate however much money they wanted, because it was considered 'free speech' spelled the end of government working 'for the people'. Today, we have the best government money can buy, and that isn't going to change. The fact that legislators go into office being maybe upper middle class, but, very shortly thereafter graduate to 'wealthy', ensures that the system will never change. The only people that CAN change it, are the very same people that benefit most from NOT changing it. So, short of a second revolution, this is the way things are going to be.

 

So, in the end, the politicians will continue to play the same games, and the country will slide further and further down that slope, until the house of cards finally collapses. Welcome to the hand basket, we hope you enjoy the ride.

[lefttounge]

@InDarkestNight

Yeah, I feel ya. I read as much of the walltext as I could, and honestly though it was a massive amount, I felt you in just the first couple sentences. :sad:

 

For me, the internet has become insanely boring. Youtube content creators, just dont post content anymore, I could be waiting for months and months for them to do something.

I'm like, dude just do something--anything! Smack your face, make a crazy noise, do anything to entertain me dude.

People like Yongyea, Rerez, and a couple other of my favorite game info users there just don't post anything. :hurr: I mean yeah they post, and yeah I know they have a life, but I'm bored. I want to watch something, though Youtube has gone downhill for years, that's a story for another time.

I'd love to read more about art analysis videos, but those on youtube are just always 'biased' seeming, or they just don't feed my mind with enough satisfying info to keep me interested, and of course you can make a comment, nobody cares. Nobody replies back, unless they want to make a stupid remark. It's like if I discuss a topic and nobody cares, do I make a sound. No it feels like I don't, so why even have a comment section?

The nexus for mods I haven't really been satisfied with, I mean a bunch of good mods still come on here, but it's nowhere near enough as back when I first started on the site, that topic can go on and on though.

 

Tiktok is the only thing that is moderately entertaining, but usually they hardly have anything tangible or meanigful. And I feel like my paintings I upload on there just don't get the recognition I feel they deserve, I need like over 1,000 followers just to go live...? I could go live on Youtube anytime I want. It's ridiculous and detours me from uploading, I have 200 followers, I'll never make the jump, and even if its possible, it's no longer fun because I feel like a monkey performing for treats to no avail.

 

All in all, I think the internet is displaying that everybody ever since 2020 is just, depressed. Nobody wants to do anything, because they're struggling so much, hell me I'm struggling immesenely with me being unemplyed for 3 years unable to find work (yeah I can find work at mcdonalds, but I've been working odd jobs ever since college.) Now that I have my bacheleors of science in computer information, you mean to tell me I cant even find work at a simple desk job? I need 5 years experience in clerical for that? Really?

 

Well that's my problems, many others have issues too, and tbh, I don't feel happy enough to even write, or do anything on social media, and trolls make me even less likely to do so, so yeah I totally agree, and perhaps maybe that might seem so distant online? :sad:

Edited July 14, 2023 by lefttounge