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Snopes pulls out of its fact-checking partnership with Facebook

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Re: Snopes pulls out of its fact-checking partnership with Facebook

#71

Post by zaksoup »

goldcd wrote: post #43
zaksoup wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait. Your issue with snopes is that they said "there is no meaningful evidence that [x] is true" and you're mad that when you said "but I have anecdata" they weren't interested? that's not how this works...

I'm not saying Snopes is maliciously preventing "the truth" from being discovered. I love Snopes. I've sent countless "You're wrong because snopes links " to people. My humble concern is that if you find yourself disagreeing with something as trivial as "shaking a soda can" there seems to be no actual way of addressing the issue. And then if I can't address the pathetically mundane and boring... well how do they hand…

That seems even less reasonable to me. You're saying that you use snopes regularly, presumably because of their dedication to accurate reporting, and are frustrated that you can't correct on "something as trivial as 'shaking a soda can'" because the only thing you were able to provide them was anecdata?

It sounds like the reasons why you happily send "you're wrong because snopes" links are the reasons why you're unable to correct them and to me this sounds like the system is working correctly.

Re: Snopes pulls out of its fact-checking partnership with Facebook

#72

Post by sgc »

0x262d wrote: post #46

fact checking has always been a silly, hopeless attempt to find a technocratic solution to fundamentally political problems.

I disagree completely. That's the equivalent of saying property restitution is stupid because the real problem is why thieves steal.

Re: Snopes pulls out of its fact-checking partnership with Facebook

#73

Post by 52-6F-62 »

fitpolar wrote: post #67
52-6F-62 wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And then this AI is the sole bearer of all ultimate, unarguable truth regardless. Like a god you mean?

Is that your interpretation? Mine is the opposite: "At this point nothing is trustworthy". Just saying that humans have an extremely poor track record at compromising information for political gain. Anything would be better at this point, you can't get any worse.

I think it could get worse but that’s just me.

I prefer an aggregate. Then I can derive what I think is the truth.

Trust is learned, anyway. Except for children— they often do as a default until a point in their lives.

Re: Snopes pulls out of its fact-checking partnership with Facebook

#74

Post by [deleted] »

Fauntleroy wrote: post #50

I can't believe the massive number of HN users here who are willingly throwing critical thinking under the bus just because of political bias. It's maddening that people are making the jump from "Snopes posted something possibly incorrect about soda cans" and "Snopes one time fact checked shitty satire" directly to "Snopes is untrustworthy". Everything is imperfect, even fact checking groups. If you're going to throw…

[deleted]

Re: Snopes pulls out of its fact-checking partnership with Facebook

#75

Post by ijb03qv7 »

Fauntleroy wrote: post #50

I can't believe the massive number of HN users here who are willingly throwing critical thinking under the bus just because of political bias. It's maddening that people are making the jump from "Snopes posted something possibly incorrect about soda cans" and "Snopes one time fact checked shitty satire" directly to "Snopes is untrustworthy". Everything is imperfect, even fact checking groups. If you're going to throw…

The problem with a website like Snopes is that, if you want to claim to be an unbiased gatekeeper of the truth, you better be perfect.

Since humans are imperfect, a site like Snopes can not exist.

Re: Snopes pulls out of its fact-checking partnership with Facebook

#76

Post by makomk »

zaksoup wrote: post #39

it is wild to me how many people are in this thread saying "Snopes is partisan" or "Snopes is biased" or "Snopes is not a real fact checker" and who are also entirely unable to provide any actual evidence. A link to an article on the Federalist (laughably partisan) is not "evidence" any more than pointing out that they have fact-checked satirical sites is. https://reddit.com/r/atetheonion is a thing for a reason, and…

I was going to point out a really astounding Snopes fuck-up where they took a proposed EPA rule placing heavy new restrictions on asbestos, wrongly claimed that the EPA were actually removing restrictions on asbestos usage and opening up the floodgates to new usage, and then had the gall to claim that the EPA were the dishonest ones for pointing out their screw-up. Unfortunately, explaining this would require linking to the original version of their article, and since Snopes block the Wayback Machine and Archive.is seems to be having issues right now I can't do that.

Re: Snopes pulls out of its fact-checking partnership with Facebook

#77

Post by fitpolar »

ijb03qv7 wrote: post #75
Fauntleroy wrote: post #50

I can't believe the massive number of HN users here who are willingly throwing critical thinking under the bus just because of political bias. It's maddening that people are making the jump from "Snopes posted something possibly incorrect about soda cans" and "Snopes one time fact checked shitty satire" directly to "Snopes is untrustworthy". Everything is imperfect, even fact checking groups. If you're going to throw…

The problem with a website like Snopes is that, if you want to claim to be an unbiased gatekeeper of the truth, you better be perfect. Since humans are imperfect, a site like Snopes can not exist.

I don't know why this would get downvoted. Seems reasonable, whether it's Snopes or anyone.

Similar to Apple claiming "it just works", you better make sure it works. Or Google proclaiming "don't be evil". Etc.

Re: Snopes pulls out of its fact-checking partnership with Facebook

#78

Post by Sohcahtoa82 »

abtinf wrote: post #60
deogeo wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Examples of false or misleading fact-checks by Snopes would be far more persuasive. That article only calls into question the neutrality of the people behind Snopes, but for all I know they could still put their biases behind them when at work.

Here are a bunch of left-leaning opinion-checks from Snopes. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/gimmegrants-train-photo/ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ford-tariff-layoffs/ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/antifa-nazi-flags/ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/black-panthers-georgia-pic... https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/aretha-franklin-donald-tru... https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/was-law-separate-families-...…

> https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/antifa-nazi-flags/

How is this a left-leaning opinion check?

Re: Snopes pulls out of its fact-checking partnership with Facebook

#79

Post by Wowfunhappy »

fitpolar wrote: post #77
ijb03qv7 wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with a website like Snopes is that, if you want to claim to be an unbiased gatekeeper of the truth, you better be perfect. Since humans are imperfect, a site like Snopes can not exist.

I don't know why this would get downvoted. Seems reasonable, whether it's Snopes or anyone. Similar to Apple claiming "it just works", you better make sure it works. Or Google proclaiming "don't be evil". Etc.

> Similar to Apple claiming "it just works", you better make sure it works.

My Mac got a kernel panic yesterday. My response was not to swear off Apple products forever.

Re: Snopes pulls out of its fact-checking partnership with Facebook

#80

Post by [deleted] »

fitpolar wrote: post #77
ijb03qv7 wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with a website like Snopes is that, if you want to claim to be an unbiased gatekeeper of the truth, you better be perfect. Since humans are imperfect, a site like Snopes can not exist.

I don't know why this would get downvoted. Seems reasonable, whether it's Snopes or anyone. Similar to Apple claiming "it just works", you better make sure it works. Or Google proclaiming "don't be evil". Etc.

[deleted]
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