Getting from Conclusion to Questions

Hello there, curious people.

In this first article, we’re going to present an idea that has been rattling around the old grey matter for some time. We’ll start with a conclusion, move on to a discussion of a mechanism, paving the way for a three-pronged approach, and follow these up with a disclaimer.

What Is The Conclusion?

The current digital age presents unprecedented access to information. However, this abundance is often accompanied by an overwhelming deluge of misinformation, disinformation, and manipulation. This site is a response to the now obvious need to equip regular people with the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate this complex landscape. By fostering a culture of critical thinking and empirical evidence-based understanding, we aim to assist in promoting a healthier digital ecosystem and improving mental health.

As such; Welcome to the digital Junglebush and the GUEST defence.

What Is The GUEST Defence?

The GUEST defence is a simple heuristic that can allow anyone to start understanding the information they’re bombarded with daily to combat misinformation. Its component questions are: Good, Useful, Emotional, Skeptical, and True. All five questions should be answered before we react in any way.

• Good: Is the information positive? We should prioritize information that is beneficial rather than detrimental to us, or others.
  - Yes = 2 points
  - No = 0 points
• Useful: Can we take any action based on the information presented? We should prioritize information that we can act on and, in the spirit of the Prayer for Serenity, discard any that we cannot.
  - Yes = 2 points
  - No = 0 points
• Emotional: Does the information inspire strong emotions? Particularly negative emotions. If so, we need to understand there is a high probability that it was deliberately crafted to manipulate us. We should prioritize information that is presented dispassionately and be wary of anything presented using well-known propaganda techniques that will be discussed in future articles. There are, of course, caveats to this that will also be discussed.
  - Yes = 0 points
  - Yes, but it is useful = 1 point
  - No = 2 points
• Skepticism: Are we confident about the trustworthiness of the source? We should be empowered to evaluate information critically. We should strive for unbiased and impartial understanding. If we haven’t researched the background or potential biases of any given source, we can’t have confidence in it and should approach any information supplied by it with caution.
  - Yes = 2 points
  - No = 0 points
• True: Is the information empirically accurate? We should prioritize information grounded in verifiable facts & data and discard any information that isn’t. Without exception.
  - Yes = 2 points
  - No = 0 points

Don’t let mis/dis/malinformation live as a GUEST, rent-free, in your head. We should never accept or share information that has scored less than 7 points.

How Are We Going To Do This?

• Exploration of Relevant Topics: Overviews or deep dives to provide primers, in-depth information, research, or practical tips on the fields of misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, and/or cognitive hacking.
• Analysis of current and historical events: Highlighting real-world examples of the impact of misinformation or the success of information literacy efforts. These analyses will, at times cover topics that may be emotive or triggering for some people. They will be discussed in a dispassionate, academic manner. They will start with trigger warnings. They will not specifically name sources that spread mis/dis/malinformation for their own gain (to avoid granting them the attention they were willing to exploit people or situations for). They will never be presented with any promotion of any partisan agenda. .In relation to current events, they will not be rapidly written and distributed as hot-takes, as it takes time for accurate information to be revealed. In fact, we strongly recommend ignoring the first sensationalist pieces of information put out on media or social networks on any topic, especially if it contains numbers ending in five or zero
• Expert and Community Spotlights: Occasionally, we may showcase an interview with an expert in the fields of information literacy, mental health, or related topics, or even a member or group within the community who is making a positive impact.

Navigating the digital world requires a discerning mind and a strong foundation in critical thinking. This site is intended to become a launch pad to learn, grow, and eventually connect with others who share a commitment to genuine truth and well-being. By understanding the challenges posed by misinformation and information overload, we can collectively work towards a healthier digital future.

In this post, we’ve covered the following items.

• The conclusion: The massively detrimental impacts of mis/dis/malinformation on individuals and society have made it necessary to widely distribute tools to combat their effects.
• The mechanism: The GUEST method.
• The approach: Three vehicles we can use on our journey back to the questions.

In future articles, we will further explore the GUEST method, its underlying concepts, and related topics.

Disclaimer

Everything we think we know is inaccurate or incomplete.

Richard P. Feynman said:

“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.”

Everyone gets things wrong sometimes. While every effort will be made to ensure the content of this site is completely accurate, information is often fluid and improves with time as more facts are discovered. If any article published on this site is found to be inaccurate, we welcome any corrections. When presented with better information, we will always change our position and publish a correction. When any material (non-cosmetic) change is made to any article, a change log will be included at the bottom detailing what changed and when.

Remember; It’s a jungle out there!