Open disinfo Forum

March 11, 2003 7:28 AM

Meet Disinfopedia -- From the folks that brought us PRWatch. Started as a place to foster "public understanding of war propaganda," -- for folks to share open content and to find resources about the folks who move and shake behind the scenes: think tanks, PR firms, experts for hire, etc. It seems to me that a resource like this deserves to outlive the current info battles (I promised I wouldn't use the word Iraq -- oh, #$#@!).
posted by chandy72 (11 comments total)

Too engrossed in writing software, I confess ignorance on who's who in the spin world. So, I ask of Those In The Know: What's the break down of liberal|conservative|whatever for this list of "Experts for hire"?

If the list is heavily slanted towards one or another affiliation, is this because there are more spin experts for that side, or because Disinfopedia is biased?
posted by Ayn Marx at 8:04 AM on March 11, 2003

The photo of Rummy shaking hands with Saddam is priceless - ought to be featured in one of those MasterCard commercials:

Invading Iran: $1 billion.
Gassing the Kurds: $1 million.
Receiving tacit support from the U.S. government: Priceless
posted by kgasmart at 8:11 AM on March 11, 2003

So, I ask of Those In The Know: What's the break down of liberal|conservative|whatever for this list of "Experts for hire"?

They appear to all be on the right. Oh well.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:17 AM on March 11, 2003

That is, of the experts that currently have entires (many don't), the positions they have supplied disinformation for tend to be right/conservative positions. So, no, not especially balanced, is it?
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:20 AM on March 11, 2003

If PR Watch is any measure of the ideology behind disinfopedia, they remain as agnostic as possible while tending toward reporting on the doings of business, government and other interested entities with an anti-corporate, pro-ecology, yadda yadda -- they're like the ACLU of the PR Watchdog world.
Seems to me that the disinfopedia is, in theory at least, a pretty good opportunity at equal time on the web. maybe? (he says staring up at that pie in the sky...)
posted by chandy72 at 8:33 AM on March 11, 2003

I can get behind equal time, but I still look forward to the day of truly agendaless information sources. I'd love to have a clearinghouse for all kinds of disinfo. The sky is chock full of pies today isn't it?
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 8:40 AM on March 11, 2003

I'd love to have a clearinghouse for all kinds of disinfo.

PinkStainlessTail, your wish has been granted: No agenda, no politics, no sense - The Wronglopedia.
posted by soyjoy at 9:03 AM on March 11, 2003

From The Wronglopedia:
Corn
It's been called "The Yellow Seed of Life," and with good reason -- each year, Americans consume over 40 tons of popcorn. In addition to being popped, corn can be canned, niblet-ed, or eaten right off the stick. Indian Corn is corn that has been hand painted. Candy Corn isn't actually corn at all -- it's a legume.

Don't go getting my hopes up like that, soyjoy! (Hee!)
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 9:14 AM on March 11, 2003

Ayn Marx - I think the "disinfo" sources are weighted much more heavily towards business and corporate interests because people in these areas consider PR and advertising (known as "disinfo", sometimes, when they occur in an overtly political context) to be central to doing business.

Find me a business major who is ignorant of advertising and PR....

Because self professed "conservatives" are drawn disproportionately from the ranks of the business class, Lo! - "disinfo" (in the political sphere) comes disproportionately from "conservative" interests. Simple.
posted by troutfishing at 10:08 AM on March 11, 2003

some entries are better than others, but that Wronglopedia cracked me up ...

thanks for the link.
posted by mrgrimm at 11:04 AM on March 11, 2003

troutfishing said: Find me a business major who is ignorant of advertising and PR....

Find me anybody with an adgenda who is ignorant of advertising and PR....

The idea that it's mostly big corporations who need/use PR firms and experts-for-hire sounds bogus.
posted by Ayn Marx at 4:48 PM on March 11, 2003