Must Read: 6 Reasons You Really Can't Believe Anything You Read Online

This might be the first time Cracked.com is sourced on ATS - it's an awesome humor site with smart writers - however, author Ryan Holiday has compiled the most thorough breakdown of why everything you read on the Internet is broken, biased, and totally gamed for dollars.

6 Reasons You Really Can't Believe Anything You Read Online: Read more: www.cracked.com...

I suspect many ATS members are aware that "page views" are king for site owners; it's how they get ad dollars to pay for servers, staff and such. It's a business and ATS is no different. But did you know a slideshow of Detroit without all the homeless pictured gets more page views then a slideshow with the homeless in the photos (turns out people don't want it to be too sad). Or, that Business Insider is basically owned by Amazon so that positive stories get written and read there. Or, the most emailed stories on the NY Times site are the ones that make readers angry.

There's so much more to learn at the source - so I challenge any media "experts" to read the piece and not be surprised by what's really happening with online media. (ATS novices, this is required reading).

6 Reasons You Really Can't Believe Anything You Read Online: Read more: www.cracked.com...

Enjoy all - leave your thoughts or surprising insight in the comments. Cheers.

As always its all about the money.


Congratulations people you bought sorcha faal a new benz...

I bet we could name a hundred reasons why you cant believe Anything you see on the television

reply to post by Jason88

But did you know a slideshow of Detroit without all the homeless pictured gets more page views then a slideshow with the homeless in the photos (turns out people don't want it to be too sad)

Yah, most people want the truth but not too much truth. Kindly tone it down a bit. A "G" rating will do.

Just tell me about the bodies, I don't want to actually see em.

Thats the path to lies. People get used to seeing less and less direct evidence and accept the "toned down" version of the truth.

You must sign in to view that. Its not viewable in your country. This is not the original version. This is the pixillated, edited, censored, snipped, watered down, hoax version.

Searching for the real deal...

Redirecting...

Remember when the internet was raw and uncensored? Remember when Gill Cable TV had four channels and no commercials? If we want the truth someone is going to have to invent a whole new internet. And keep it low down.

So why am I going to believe an article online about why I can't believe anything I read online?



Sorry, had to be that guy.

Otherwise, I totally agree. Everything pretty much reeks with bias, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Even while trying to be objective/unbiased, subjectivity and bias still comes across in some way or another. That's the catch.

So you come online asking us...online...not to believe anything...online....so we cant really believe anything you post here or elsewhere...online.

Very clever thread here...online....horse-pucky

reply to post by Jason88


That was funny, and I enjoyed that greatly. It is also true.

If the title is not sensationalist, no one will read it. You almost have to lie in the title to grab a readers attention in order to get read in the first place. Boring title, no one will ever read what you wrote. Because of this in threads you hear statements like, "the title is misleading", but the poster did no wrong because all he did was to quote the title from the media he is wanting to discuss.

Its a catch 22, when the more page views, the more job security if your job is to write for a living. In Order to get read you either have to stretch the truth in order to stay sensational enough to get read or be an utter genius. Many writers are simply average personages with an ability to write and therefore, not in the latter category.