Wiki Tutorial

# Wiki Tutorial ## [“Agnotology and Epistemological Fragmentation.”](https://points.datasociety.net/agnotology-and-epistemological-fragmentation-56aa3c509c6b) ### Word Count: 524 ### Intro I found this article very interesting, and although I do not have much knowledge in regard to the conversation here, I do very much agree that the internet can be a very harmful breeding place for dangerous rhetoric, especially for children who might be more trusting and open to these ideas. ### Immediate Thoughts Although this is not exactly what the article is getting at, I took a class in my first semester called "Reading and Writing in the Digital Age" and for a week or two, we discussed memes and how memes work in our society. For the most part, memes are harmless and just meant as a passing, quick joke, but sometimes they can symbolize something darker. For instance, we watched the 2020 movie titled [*Feels Good Man*](https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/feels-good-man/#:~:text=About%20the%20Documentary,into%20a%20symbol%20of%20hate.) about a cartoonist Matt Furie and how one of his characters, Pepe the Frog, became a widespread meme on social media. However, the character quickly fell into the hands of alt-right groups to spread racism, sexism, and other forms of bigoted hated on the internet. <iframe width="300" height="150" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZEiqZWw5vYs" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> ![image alt](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/16620/production/_91408619_55df76d5-2245-41c1-8031-07a4da3f313f.jpg =300x200) ### A Look Into *Agnotology* The discussion around *agnotology* is very important, and although this is my first time hearing the word, it is not my first time dealing with the spread of this type of rhetoric on the internet. The definition of *agnotology* given in the article is as follows: > [*Agnotology* is] the strategic and purposeful production of ignorance...[and] is a tool of oppression by the powerful. (Boyd) The Pepe the Frog meme's use is a great example of this. Although its use nowadays on the internet usually is not symbolic of any sort of bigotry, it was used greatly on sites like *4chan* and *Reddit*. These alt-right groups are famous for their use of *agnotology*, and rely on conspitarial material to further widen their ideas to naive users. Although I never followed these rabbit holes that are constant on sites like *Youtube*, *Tiktok*, *Reddit* and *4chan,* I know it is scarily easy to. For example, *Tiktok* and *Youtube* are two sites that heavily rely on algorithmic data. If these apps catch a user engaging in a specific type of content, it will continue spreading similar material to the user, which the article describes as a rabbit hole, and most users nowadays synonymously describe as a "pipeline." I am old enough to understand how these sites work, and how to stray away from content I don't want recommended to me. However, children are very susceptible to the algorithm, falling prey to content that affirms their prejudices. I think it can be a very scary thing, and once these ideas are cemented, it is very hard to dig out of them and see clearly. In my opinion, social media in the hands of young people also needs to come with an eye watching over them. However, this falls into another complex discussion about security and privacy. I am excited to venture into these discussions as a class and how we can work to get through these complex subject matters. ### Works Cited Boyd, Danah. “Agnotology and Epistemological Fragmentation.” *Medium*, 26 Apr. 2019, https://points.datasociety.net/agnotology-and-epistemological-fragmentation-56aa3c509c6b.