The Internet spreads stigmatized knowledge faster regardless of evidence quality

Evidence

Today, the diffi culty of defending a hollow-earth theory has not stopped some individuals from doing so. Indeed, as new forms of communication, such as the Internet, have become available, the frequency with which such ideas are expressed increases rather than decreases. This trend occurs because more extensive communication networks facilitate the spread of all forms of stigmatized knowledge, regardless of the quantity or quality of supporting evidence. As one scholar of pseudoscience, Henry H. Bauer, points out, individuals “resistant to orthodoxy are likely to be so in a range of fi elds and not just in one.” He also points out that opponents of one kind of orthodoxy often seek allies from among those opposed to an unrelated orthodoxy. The more aware rebels are of others whose views are unorthodox, the easier it is to identify potential allies. — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 545

Categorization

• XREF: Connects directly to ch4 claims about the Internet as the first mass medium lacking gatekeepers and marginalization as evidence of truth. — connects to: The Internet is the first mass medium lacking gatekeepers — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 147; Stigmatized knowledge persists but has lost its separateness — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic…, 1132; Internet virality can reward despised content as strongly as admired content — W. David Marx, Blank Space: A Cultural History of the…, 294 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Internet virality can reward despised content as strongly as admired content #expands (0.75) — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 294
• Stigmatized knowledge persists but has lost its separateness #qualifies (0.72) — Michael Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy, 1132