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Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956
According to Netflix documentary by Vox: Reddit, 4chan, Gab and Bodybuilding.com are "cult-like"
A wide variety of accusations and criticisms coming from different political and ideological corners are being leveled at social media these days, but referring to them as giving rise to “cult-like” communities might be a first.
Netflix has posted a full new documentary on YouTube that deals with various well known and notorious real-world cults, gives survivors a chance to share their experiences and also provides commentary aimed at explaining what a cult is, how it functions, and what motivates its leaders and followers.
But those who make it to the last five or so minutes of the documentary might be in for a bit of a surprise: “Cults, Explained” refers to several large and small social media platforms and online message boards as creating and hosting “cult-like” communities, although, not by name.
Instead, the reference is illustrated by a graphic that shows the logos of some very diverse online places: 4chan, Reddit, Gab, Facebook, and Bodybuilding.com among others. Cults are known to grow around a charismatic leader, who keeps the whole operation together – something that the documentary acknowledges and explores.
However, its makers state that online places of gathering are also legitimately cult-like, even if they are, as the narrator explains, “without a need for a leader.” But the film doesn't at all delve any deeper into why or how this may be the case.
[...]The documentary finds fault with the nature of these communities that are said to provide a place of understanding and kinship to those who are alienated from society or otherwise disaffected. This may be sometimes true, but does it warrant the “cult-like” label?
The film goes on to say that these communities are bad for people simply because “they provide a home, they provide someone to listen to them.”
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 22 2019, @01:11AM (22 children)
Soylentnews is the ultra-right-wing cult of "Fuck you, got mine, give me yours."
(Score: 1, Troll) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday October 22 2019, @01:22AM (21 children)
You may be right. I always thought ari, Azuma, takyon, FatPhil, SemperOSS, and the like protested a bit too much. It's obvious to me now that they're portraying intentionally foolish caricatures to make Runaway look reasonable and wise for his inevitable presidential runs and victories.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 22 2019, @01:38AM (11 children)
Why nominate Runaway? Vote for President Buzzard, the other Billy Carter.
(Score: 3, Funny) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday October 22 2019, @04:59AM (9 children)
If elected I promise to spend my entire term fishing, playing video games, watching porn, taking naps, exploiting my CiC status to shoot inanimate things with the really cool military weapons, and otherwise doing fuck-all productive. All bills will meet with a pocket veto, so if Congress wants any legal changes they're going to have to work together.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Common Joe on Tuesday October 22 2019, @11:17AM (3 children)
I don't know if this is utterly brilliant or absolutely insane. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground. It's certainly an interesting idea.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday October 22 2019, @11:30AM
Probably wise in the short run and insane as long term policy.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Tuesday October 22 2019, @05:40PM
I was struck by that too -- I sort of love the idea of requiring all bills to require a supermajority.
(Score: 1) by RandomFactor on Tuesday October 22 2019, @09:01PM
There's a story in these parts about a libertarian who ran for some worthless spot years back with a basic platform of "I won't take a check and won't do anything" and he won and did as he promised. Dunno if its true personally, might get motivated and research it someday (more likely not.)
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Tuesday October 22 2019, @05:01PM
Could be worse.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Tuesday October 22 2019, @05:57PM (2 children)
Sooo........ just like any other President of any party. Check.
This sig for rent.
(Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Tuesday October 22 2019, @05:57PM (1 child)
Except for the veto part. Signing stuff, whatever it is, makes for less work and signing things only your own party likes is the norm.
This sig for rent.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday October 22 2019, @09:43PM
Nah, they all want the job for the money and the power. The only reason I'd take it is to keep those jackasses from getting it. Outside wear and tear on my fishing gear you could keep the money. And power annoys the shit out of me cause it always means more work. I genuinely don't give a fuck what anyone does as long as they're not hurting anyone and if they are we usually have something in place that wouldn't require me to do anything except possibly tell some fuckers to do their jobs.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by ElizabethGreene on Wednesday October 23 2019, @01:10AM
Right this way Mr. Coolidge. :)
(Score: 1) by RandomFactor on Tuesday October 22 2019, @08:56PM
Buzzy Carter
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Tuesday October 22 2019, @02:22AM (8 children)
Dumbass. Everything you post is either a troll or an attempted justification of your previous trolling. This isn't "beating the system," it's reducing yourself to the irrelevance you hold in the real world in the online world as well. Runaway's been radicalized, we watched it fucking happen over 3+ years, and every now and then when he gets triggered he goes absolutely ratshit. The guy is perfectly ripe to go postal, if he weren't such a lazy, weak-willed piece of shit, and thank $DEITY he is. There are enough armed nutters out there without him adding his two cents and six shots...
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 22 2019, @03:57AM (3 children)
I don't know, as an outside observer, it seems you are obsessed with him, you always go out of your way to tell everyone how bad he is.
Runaway oth doesn't quite give a shit.
Is this unrequited love? There needs to be shippers writing this fanfic down.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday October 23 2019, @06:45AM (2 children)
You are aware any such writings would need to be bound in human skin and written down by the hand of a mad Arab, no?
And you may as well say doctors are obsessed with viruses and keep going around telling people how bad viruses are and sticking needles in them because they don't want people getting sick from the viruses. Same thing here; Runaway is one of the less-consistent lunatics on here in that he has occasional moments of sanity, in contrast to someone like J-Mo or VLM, and might be able to fool people with susceptible headspaces into thinking he's "normal" just long enough for them to take his flaming wharrgarbl seriously.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Wednesday October 23 2019, @04:11PM (1 child)
I just realized we need a "flaming wharrgarbl" mod, -5?
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday October 23 2019, @11:20PM
That's generally accomplished by setting Foes to display at -6 modifier and Foe'ing someone.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2, Funny) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday October 22 2019, @05:11AM (2 children)
Busted. I posted an over the top bit of sarcastic nonsense in order to get you specifically to take it seriously so I could mock you for doing so. I've been practicing my Brazilian trolljitsu lately and decided to take it out for a test drive. Or it was a dumb joke and you need to quit mixing up the preparation-h and the icy hot. You know, one of the two.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 22 2019, @03:39PM (1 child)
Ha, king troll defending his trollish behavior with more smug trolling.
It'll be interesting to see the documentary on the rise of internet trolls, wonder if someone has already made one.
(Score: 2, Troll) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday October 22 2019, @04:38PM
A troll pretending to not know what trolling is? The meta levels to that are mildly interesting but the content is just dumb.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1) by RandomFactor on Tuesday October 22 2019, @09:08PM
Limiting him to six shots? That's stone cold.
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды