re: #284 FemNaziBitch

Exactly! Sometimes, it’s better to coach people on their research skills. Like pointing out that they are reading an “article” originally posted years before or one that has been cut and pasted many times—which makes it as reliable as a rumor. Most people have some little bell that goes off when it comes to the word “rumor”. Probably from the “rumor” game everyone played in grade school.

But, I don’t do this very often. Mostly I just keep quiet. I don’t always have that much patience.

I don’t think they’re posting to look for truth. They’re looking for feedback reinforcement of their prejudices. Thus the efficiency of the echo chamber (and retweeting of the same misinformation) since they hear a lot more voices agreeing with them than a few that are saying, “Wait a minute, that’s not accurate.”

I got burnt out on this a long time ago. Too many “rational” discussions where as you won points they retreated to the next point, and so forth, until they suddenly retreated right back to the first point (again). At that point you realize that they were not going to sway from the general viewpoint based on any evidence you offered and that you were wasting your time with them. (Unless you’d paid your five pounds of course.)