# Truth is a popularity contest... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 29, 2009, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323 "2009-06-29T06:45:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/1 "2009-06-29T06:45:39Z")
I’m looking at places like you, reddit and yahoo answers. It is amazing the number of people on reddit that upvote blatant falsehoods and downvote simple facts. And yahoo answers. Let’s not go there. I’d rather not provide specific examples, so not to provide fuel for a cross-site flame war, as I’m sure there are even more sites that contribute to this particular problem. However it really grinds my gears that the internet “seems” to be some popularity contest for truth. I’ve been away from this forum for awhile, and I gotta say I’ve missed it. There may be some element of this problem here, but at least it isn’t blatant. Thank you SDMB and F-You everybody else. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/2 "2009-06-29T06:51:51Z")
That’s IMO the most interesting thing about the internet and the democratization of information. Right now in Cafe Society there is an interesting discussion about the objective/subjective nature of music that I think ties intothis idea. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/3 "2009-06-29T07:03:56Z")
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, stupidity should hurt. Willful ignorance should hurt even more. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/4 "2009-06-29T15:16:36Z")
Yeah… pretty much any Yahoo! Answers answer that gets chosen as the best is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/5 "2009-06-29T19:18:09Z")
Yahoo answers: where [youtube commentators](http://xkcd.com/202/) share their wisdom. ---
**Author:** ![emcee2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emcee2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emcee2k)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/6 "2009-06-29T19:38:00Z")
Speaking of YouTube comments, giving a “thumbs up” apparently means “I agree with this person’s opinion”, even if their entire opinion is “cool.”. God forbid you write some thought out constructive criticism, or you’ll get “thumbs down” because you’re a “hater”. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/7 "2009-06-29T21:04:16Z")
Wow, I could not agree more. Occasionally an interent search will lead me to yahoo answers and my typical reaction is “WTF? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” I’m now at the point if I accidentally click to that page I immediately click right back off of it to avoid the stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/8 "2009-06-29T21:20:49Z")
I spend a lot of time over on Digg, and I hate this phenomena. Truthful responses will automatically be downvoted and buried, simply because they’re unpopular. No argument, no counterpoint, just- quick, bury it! It’s kind of like going “la-la-la” and sticking fingers into everyone _else’s_ ears. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/9 "2009-06-29T21:28:50Z")
Phenomenon. Phenomena is the plural. ---
**Author:** ![emcee2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emcee2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emcee2k)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/10 "2009-06-29T21:58:16Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Phenomenon. Phenomena is the plural. How do I vote that down? ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Joe_Meager)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/11 "2009-06-29T22:15:38Z")
I thought this was going to be about Dopers who think the validity of an argument is directly proportional to the volume at which it’s delivered. ---
**Author:** ![horsetech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dec6dc/32.png) [@horsetech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horsetech)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/12 "2009-07-01T02:28:04Z")
It’s wikiality. [http://www.wikiality.com/Wikiality](http://www.wikiality.com/Wikiality) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/13 "2009-07-01T02:41:59Z")
> [@emcee2k](#): > > How do I vote that down? Well played. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/14 "2009-07-01T05:24:17Z")
Yahoo answers, “family and relationships” is one of the best humor rescources on the net today. I highly recommend it. There you can find out “How is babby formed!!!”, “Is he cheaten on mee!!!” and “Halp! My best frnd is depressed???” ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/15 "2009-07-01T19:12:41Z")
> [@Epimetheus](#): > > However it really grinds my gears that the internet “seems” to be some popularity contest for truth. [You are not alone](http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-07/uoia-pss062509.php). ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/16 "2009-07-01T19:53:12Z")
That does it. Next time there’s a “feud”-type game in [The Game Room](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?f=17), I’m playing to lose. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truth-is-a-popularity-contest/501323/17 "2009-07-01T21:10:44Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] Phenomenon. Phenomena is the plural. [/QUOTE] Yeah…but it doesn’t sound nearly as good when you set it to music… (thumbs down…and before anyone asks I realize they are saying Mahnah mahna…) -XT