If you’re behind the game, here’s a link explaining The Great Write Off of 2009. You can find links and discussion to all posts by checking out the Twitter trending topic, #WriteOff09.

For Day 10 of the Great Write Off of 2009, Dan of DanHocking.com writes about how social media aggregated uninformed opinions really well. He says:

Creating this strong movement of uninformed opinions and groupthink really leads to some interesting interactions. It also acts to turn me off of social media. I’m not really interested to listen to the same message over and over again; let alone the same incorrect message.

OK. Sure, I suppose that social media does push these kinds of uninformed opinions on you, whether you want it or not thanks to Twitter or your Facebook news feed. Before the push of social media to you, one could avoid this kind of ignorance by simply avoiding certain spaces online. However, I wouldn’t say that social media is really to blame for pushing this in your face. Wander down to the nearest watering hole, and if you get enough (sorry, stereotyping) guys, in their 20s or 30s, who have been drinking for a while, soon enough you can find the exact same thing being yelled at the top of these guy’s lungs. Stupidity and a feeling of having a right to any opinion – right or wrong – is hard to avoid, sadly.

However, I like the points brought up by Dan and think that it is true – social media has this really great (and awful) way of repeating incorrect information at lightning speed. Think of all the rumours that fly around when any kind of accident or tragedy occurs. The social media-sphere is more concerned with getting the information right now but not the right information now.

I remember a case study on the Toronto Propane Explosion that happened last year. It concluded that while Twitter, Facebook and blogs had information on the incident over two hours before any reliable news site had a mention of it, at the end of the day, the news sites were by far more accurate in the information they reported. This is one of social media’s great failings.

Great blog post, Dan and some great discussion happening in the comments! Everyone should head on over and check it out.