Can We Trust Anything We See Anymore?

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Permalink Reply by Christian on August 13, 2007 at 6:57pm

nowadays, you really can't tell the difference between real life and CG (if done well), that's whats so exciting and abit scary at the same time about it but in turn it seems to also make the whole UFO idea kind of a farce .. .

even though i am a believer in them .. .i can easily see how someone with enough know how of 3d software (maya, 3d studio max) could make something like this .. .hats off to the person or persons who made the video .. . be it, if it is fake .. .

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Permalink Reply by Robert Garese on August 13, 2007 at 7:33pm

For some reason the JJ abrams secret thing popped into my mind when I was watching these.

Considering the quality if it was a fake, think it could be viral advertising for something like that?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Woolf on August 13, 2007 at 11:27pm

Definitely, Rob. In fact, Zadi said she read someplace that the Haiti video was done for the Cloverfield movie as some kind of promotion.

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Permalink Reply by john yang on August 13, 2007 at 8:10pm

Yeah.. now everything is a photoshop, fake, and its hard to believe anything we hear anymore. As if it wasnt bad enough with TV, the internet is probably 10 times worse. oh how the times are a changing.

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Permalink Reply by TonyBtheEG on August 13, 2007 at 8:49pm

ok everyone, stop pondering about "UFOs" and get the picture of whats going on in this world.

and why would someone STOP filiming it 2 seconds after it flys past them?????






im just here to spread my knowledge and my guesses.

we should all be operating flying machines right but most of the world's 'human race' are too uncoordinated to operate and control one. call me a dick for saying that, but the truth hurts. :/

i should flying these machines because im confident that im nasty and im a sexy man.

( [|] )~( [|] )

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Permalink Reply by MediaMisfit on August 14, 2007 at 4:10am

One thing that is kind of interesting while we can't really believe "everything" we see anymore. It seems as though a lot of things aren't that big of a deal. Since a lot more things are caught on tape and put on the internet everyday there seems to be a steady stream of new content to replace old stuff. While some video clips capture our attention it's only for a little while until the next big thing comes out which usually only takes a couple of hours.

I think a good hoax is good for the community because it does cause us to questions the validity of certain media and makes us realize that we can always trust everything we read from a non-commissioned news source and we further more hold credible news sources more accountable. Get the news wrong and nobody wants to read your stuff anymore and there is enough competition out there that there is somewhere else to go.

I think a good question is "What is something on the internet that you have had to question before?"

For me it was the Matrix 4 trailer. I had to do some research but it had me going. After I knew it was a joke I decided to spread it to all of my friends (few :-( /emo) and they thought it was a real movie coming out.

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Permalink Reply by TheFemGeek on August 14, 2007 at 4:48am

I think this question hits on points that are as simple as answering the question itself to relating it to our responsibility to get proper information. Being an agnostic I firmly believe that we can never know if everything is absolute. I know, duh. But I don't resort to nihilism. I bring this up because I believe we as readers and viewers need to first start evaluating what it is we are looking for. If you show these videos to someone who has a belief that their is something out there, he or she will study hard to prove that it may be real. Whereas someone who doubts are going to look for the trickery. Which approach is right? My opinion, neither, first analyze the relevance when it pertains to your knowledge than give a fair assessment as to why would it be. This is really important when it comes to the media. Do we know the person(s) who put the project together, their motives if there are any? The problem is that most people want instant answers, so if "you build it they will come". so to answer your question, in my opinion you can't even begin to think about trusting something you see until you know where it came from and why. I think it's the safest way to approach media or anything anyone tells you.

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Permalink Reply by J.W. on August 14, 2007 at 9:48am

There are computer experts who can often tell if a video or photo have been edited. I doubt any of them spend their time deciphering the veractiy of all the YouTube videos out there.

Believe things:

1) When published results can be reproduced consistently and repeatedly by various groups of unaffiliated scientists
2) When you can verify a statement thru one of your 5 physical senses and common sense, or thru personal experiences you've had in the past.
3) When the logic of an argument seems irrefutable, or at least very likely (2+2=4)
4) When you talk to a variety of people who don't know each other at all and all have direct and personal experiences confirming a statement is true
5) when someone you trust tells you of something about which they have personal experience
6) When a reputable news agency reports on something and includes video as well as a good source.

Other than that...dont believe it, folks! Or you're a sucker in the making ;)

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Permalink Reply by SexFlavoredPez on August 14, 2007 at 10:31am

Logical, coherent thought is critical. Any intelligent person will never simply accepting what someone else has told or shown them.

J.W. I have an issue with your list, namely 6, for two reasons. First of all, it's a list, I hate lists. Except when I use them. Second, do you really believe anyone can trust the media? Is there such a thing as a 'reputable' news agency?

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Permalink Reply by J.W. on August 14, 2007 at 2:26pm

yah your right. Take 6 off the list.

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Permalink Reply by starfish0r on August 14, 2007 at 3:31pm

There is a short german clip (posted below) about an agency which produces fun videos primarily for the internet. Their goal, as they say, is to test how people react and how fast it spreads.
The one video they made (woman tries to refuel her car but doesnt quite make it) was elected "video of the week" in a german comedy-TV-show, those guys didn't know it was a fake either.
Oh and if you saw that clip showing those soccer-fans that lose their world-championship-tickets while driving on the Autobahn at high speed.... That's a fake as well. Produced by that agency.

WARNING!! GERMAN! LISTEN AT OWN RISK!

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Permalink Reply by Tomito Montainge on August 15, 2007 at 12:21am

I think in this present days you can trust a video or a picture, as much as you can trust painting to tell the truth or to express an objective reality. But maybe the problem is that we only believe what our eyes tells us, and there could be other means and senses in the human body that we can use in our understanding the external reality. "?"

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