What exactly is the point of the "cool story bro" mentality?

[antigone382]

Granted, occasionally an internet story is so over-the-top ridiculous that maybe a good call out is in order. But otherwise, what gratification does anybody really get out of accusing an anonymous poster on a discussion board of being potentially dishonest? Congratulations, you pointed out that someone may have lied on the internet. How clever.

Almost any personal anecdote--whether on the internet, in person, in an autobiography, or however--is unverifiable, and thus subject to embellishment or even complete fabrication. If you're not taking everything you read on the internet (that isn't specifically backed up by solid sources) with a grain of salt, then you've got way bigger problems than the guy who may or may not have just won over that red-faced teabagger's super-hot girlfriend.

Virtually everyone is aware that things they read on the internet have a certain likelihood of being false. Nevertheless, running around trumpeting that particular personal stories (or at least the ones that don't jive with your particular experience or worldview) are probably false and worthy of ridicule, contributes virtually nothing worthwhile to a discussion, and it doesn't make you look as smart as you think it does. They can't prove their stories are true, you can't prove their stories are false, and the discussion devolves into suspicion, animosity, and the general incivility that makes our daily lives suck so much. What exactly is clever about that?

Intelligence involves cognizance of others' humanity, even when their existence in your life is limited to whatever is sandwiched between a screenname and sigline. Intelligence involves respect for others' experience as they state it, even when it seems somewhat unlikely or divergent from your own. Intelligence involves basing your discussions on an exchange of ideas, with the potential for finding common ground, or at least acknowledgment of other perspectives that don't necessarily imply ignorance, stupidity, or moral turpitude. Calling someone a liar is easy; respectfully discussing the merits of their ideas takes wit.

[okieinpain]

1. "Virtually everyone" i don't know about that, i'm constantly having

to send friends and relatives snopes reports for something they've gotten in a email.

[antigone382]

3. Good point. I'm referring more to stories that are posted on DU by longtime DUers

I should probably have made that clear in the OP. I don't mind pointing out the falseness of stories that are verifiable hoaxes. But when someone comes online and tells a personal story concerning an event that recently took place, particularly when that story isn't even necessarily politically motivated, there's no way to prove that it's true or false, so why even bother--unless it's so over-the-top, or so obviously rightwing BS, that it can't be ignored?

[SidDithers]

2. ...

Sid

[antigone382]

8. ...

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

4. calling out apparent falsity is socially important

such call-outs have the effect of lowering the reward for lying and/or the likelihood of being believed.

If nobody gave feedback then how would folks know when they had gone too far?

[antigone382]

5. But how do you determine apparent falsity?

I could say "I bought a bag of potato chips today and they were delicious," and you could call me a liar working in the interest of big agribusiness. An even bigger point, maybe I am lying about the chips...what difference does it really make in the long run? Is your life changed by my potato chip falsehood?

Apparent falsity is not necessarily actual falsity. It just has the appearance of falsity to some. Calling out anyone who shares a detail of their personal life isn't going to stop people from lying on the internet, it's just going to make the internet a much less pleasant and open place to be. Granted, incivility is as much a part of the internet as lying is. However, incivility can be undeniably pointed out, while what seems like a lie will always be speculation.

[Ikonoklast]

6. I find your thoughts intriguing.

?1284755509

[antigone382]

7. Nice post, John Hathorne

[antigone382]

9. And on that note, I must leave DU for the evening.

I hope for a lively, thoughtful, and civil discussion, or else a thread sink. I'll be back tomorrow to reply to people.