Please take the time to watch this video and you'll learn just how things really are happening on the Internet. I think you'll see that Politics has taken a similar path. It will be worth your time.

http://www.wimp.com/filterbubbles/

By the way, TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It's NOT some left wing pinko plot - NOR is it a right wing wacko plot.

Xavier

It is definitely worth watching!!

XAVIER...thank you so very much for sharing this link (By the way, TED is one of my favorite sites and one that I have not been to enough recently and it is no political but great for curious minds.)

This was just fantastic. The internet is so many ways has and does contribute to the great divide in people regarding politics. Having our searches for information filtered does not help that situation at all. As someone who has always advocated strongly to read, listen and hear BOTH sides before coming to any conclusions AND as someone who is so disappointed and critical of our media, I hope folks watch this.

These filters on us, make people better PARTY members, but certainly not better Americans.

Thanks again for sharing

Originally Posted by Bucco

XAVIER...thank you so very much for sharing this link (By the way, TED is one of my favorite sites and one that I have not been to enough recently and it is no political but great for curious minds.)

This was just fantastic. The internet is so many ways has and does contribute to the great divide in people regarding politics. Having our searches for information filtered does not help that situation at all. As someone who has always advocated strongly to read, listen and hear BOTH sides before coming to any conclusions AND as someone who is so disappointed and critical of our media, I hope folks watch this.

These filters on us, make people better PARTY members, but certainly not better Americans.

Thanks again for sharing

I see the point being made here, but if you regularly read many sources on a regular basis and don't just rely on searching for something, you can overcome this "filtering" to a great extent.

News junkies wouldn't have this problem to a big degree I would think. It's the people who only react when they've heard something, and only get news this way that would be affected like this speaker says.

I do both. I read voraciously, and if I hear something interesting or I need extra info, I will search for it.

This guy did give an interesting talk, though.

Originally Posted by RichieLion

I see the point being made here, but if you regularly read many sources on a regular basis and don't just rely on searching for something, you can overcome this "filtering" to a great extent.

News junkies wouldn't have this problem to a big degree I would think. It's the people who only react when they've heard something, and only get news this way that would be affected like this speaker says.

I do both. I read voraciously, and if I hear something interesting or I need extra info, I will search for it.

This guy did give an interesting talk, though.

.

Oh I agree with you Richie. Totally. I am probably not as much of a reader as you perhaps, but do digest a number of papers each day, AND I try to mix up the liberal with the conservative.

I have though noticed this filter he talks about. I have searched for a news item perhaps and found myself looking at links that I just thought were not right so went to other sources that I know. I also, as you mentioned have so many newspapers and newssites bookmarked that I dont search much.

I do think it is the tip of a huge problem. As you know, I feel the media is so terrible and on the internet it is almost criminal. It is, in my opinion, the reason that so many posts on here leave me scratching my head wondering where in the world did that come from.

If you believe in aliens at the square, you probably can find a site to reenforce your thoughts.

If you WANT TO AND NEED TO hear only liberal thoughts or conservative thoughts you can feed on those kind of places on the web. I normally ignore some of the more obvious ones because you know what you are going to get, but I find it interesting and sad to go to different sites and have the EXACT SAME story written about, and the facts are different, either by omission to alter or spin, or by actually just not telling the truth. That is why sometimes, and I am sure you can do the same thing, when you hear the party hacks on here saying something, you know EXACTLY where they got the thought and in some cases, you can read word for word (without the required credit required by law).

This media and internet thing really and truly concerns me. People read opinion pieces and take them as fact. "Factual accounts" are "spun" by omissions or in other ways. And the money being spent is awesome.

In any case, I am glad XAVIER posted the link. Everyone should start to pay attention to where they get information and the information that they post and say are true facts. If there was strict enforcement of libel laws on forums like this, many posters would be doing time.

Xavier - Great link! The speaker made good sense and I will change my Google searches to try to avoid some of the traps I may have constructed. More importantly, I've learned about TED. I'm bookmarking immediately. Another important site to add to WSJ, NYT and Wired.

Originally Posted by RichieLion

I see the point being made here, but if you regularly read many sources on a regular basis and don't just rely on searching for something, you can overcome this "filtering" to a great extent.

News junkies wouldn't have this problem to a big degree I would think. It's the people who only react when they've heard something, and only get news this way that would be affected like this speaker says.

I do both. I read voraciously, and if I hear something interesting or I need extra info, I will search for it.

This guy did give an interesting talk, though.

As a new member I have been reading many quotes by you and Buco. I am amazed that both of you herald your vast reading. However when i read your use of such terms as "Freudian" and your out of context use of invectives an "Communism", I wonder if you did not get your reading list from Sarah Palin.

Originally Posted by lady of the lake

As a new member I have been reading many quotes by you and Buco. I am amazed that both of you herald your vast reading. However when i read your use of such terms as "Freudian" and your out of context use of invectives an "Communism", I wonder if you did not get your reading list from Sarah Palin.

PLEASE CUT AND PASTE AND LET EVERYONE SEE WHERE I EVER USED THE WORD "COMMUNISM" OR "FREUDIAN" IN ANY OF MY POSTS.

I will be watching because you are not going to find any. Not sure who you are but your reading and comprehension skills are suspect.

But it is nice to have such an intelligent and aware person that their first post on a POLITICAL message board would be to criticize the use of a word. Maybe would be more in tone with the reason for this board to have a political opinion.

I promise to you, my well read one, that I will concentrate on my grammar, spelling and if I confuse you at any time with my stupidity, just ask and I will find someone to explain it to you.

Originally Posted by lady of the lake

As a new member I have been reading many quotes by you and Buco. I am amazed that both of you herald your vast reading. However when i read your use of such terms as "Freudian" and your out of context use of invectives an "Communism", I wonder if you did not get your reading list from Sarah Palin.

You some bullchit made up person? You sound fake.

Please note this is a No. 1 Post!????????
As you know, there been a few questionable ones in the past.