Why is it that the same type of people who used to say Wikipedia isn't a credible place to find sources tend to be the same who now regard Facebook Memes as facts?

Question

Why is it that the same type of people who used to say Wikipedia isn't a credible place to find sources tend to be the same who now regard Facebook Memes as facts?

6 Answers

Answer Question

Answer 1

It could be a realization that experts don't know everything.

Answer 2

I can't think of anybody who views online memes as "facts." Sometimes they are cute or humorous. Sometimes they are useful tools to highlight a point, in the same way as a political cartoon, but they are not "facts."

Answer 3

Perhaps because the very idea that Wikipedia isn't a credible place to find sources was, in itself, a viral misconception just like some of the politics and propaganda that gets shared a lot on Facebook.

I'm all for double checking and verifying stuff I see online before I believe it or buy into it, whether it be Facebook, Wikipedia, or even Blurtit... But statistically speaking, I've used Wikipedia for a number of years now, for everything from essay research through to browsing random articles, and the vast majority of content has been pretty well documented and accurate.

Answer 4

Think about it---aren't they still showing the same amount of insight into reality?

Answer 5

Didge Doo answered

Beats me, DDX. Gullibility in the information age has no bounds.

Answer 6

I dunno, DDX, I find accepting facts without verifying them is not a good idea, and when using the Wiki, I do check the resources. It's much like accepting a couple of well known religious magazines when they quote this expert or that, and not checking it out. They usually fall flat in their misquotes, or the expert is actually nonexistent, or so old that the info is WAY out of date. I once emailed one of their "quotes" and asked if he said what was quoted by the publisher, against the big bang, he replied and said "Well, maybe, but it is proven fact now".