Information
8 What to do about (and what to do with) information…
Detection
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Resistance to Information (Nico)
Information is a broad term and thus its scope follows suit – however, within that broad scope are many roadblocks and barriers to the spreading of quality, truthful data. These obstacles are known as resistances, taking three primary forms: information disorder, information warfare, and information pollution. In the digital age, it is easier now than ever before to obstruct the process of creating and spreading truthful information that is relevant and warranted. It is also difficult to ascertain where (or who) the resistance comes from. Some scholars believe that it comes from audience members themselves, noting that “user resistance to information systems implementation has been identified as a salient reason for the failure of new systems” (Kim & Kankanhalli, 2009).
Because the online information sphere allows access from anyone in the world with internet, the internet and other streams of information and data are bound to contain bullshit that stands in the way of quality information. This is known as information pollution, the idea that the information sphere is chock-full of garbage (or pollution) that is unrelated, unwarranted, harmful and repetitive. This is perhaps the most recurring and common resistance to information, as language and bullshit cloud what users are actually looking for – quality, truthful data and information. In less graceful terms, bullshit pollutes the internet and many media spheres, acting as nuisances that stand in the way of access to good information. These can include junk emails, social media feed spam, and online scams.
Another resistance to information online is information disorder, the production and distribution of fake news with the purpose of spreading falsehoods – and it can be broken down into disinformation, malinformation, and misinformation. Disinformation is simply made up of untrue statements that are deliberate. That is to say that the person who creates disinformation does so knowing that what they are producing is bullshit, spreading it for the sake of sowing seeds of chaos and disorder. This is similar yet different to misinformation, which is bullshit that is spread accidentally. In this case, the distributor believes that the information they are spreading is true (when in reality, it is incorrect). Finally, malinformation comes from information that is true but becomes infected with bullshit and winds up becoming primarily incorrect. An innocent example here could be the game ‘telephone’, where a statement becomes repeated and most often ends up being wildly untrue as the game closes.
The third and final main resistance to information is information warfare, making a battlefield of online data and forcing users to question the truth behind, and access to, quality information, as well as whether or not the information they share is private. It is competitive in nature, pitting two sides of an issue against one another. Information warfare can also occur between companies or countries, as well as individuals or groups. The very essence of such warfare is bullshit on the offensive, including the denial and ignorance of truthful information as well as subversion of what bullshit is actually being conducted.
References
Kim, H.-W., & Kankanhalli, A. (2009). Investigating User Resistance to Information Systems Implementation: A Status Quo Bias Perspective. Special Issue: Information Systems Offshoring, Part II, 33(3), 567–582.
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