zlacker

The internet used to be primarily used by geekier, smarter, tech people, and it used to not be a good propaganda/manipulation target since only a subset of the population used it. Media/newspapers were still the primary propaganda channel.

Now that the entire population uses it, the average IQ involved has plummeted, and the political and social payoff for manipulating it with inauthentic content is huge.

>>thegri+(OP)
>Now that the entire population uses it, the average IQ involved has plummeted, and the political and social payoff for manipulating it with inauthentic content is huge.

You have made an important statement which while simple - most people don't really understand the full spectrum of implications. A substantial proportions of the people are really are ungovernable - online or otherwise, they simply stoop too low. Like they say: you cannot fix stupid.

>>thegri+(OP)
>Now that the entire population uses it, the average IQ involved has plummeted,

You are so full of yourself. HN is great proof that there is zero association between "self identifies as technical" and "intelligence"

>>mrguyo+sS
> You are so full of yourself. HN is great proof that there is zero association between "self identifies as technical" and "intelligence"

First off, the early internet barrier wasn't "self identification", it was a minimum degree of intelligence and technical ability.

And even so, they're right to say that the payoff for manipulation has become huge. The incentives at play today are totally different than they were, and very often of the lowest common denominator or tragedy of the commons variety.