[ratg13]

This was how the "internet" functions in the book "Ender's Game".

There is a small sub-plot about how he had to give a fake persona credibility on the untrusted network in order to be able to leverage a creating a fake account on the trusted network.

[dredmorbius]

I find the xkcd interpretation more realistic: <https://xkcd.com/635/>

Explained: <https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/635:_Locke_and_De...>

[notahacker]

I love that interpretation, but in today's retweet driven world of politically commentary, I actually find it quite plausible that pseudonymous kids with no grasp of the real world who think rational political debate is the nonsensical slogans they're spouting on the internet become major Twitter influencers that actual politicians want to court for their "authenticity" and "willingness to say the unsayable", and maybe their dank memes.

[dredmorbius]

The conceit of Ender's Game was that thoughtful discourse would be influential online.

Reality has largely demonstrated that far more thoughtless propaganda of the Big Lie, Firehose of Bullshit (or Falsehood), associated with Russia, floods of irrelevance which tend to bury more significant stories, favoured by China, and outrage / hot-button topics, which are common in US-centric media, though a timeless technique.

Memes and simple messages attract attention and spread. Complex narratives and analyses ... not so much.

But yes, voices that deserve no attention whatsover have dominated the media landscape of the past decade or so. Not that this is entirely novel.

[acover]

Good and unlikely predictions can thrust you into popularity: see deepfuckingvalue.