http://blog.org/2005/01/a-silver-lining-for-a-crappy-week/ Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:51:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://blog.org/2005/01/a-silver-lining-for-a-crappy-week/comment-page-1/#comment-544 Stephen Newton » Blog Archive » Blogging: a fad that’s peaked Fri, 02 Feb 2007 21:36:45 +0000 http://blog.org/wp/?p=1237#comment-544 [...] It’s a young form, yet there’s plenty of academic research out there and it’s not supporting the revolutionaries. In fact, there’s evidence blogs suppress dissent (hat tip: David Brake). Research conducted by a number of US academics, shows how blogs can and do amplify the herd instinct as bloggers link to those they trust. They take the trusted source’s view into account when forming their own opinion to the extent that (in the face of so much linkage) any private doubts they have are forgotten. The psychology seems to say that if just two people you trust take a view, you’ll feel pressured to agree, that opinion cascades and dissent is crushed. [...] [...] It’s a young form, yet there’s plenty of academic research out there and it’s not supporting the revolutionaries. In fact, there’s evidence blogs suppress dissent (hat tip: David Brake). Research conducted by a number of US academics, shows how blogs can and do amplify the herd instinct as bloggers link to those they trust. They take the trusted source’s view into account when forming their own opinion to the extent that (in the face of so much linkage) any private doubts they have are forgotten. The psychology seems to say that if just two people you trust take a view, you’ll feel pressured to agree, that opinion cascades and dissent is crushed. [...]

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