Election Reform Echo Chambers - Good and Bad

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

Are Election Integrity Reformers in an Echo Chamber?



Are Echo Chambers Good or Bad?

Parrots?
"Echo chamber is a colloquial term used to describe a group of media outlets that tend to parrot each other's uncritical reports on the views of a single source, or that otherwise relies on unquestioning repetition of official sources."

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Echo_chamber

Are we fooling ourselves? Does everyone think like us?

The Internet is a great validation device.
(Posted at Moore's Lore blog by "Dana"0

"But echo chambers, in the end, are irrelevant. They offer only the illusion of power, they are in fact illusions. Comfortable illusions, true, but illusions nonetheless. And when actions are taken based solely on what you hear in an echo chamber, know this now -- you are acting under a delusion.

I know. President Dean speaks to it."
http://mooreslore.corante.com/archives/002029.html

Logistical support, exchange of opinion

Trapped in the echo chamber
By Andrew Leonard

The Internet as an echo chamber -

"Echo chambers, so the argument goes, are places where like-minded people talk to one another, nobody ever changes anyone else's mind and true diversity of opinion is exchanged for an infinite plenitude of ideologically identical communities. The Internet, say critics, is really, really good at providing logistical support for such places."

http://dir.salon.com/story/tech/col/leon/2004/11/03/echo_chamber/index.html

Andrew Leonard talks about folks becoming isolated

"...how easy it is to let an Internet site of like-mindedness form a nice, soft cocoon of intellectual safety around one's head."

We must remember the good and bad of Echo Chambers

[Stevepol]

1. Another name for an echo chamber: a catalyst for change.

The only question is this: Is the change a good one or bad one?

Either way you will have to have an echo chamber.

I applaud and commend to all the fabulous echo chamber of the ERD.

[OnTheOtherHand]

2. K&R!!!!! n/t (just kidding)

When I first came to this board, I just figured I would say a few things about exit polls, explain that Febble isn't a shill, and get back to the rest of my life. Not quite the way it turned out.

I believe that this board in some way has to be a microcosm of the election integrity movement. And I really doubt that a movement too small to include people like me is big enough to win. I guess a tricky thing about 'echo chambers' is getting them the right size.

[BeFree]

3. And now you're stuck

And that may be a good thing, no?

I think as long as the echo chamber is grounded in good faith much good can come of it especially on DU and in this ERF. To think otherwise means that someone is here to piss away the time or just piss others off. Imo.

The connection made betwixt people of like minds has never been so open, free and substantial in the history of mankind. The flow of thoughts and ideas found in the discourse here is unmatched, eh?

I am profoundly amazed time and again by the knowledge, good heartedness and degree of patriotism which is displayed here, and my time here is time well spent, especially since I read about 20 times more than I post.

Then of course is the importance of contrary view to the main diet of information. It gives the echos something to bounce off of and, frankly, some times that contrariness means something, and that we are being heard by those who need to hear our voices.

Too, I fear that our forum is injured most when some fear to post or are excluded from the conversation and never heard. That hurts.

[troubleinwinter]

6. Your post about 'good faith'

causes me to be reminded that we do have the common goal of clean, legitimate elections.

I live in Arizona (having moved from Calif. a year ago). I talk by phone nearly every day to a California DUer I met on DU a year & a half ago. She doesn't spend much time in this forum, but we talk a lot about ER because I read here.

Because of this forum, I sent a donation to Deborah Bowen's campaign though I don't live there, because I understood how important it was that she win.

My Calif. DU pal ended up phone banking for Deborah. I would hope to think that my interest in ER and our conversations helped encourage her (OK, I pushed her 'a little').

The point being that this forum educates, supports, encourages and pushes me to contribute to the effort, even if seemingly small ways.

So, again, yes there are facets of 'echo chamber', but also this forum keeps me reminded of the importance of the issue, and keeps me 'bucked up' to reach outside of the chamber.

[BeFree]

9. Ain't that the truth?

The education any of us has really comes from the discussions (echos?) from others who are like minded in the spirit of wanting our votes to be counted as cast.

Who here knows it all? Is there anyone who has the handle on what the reality and the future holds?

This forum has been a starting point which really is infinite.

Is it all perfect? No. For we are humans. And as we have seen in Land Shark's history OP, we humans have forever been fighting for the perfect vote process. And that fight carries on here. We see all the human mistakes, errors and foibles presented here daily. And I, for one, wouldn't want it any other way.

[OnTheOtherHand]

7. yes, this forum presents a great opportunity

and I think some cool things have happened here.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

5. we sometimes forget this isnt an example of the regular public

I think Echo Chambers have much good about them, as long as we
forget to do reality checks now and then.

This group has a hyper focus on ER, whereas the general public may
is not so focused.

The general public is often not even aware of the concerns
that are discussed here daily.

I hope we can remember that so our efforts can be more effective.

[troubleinwinter]

4. Some aspects certainly DO seem to be "an echo chamber"

But on the other hand (look, I made a pun!), I have learned much in this forum. I have learned enough to lead myself to other sources to learn more. It has lead me to get to know and talk with other elections reform activists outside of this forum, hence learning even more. And I do carry what I learn to discuss with others, who are not in the 'movement'.

This past October, at the county fair, I met a candidate for state senate (Dem). We talked a long time. She didn't know much about ER and seemed interested. I asked if she would read about the issue if I emailed her some info. When I emailed her, she responded with some questions and I sent her more info. She lost the election, but she now knows something about the subject. Perhaps she will pass it on to others, perhaps she will become further involved in the issue, perhaps she'll win next time.

It is mainly what I have learned HERE that enabled me to converse about the subject.

So, I think the answer is yes and no.

[Febble]

8. No, I don't like echo chambers

and ER in DU isn't one. Sure, there is plenty of reverberation, but fortunately some of that is from the clash of opinions, even if sometimes the decibel level can get pretty painful.

I stoppped posting during the Block Function period. There are plenty of echo chambers on the internet, and I don't think they are good for much except a bit of boostering, and they can also be dangerous. So I didn't want to be part of a forum in which certain discussions were closed to dissent.

But the Block Function Is No More, so I'm very happy to be back, although I don't have a lot to contribute right now. OTOH is right, some good work has been done on this forum, and I'm really grateful to all the people who have worked with me, and made me think (and given me hundreds of hours of extra work to do) regarding the exit polls, and even more grateful to those who have thrashed out real ideas about avenues of investigation and reform.

And while I'm here, I'd also like to say to those of you have found me a spanner in the works, a thorn in the flesh, whatever - try to think of those of us who tend to look gift-horses in the mouth as sand in the oyster rather than dogs in the manger.

(That last paragraph was crafted in tribute to Land Shark....;) )

And good luck with the primaries!

Cheers

Lizzie

[yowzayowzayowza]

10. DU, even ER, is not an echo chamber, but rather common...

ole digestion, in this case of information: ugly, smelly and loosely organized from mastication to defecation; requiring all manner of gall, bile & weird enzymes to succeed; infested with many varieties of parasite; and, susceptible to all kinds of dis-ease. This villus finds the process about far more that sounds bouncing off the wall.