Mediagasm

[LMNO]

I still think you can work with this.  Just needs the right angle.

[Cramulus]

Okay, dumb idea.  Thought it was worth floating.

why do you say that?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Okay, dumb idea.  Thought it was worth floating.

why do you say that?

The whole "it won't change the world tomorrow, so why bother" thing reflected in most of the last page.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I still think you can work with this.  Just needs the right angle.

Yeah, I mentioned that. I can see potential here, but I'm not sure how to go about it, as I implied earlier...which is why I found the responses so puzzling.

Perhaps I presented it badly.  I posted the pics as the source of the idea, and everyone seems to have taken it as "let's use these pics to bring The Machine down".

[Triple Zero]

The first two are, but the last two are definitely just really really dumb headlines.

Could be to meet the 4am deadline, maybe the reporter felt like fucking up on purpose, maybe it was April 1st, or the Daily Mail. I guess my point is - it's not evidence of systematic stupidity.

ok then, whatever. from your reaction, I took you were disagreeing with these particular examples of media stupidity. I dont have much interest in establishing whether the media is dumb or not, but take it as a given (And I think a lot of other people with me).

if you disagree with that, fine, but dont go doing it in someone else's thread killing of a potentially cool project before it's even taken form.

Anyway, making extra-super-dumb news articles, well it's gonna be a load of fun, but I'm afraid we're gonna hit that paradox.

I wasn't talking about making dumb articles for the lulz, but rather demonstrating the process by which forms of news media are not just dumb, but predictably and dangerously stupid... and if we inspire copy-cats, that would create the situation where they have to adapt. If that makes them just a little bit less dumb, that's an unusual victory.
[/quote]

Yeah but I wasnt talking about whatever you're talking about, so shut it.

Not everything is about you, your opinion or your worldview, Fictionpuss.

(still isn't)

Yeah, I mentioned that. I can see potential here, but I'm not sure how to go about it, as I implied earlier...which is why I found the responses so puzzling.

Perhaps I presented it badly.  I posted the pics as the source of the idea, and everyone seems to have taken it as "let's use these pics to bring The Machine down".

So, how do we best showcase Dumb?

- satire? "haha look at them dumb medias", or rather kind of like Cain's blog does sometimes

- hyperbole? I think it can be said the Onion already does this (at least in part of their articles)

- debunking? like http://www.badscience.net/

(tired, that's all i can come up with now)

[Cramulus]

Okay, dumb idea.  Thought it was worth floating.

why do you say that?

The whole "it won't change the world tomorrow, so why bother" thing reflected in most of the last page.

if you're referring to my posts -- my intent was to explore the different approaches we could take, pointing to angles which might be dead ends
not shooting stuff down; brainstorming, developing ideas

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Okay, dumb idea.  Thought it was worth floating.

why do you say that?

The whole "it won't change the world tomorrow, so why bother" thing reflected in most of the last page.

if you're referring to my posts -- my intent was to explore the different approaches we could take, pointing to angles which might be dead ends
not shooting stuff down; brainstorming, developing ideas

No, I wasn't referring to you.  I misinterpreted 000 (sorry about that, trip), and I made the mistake of reading Fictionpuss's posts.  Carry on.

[fomenter]

 you read a fictionpuss post ha ha 

[The Good Reverend Roger]

you read a fictionpuss post ha ha 

I was getting in my quota of dumb.   

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I like this idea and think it can definitely be developed into something... must ponder it.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I like this idea and think it can definitely be developed into something... must ponder it.

That's what's driving me nuts...this is the diseased underbelly of the beast.  We have to be able to think of SOMETHING.

[Iron Sulfide]

This idea is most exciting!

Whaddaboot out-and-out stealing from joey skaggs on this one?

we could create a [false but partially verifiable] back-story about "X"
and feed it to small-time media outlets; then sending their output to slightly larger
media-outlets, and so on.

i think to really capture the "DUMB" of the media, though, it has to be Self-Referential-
it would have to be a story about how a group of social deviants pulled one over on
XYZ Media Entertainment, which had such and such ramification...

maybe?

***

i had an idea for cheaply jump-starting this tactic, not too long ago. newsprint paper
(usually needs some trimming to size) can run through a regular home/office printer,
with the proper patience. an easy way of doing this is double-sided removable tape and
normal paper.

then it's just print- cut- send and you have (at least) a moderate convincer of a clipped news article.

some readily found false leads would really add to the over-all convincingness of the whole piece.

or...?

[Telarus]

I think this idea has some promise. Getting a handle on the most effective vector/angle to work it with will make or break it, tho (as Rog and others have pointed out).

I'll think about this a little.

[Captain Utopia]

The first two are, but the last two are definitely just really really dumb headlines.

Could be to meet the 4am deadline, maybe the reporter felt like fucking up on purpose, maybe it was April 1st, or the Daily Mail. I guess my point is - it's not evidence of systematic stupidity.

ok then, whatever. from your reaction,

Your kneejerk response, but whatever.

I took you were disagreeing with these particular examples of media stupidity. I dont have much interest in establishing whether the media is dumb or not, but take it as a given (And I think a lot of other people with me).

if you disagree with that, fine, but dont go doing it in someone else's thread killing of a potentially cool project before it's even taken form.

Why would I disagree with that - did you even read my first post? I gave four bullet points showing different examples of the ways in which I perceive that the news media is systematically stupid.

I think this is a great project and I already spent 2-3 hours last night trying to come up with an idea and communicate it as clearly as I can. Obviously that wasn't enough time, but what makes you think I just go about trying to thread-jack peoples work?

Anyway, making extra-super-dumb news articles, well it's gonna be a load of fun, but I'm afraid we're gonna hit that paradox.

I wasn't talking about making dumb articles for the lulz, but rather demonstrating the process by which forms of news media are not just dumb, but predictably and dangerously stupid... and if we inspire copy-cats, that would create the situation where they have to adapt. If that makes them just a little bit less dumb, that's an unusual victory.

Yeah but I wasnt talking about whatever you're talking about, so shut it.

Not everything is about you, your opinion or your worldview, Fictionpuss.

(still isn't)

What the fuck is your problem? You responded to my post, and I made the mistake of.. what.. assuming that you were talking about what I was talking about?

[Captain Utopia]

I was getting in my quota of dumb.   

And mocking people who are genuinely trying to contribute to your project idea because they think it rocks is smart?