The problems of online activism

One of the main issues presented in the readings was that online movements are not hierarchical and so they don't accomplish anything. Well this isn't the case in all movements but there are cases where there is a lack of hierarchy and problems do occur. One online activist group, or "hacktivist" group, is Anonymous. This leaderless group is, well, anonymous and they focus their efforts on an array of issues. The problem with this is that while there is occasionally a concentrated effort toward one particular cause, as they did for the SOPA and Megaupload issues, many of their causes are much smaller and diluted. The group focuses too many issues around the world which makes it so that no individual movement receives too much attention and nothing happens.

Another trend of online activism seems to be interest. When an issue surfaces there is a huge surge of interest for the issue but soon there is little talk of the issue again except for a few dedicated people. The attention span of the internet is short and it is impossible to fix all problems in that window.

Axe Commercial Logical Fallacies

Since coming to college I haven't watched much TV which means I haven't watched many commercials. But while watching an episode of The Daily Show the other day this delightful advertising came up and it's clear that ads haven't changed much. In this particular commercial a guy troubled with a dandruff problem also has a more daunting problem, his dandruff apparently turns girls to dust. Luckily he finds Axe Anti-Dandruff shampoo which not only cures his dandruff problem but also makes 3 attractive women show up and start touching him suggestively. Then the slogan "Lose the flakes, Get the Girls" is shown.

The problem with this advertisement is that the arguments it presents aren't logical, which is shocking really. Even in the case that immediately after every man used this product 3 women did show up out of nowhere it would still prove nothing. To say that after using this product women will come to you and it is because of the product is a Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc fallacy. It is very possible that the product itself is not what is causing women to pop out of nowhere, it could simply be that you are ridding yourself of an unpleasant smell by showering and washing your hair. This could be done with any other product, even one that didn't treat dandruff, so this product may not be what's causing all those women to appear every time you shower.

There is also another fallacy in the commercial. The commercial's slogan suggests a False Dichotomy. The fallacy is set up by the ad as follows: you either use the shampoo and rid yourself of dandruff and "get the girls" or you don't use the shampoo and don't "get the girls." It allows for no middle ground for where a guy with dandruff but who let's say has a really nice personality or is super rich CAN "get" a girl. Dandruff and "getting" girls are not mutually exclusive as this advertisement presents.

Other logical fallacies present:

• Slippery Slope: If you don't use the product you will have dandruff and women will start turning into dust around you.
• Stirring Symbols: Look attractive women, now buy our product.
• Oversimplification: The only reason why women around you are turning to dust is because of your dandruff. This completely ignores the possibility that the women around you are vampires and are being subject to the sun's rays.

The good feeling the Internet gives us

As with so many people on Facebook at the time of the Kony 2012 video became viral, I too watched, liked, and even shared the video. The reason I did it was not because everyone else was doing it, but because it felt right. The editors made the video so heart wrenching that it felt like I was at fault for what was happening and if I didn't share the video I was accepting blame. After I shared I felt like a better person.

Soon enough everyone knew about the video. People were outraged and one of my more activist floor mates decided he wanted to go to Africa and kill Kony himself (it took some time to talk him out of it). But the buzz died down as soon as it started and people began criticizing the organization and nothing really happened. That doesn't mean that the video failed however. The video served it's purpose. So often in this country do we forget about other parts of the world. I usually even forget about the east coast. It was the video's intent to remind us that there is stuff happening in other parts of the world that we are ignoring. The video could have been more successful if the events that followed hadn't occurred (most notably the maker of the video slapping the ground naked...) and if the big demonstration day had been closer to the day it went viral. It is hard to plan though when a video will become famous. I'm still interested to see if the huge demonstration does still happen on the 20th. Even if it doesn't, the video probably encouraged at least 1 person to actually care enough to become more invested in the issue and maybe even plan a trip to Africa. That is more effective than nothing.

Wikipedia

After seeing what happens behind the scenes at wikipedia (the talk page that I had never cares about before) I'm still just as likely to use it as before. Factually wikipedia is very accurate and that is what is most important for me. If I then care to learn more about the opinions contributing to the topic, the talk page is a great way to discover opposing viewpoints. The discussion may not always be civil or productive but the honesty and the rawness is interesting because it shows how interested people are. It is also pretty easy to tell, based on grammar and logical arguments, who is educated and probably trustworthy (not that all educated people are trustworthy but they tend to be more than uneducated people). I probably won't contribute to the discussion myself unless I come across an error or a statement that contradicts my opinion or knowledge. It seems pretty easy to join the discussion and although it seems hostile sometimes it should be manageable.