The Internet of Fools

The internet is colonized by those who do not know that they do not know.  Fools to put it less politely. Why?

I do not suffer fools gladly, though I wish them no harm. I just wish they would keep their ignorance to themselves.

Blogs are one area where pure horse (or if you prefer bull) shit prevails. New age quackery seems a favorite for the blogger fool, touting chakras  and useless remedies for all our ills, physical or otherwise.

Forums are much worse – there the passengers on the ship of fools can inter-react with each other and compete in sheer misinformation and stupidity.

For many years I have studied algorithmic trading. And indeed traded algorithms. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. I went into it starry eyed close to 20 years ago, believing I could potentially walk on water after a decade of very lucky trading.

Trading and betting forums are where some of the worst fools collect; and the worst rogues. The rogues sell crappy trading systems because they can not trade profitably themselves. The fools pretend they can trade profitably and want to talk about it. And talk, and talk and talk.

But there are many other areas of the internet where fools like to hold forth. I am not clear as to their motives and am almost certain that the fools are even less clear.  Whether it is mental health, horticulture or religion, some fool will be talking out of an orifice which very obviously is not his mouth.  It is clear as day that many such people “talk” because they can not “do”. Talk about how they grow huge bright red tomatoes because they have failed so to do. Talk about curing their depression through tantric sex because they have tried and failed. Talk about making “millions in up and down markets” because they like to engage in wishful thinking.

Why do those who should remain quiet become ever louder?  I suppose the fool was always there but now he has a platform for his foolishness. While it is true that no one has to read the fool, it is difficult not to be affected by his asininity because whatever you Google, you can be sure a great number of a-holes will be caught in the net. And you will have to sift through and discard the mad, the bad and the ugly to get to where you want to go.

I suppose in a sense the internet gives the fool validation, a sense of importance he is unable to find in the “real” world. No one will listen to him or value his opinion at his job or perhaps his home, so he (or she) must take up his electronic pen and find validation elsewhere. He will blog and vlog. He will pretend he has all the answers to whatever you want to know. He will have succeeded as a day trader where all others fail. He has discovered the Matrix, God. He is happy and wealthy and beautiful; in his dreams.

Perhaps that is the answer – dreams. Perhaps the attraction is that it gives people (in their imagination) the validation and apparent success they lack in their lives. Perhaps they have better sex on the internet, perhaps on the web they are the successful traders and entrepreneurs they would so like to be.  On the internet they can grow that big red tomato that fails to grow in their suburban greenhouse.

But there are gems to be discovered, even if they are buried in a great rotting heap of dung. Perhaps 2% of those banging away on the internet have something of value to say. It’s just a pity you have to spend endless hours wading through shyte to find the diamonds.