Misinformation, Disinformation, Dysinfomation and pseudo-theories

We see this frequently with politicians who care more about winning the point than whether they must misrepresent to make it happen.

There is much talk about misinformation and disinformation, but I heard a new term the other day: "disinformation."

"Disinformation" in this sense is not merely misinformation (popularly defined as 'unintentionally incorrect information') or disinformation (popularly described as 'intentionally misleading or false information'), but a more sophisticated manipulation that employs specious elements or the veneer of truth to create a dystopian narrative.

We see much of this on social media, not from people who are honestly mistaken, but from those willing to lie to make someone else look bad - usually someone with a different view or belief than they do. This approach often uses facts, half-facts, truth, and half-truths to mislead or deceive. It only works if the person they are misleading does not take the time to find the truth.

Examples include people who quote half a tweet or take something out of context to make someone look bad. We see this frequently with politicians who care more about winning the point than whether they must misrepresent to make it happen.

The Ethical Skeptic website noted the use of a pseudo-theory (a notion that explains anything, everything, and nothing) at its core. We see this often with climate change and how people use it to describe everything from melting icebergs to forest fires. What is interesting, for example, is that with forest fires, even with a conviction for arson, dysinformation sources, like fact-checkers, will go out of their way to ignore the facts and try to prove that climate change is the real enemy.

Here is an excellent example: some people's use of climate change is a great example of pseudo-theory - it is helpful to prove everything and nothing all at once.

I am not saying that there is no man-made climate change - making that claim would be a great example of disinformation. I am saying that some use climate change as a cudgel to win any debate - that abuse is dysinformation.

Of course, you don't have to believe me. I may be peddling disinformation or dysinformation, or that's just a story you are telling yourself.