• megopie
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    11 months ago

    What makes a good convincing conspiracy theory is that has elements of truth. If you really get in to the groups of people who actually discuss and propagate this theory, they think this stuff is more coordinated, wide spread, and competent than it actually is.

    I would be careful treating “dead internet theory” as plausible until you actually dig in to the stuff proponents of it believe, you’ll quickly realize they go beyond “there are a lot of bots on the internet, shitty boiler plate content, and astroturfing campaigns” to color revolution theory, NWO theory, and other Lyndon LaRouche esque stuff. Like it’s a deep fucking rabbit hole that you would not suspect from the surface level ideas that are often presented when talking about it.

    • fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com
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      11 months ago

      First I’ve heard of this, but after some admittedly light reading I’ll provide a contrary opinion.

      The theory is not the same as the combined beliefs of those who follow it.

      Based on what I have read of the theory itself, it seems 100 percent plausible.

      Much of what you describe seems to be in addition to, not a part of, Dead Internet Theory.

      • 1rre@discuss.tchncs.de
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        11 months ago

        Issue is that people like to categorise other people into groups, and so even if you only believe the plausible or even provably true parts of it, if you try and propagate it you’ll lose credibility in a lot of people’s eyes

    • Toribor@corndog.social
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      11 months ago

      Conspiracies would be a lot more fun if most of them didn’t end up blaming secret Jews around the world for all the problems.

    • mindbleach@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      Denialism is pluripotent. Give people a contrarian thing that makes them feel smarter than everyone else, and they’ll fall for any old bullshit eventually.

      The loudest peddlers of bullshit are the same bigots as always. Fascism spreads exclusively through emotional manipulation.