Imagine an Internet where fake expertise is verboten

[Darth Wong]

As the thread title says: imagine an Internet where, through some act of Loki, it suddenly becomes impossible to lie about who you are, what your level of expertise is, etc. Imagine that Loki has used his powers to abruptly expunge the Internet of all postings and websites which contain such bullshit, so that nobody can use the word "quantum" any more unless he actually has a background in the relevant field. What would the Internet look like?

[Ghost Rider]

LMAO...oh fuck that would destroy so many recluses and nutballs...certainly Bandwidth would be there for the taking.

It would be damn interesting for the very fact how much is insane lies and such not. I can just imagine the websites on religion, hokey devices, dating sites, chat rooms, pseudo science....far too much would just vanish.

[lazerus]

As the thread title says: imagine an Internet where, through some act of Loki, it suddenly becomes impossible to lie about who you are, what your level of expertise is, etc. Imagine that Loki has used his powers to abruptly expunge the Internet of all postings and websites which contain such bullshit, so that nobody can use the word "quantum" any more unless he actually has a background in the relevant field. What would the Internet look like?

Libraries and fact-checking sites only. Without lies, social interaction is impossible, leaving only facts.

[Darth Servo]

About 99% of Trekkie websites would disappear, most message boards would be far more boring, creationists, racists and about a dozen other idiot ideologies would have far less recruiting power.

just for starters.

[Darth Wong]

Libraries and fact-checking sites only. Without lies, social interaction is impossible, leaving only facts.

I never said that all lies would disappear; only lies involving some kind of expertise. So if you lie and you say you like somebody when you don't, that would be unaffected. But when "Stewart at SDI" says that he's a nuclear weapons expert, his posts would vanish into the abyss. When some Trekkie says that gravity is caused by planetary rotation, his posts would also disappear.

[SirNitram]

The 404 swarm would be akin to /.ing the entire universe.

[The Aliens]

Does this apply to outright lying, half-truths, white-lies, or omissions of truth? If all 4, expect the vast majority of corporate sites, dating sites, and Ebay to evaporate.

[Darth Wong]

Does this apply to outright lying, half-truths, white-lies, or omissions of truth? If all 4, expect the vast majority of corporate sites, dating sites, and Ebay to evaporate.

Read the OP. It only applies to bullshit expertise. In fact, some of the people whose bullshit disappears might not be lying. I have no doubt that most people with self-taught Googling in lieu of a science education honestly believe that they have done sufficient research to pontificate on such issues.

[Surlethe]

I wonder what this would do to all the commerce which relies on the internet?

[Ghost Rider]

Does this apply to outright lying, half-truths, white-lies, or omissions of truth? If all 4, expect the vast majority of corporate sites, dating sites, and Ebay to evaporate.

Read the OP. It only applies to bullshit expertise. In fact, some of the people whose bullshit disappears might not be lying. I have no doubt that most people with self-taught Googling in lieu of a science education honestly believe that they have done sufficient research to pontificate on such issues.

True, but this elimanates a great much of Creationism, flat earth and those sites.

This would be very nice in that regard.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Oh crap, then I'd not be able to say I'm a biology student and would have to come clean that I was working for the gov't as a field officer.

[Noble Ire]

Does professing to be a driving force in the creation of Star Wars, and having Lucas as your bitch count?

[Darth Servo]

Say "good riddance" to all the moon landing and holocaust denier websites.

[The Aliens]

If everyone that doesn't have an understanding of what they're talking about loses their postings, huge sections of wikipedia, for example, would dry up. A lot of information there is on topics written by nobodies, who may know some thigns, but generally don't have an authoritative understanding of it. A lot of sites that cite information to use in essays or historical websites would probably collapse as well. It would ebcome a safer place to do business, as the person telling you they have knowledge in a given area (assuming they have no reason to lie) will give accurate, informed information, and won't sell you a cardboard box with a smiley face on it for a computer.

A question- how would this affect subjective areas, such as music reviews and fanfictions? Reviews of a given thing are always based on whether someone likes something or not- is there a certain amount of expertise that renders these valid? A finfiction is generally written by people that don't have their English degrees, are they allowed to stay?

[Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi]

Say "good riddance" to all the moon landing and holocaust denier websites.

Wouldn't some of them still be around, provided that the webmaster's credentials are never brought into the argument, and it's just baseless ranting that doesn't even bother to appeal to authority?

Also, if someone who is honest about their qualifications cites someone who was lying about theirs in order to push a crazy viewpoint, will that count against them too?

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Byebye Darkstar! Byebye Supershadow! BYEBYE KENT FUCKING HOVIND!!!

[Darth Wong]

Say "good riddance" to all the moon landing and holocaust denier websites.

Wouldn't some of them still be around, provided that the webmaster's credentials are never brought into the argument, and it's just baseless ranting that doesn't even bother to appeal to authority?

Someone doesn't have to explicitly say "I am an authority" in order to imply that he is one through careful choice of words.

[wolveraptor]

Well, the way I see it, if the internet only forbade lying about yourself, you could still say, "I talked to this physicist, and he said that *insert useless technowankery here*."

Granted, people are far less inclined to believe you, but you can still post bullshit, saying you've read it, or something.

[Darth Servo]

Well, the way I see it, if the internet only forbade lying about yourself, you could still say, "I talked to this physicist, and he said that *insert useless technowankery here*."

Granted, people are far less inclined to believe you, but you can still post bullshit, saying you've read it, or something.

I don't think so. False conversatiosn with experts IMO would be just as effected by this scenario as false claims of expertise. After all, how did the REAL experts become experts? Well, the first step was usually going to college where they listened to <drum roll.....> other experts.

[wolveraptor]

What about a book? For example, I recieved my undeniable proof that Evolution is bunk in a book called, The Creator's Eye, by Heywood Jablome, PhD.

There. Try to refute that. I could make up some bullshit measurements that indicate a 6000 year-old-earth, and say I got them from that book, which was scientifically peer-reviewed by geologists, lawyers etc.

[J]

A question- how would this affect subjective areas, such as music reviews and fanfictions? Reviews of a given thing are always based on whether someone likes something or not- is there a certain amount of expertise that renders these valid? A finfiction is generally written by people that don't have their English degrees, are they allowed to stay?

I don't think they'll be affected much. Sure some guy who claims to be a well known & paid critic when he's just another guy with a keyboard and webpage would see all his writings vanish, and the same if he claims to have advanced film & art theory background when in reality he's just a bitter knob. People who bash or hype movies, art, or music contrary to their actual likes or dislikes wil also see works disappear, but other than that I think they'll stay intact for the most part.

[Drunk Monkey]

Does professing to be a driving force in the creation of Star Wars, and having Lucas as your bitch count?

Don’t forget about the porn stars who don’t know you, that you sleep with 12 times a day.

[Darth Servo]

What about a book? For example, I recieved my undeniable proof that Evolution is bunk in a book called, The Creator's Eye, by Heywood Jablome, PhD.

There. Try to refute that. I could make up some bullshit measurements that indicate a 6000 year-old-earth, and say I got them from that book, which was scientifically peer-reviewed by geologists, lawyers etc.

If the book's existance is bullshit, the claim disappears.

If the book's credentials are bullshit, your "expertise" is based on bullshit and the claim still disappears.

[wolveraptor]

Well, that'd essentially clear out all lies dealing with science. I wonder what else it would prevent?

[CaptainChewbacca]

I'd be more worried about what if some nutters ended up still being on the net