The Dis/Misinformation Superhighway

Part 1

Chances are you’re looking at the screen of a supercomputer. A technical marvel of our age that never blinks, or slumbers, providing it’s connected to a power source. The device, or interface as it’s called, provides a window to your soul that that makes the super-rich giddy with excitement. As we absentmindedly scroll or swipe our way through the digital pages, data about what you are looking at is being collected and stored at the speed of light. Your digital profile, like mine, contains a sobering, if not terrifying amount of personal information. Technology continues to move and evolve at such a rate that it is difficult for even the most technically literate among us to fathom. Technology is great when it works, as anyone who’s used a printer will tell you. At its base level, technology should improve our lives, and for the most part, make our lives easier. A man called Musk wants to connect our brains to a computer, and he’s well on the way to making it happen. The Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is already being trialed in China, and you can read more about that here if you’re interested. Handheld screens are so yesterday, mark my words.

In an age where information is available almost instantaneously, knowing whether or not something is real, or indeed factual, is becoming increasingly difficult. And this is especially the case given the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Misinformation, and its boof-headed sibling disinformation, have been around for a long, long time. The serpent in the book of Genesis started the ball rolling, and the rest, as they say, is history. Misinformation can be defined as false, misleading, or out-of-context information that’s shared without an intent to deceive. Disinformation on the other hand, is purposefully false or misleading information that’s shared with an intent to deceive and cause harm. Here are some examples that might help to further distinguish between the two. Propaganda is another example of disinformation and is a useful tool that’s often used in politics. Remember, it’s not illegal for politicians and political parties to tell lies, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Isn’t it any wonder that people are suspicious and distrusting when it comes to politics and politicians in general.

In the mid 80’s, the HIV/AIDS epidemic started to come into the public spotlight. It’s divine judgement for sodomy, the head shakers said. Many thought the virus was manufactured by the government in an effort to control population numbers. Even more believed that the virus was created in a government laboratory, and the cure was being purposely withheld from the poor. Satanic panic was also rife, and still remains alive and well in some circles today. According to my trusted sources at the time, it was the Freemasons who were behind most of society’s woes. I often overheard conversations about how the Masons were behind every successful business and had infiltrated most of the mainstream churches. It was said that they were in cahoots with the banks, and heavily involved in all three tiers of Australian politics. I was disturbed by stories that the secretive group were actually devil worshippers in disguise, who rode goats and were into the occult and other nefarious practices. The group was somehow linked to the Illuminati and would be instrumental in bringing about something called the new world order. The Masons had their eyes set on global domination and most of the general public were oblivious to their dastardly plans. These stories reached my ears predominately by word of mouth, although a French writer and journalist known as Leo Taxil was responsible for starting some of the rumors.

If you wanted to fact-check any claims in those days, you’d have to ask someone more knowledgeable about the subject than you were. Like countless generations before us, our primary sources of trusted information were from parents, relatives, peers, and what we’d learned in school. Encyclopedias were available in many homes, and there were even copies the Farmer’s Almanac available to those who wanted the scoop on everything from planting crops, lunar cycles, and even natural remedies. Newspapers were purchased and delivered regularly, and their contents were consumed from cover to cover by the avid reader. Not every vehicle had air conditioning, but every car had a radio, and the news was announced on the hour, every hour, much like it is today.

The internet created a seismic shift in the way we accessed and consumed all our information. I remember hearing about the internet in the mid 90’s, and wondering what it was all about. The digital age had arrived, and the information superhighway placed the world at our fingertips. It promised to give us access to everything we could possibly want to know, and more. Personal computers became affordable to the average person and then along came the first smart phones. Door to door encyclopedia sales plummeted. I still remember the sound of our first dial up modem as it squealed, squeaked and chattered with another modem at the end of the telephone line. The internet is going to change the world said the techno-prophets. And it did. Nay sayers were plentiful, and of course, people were deeply suspicious. People have always been suspicious and hesitant to change, especially when it comes to revolutionary ideas and new technologies.

Somewhere along the track Y2K was launched into the public consciousness. To give you some background, many computer programs at the time represented years using only the last two digits e.g., 99 instead of 1999. As a result, when the year rolled over to 2000, these programs would interpret it as 1900 instead. This had the potential to cause significant errors in various computer systems. In the lead up to the year 2000 lots of people were worried, very worried indeed. Its divine judgement said some while shaking their heads. People were afraid that aircraft would start falling out of the skies, banking systems would shut down and global economies would collapse. Others believed that electrical systems would fail, there’d be no heat or running water and the world would fall to pieces like a pavlova that’s hit the floor.

More than a few people withdrew all their money from the bank, while others sold houses, built bunkers and prepared for the end of the world. Then there were those threw caution to the wind and threw wild parties with cleverly appointed themes welcoming the impending doom. For many the end was nigh, until it wasn’t. I remember it all too well. The clock ticked over and we all woke up the next day and it was business as usual. Although more than a few awoke feeling badly hung over and somewhat disappointed with the anticlimax. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for staying with me. I’ve decided to split this edition of my musings into two parts, so stay tuned for more insights, and don't hesitate to like, comment, or subscribe. Until next time, stay curious and informed.

Ciao for now.