Agree but it is a long slow process. I’m rural and people are really in the closet about what’s going on. It needs to directly effect them but then that doesn’t always work. Working hard on this very thing. Multiple voices are so important.
We each do what we can. Some folks like Will or I or many others find comfort in speaking very publicly, most have not terrible reasons for being more circumspect.
Two thoughts:
- those more inclined to speak can speak on behalf of
Where the volume-inclined can say things like, "I know this is a real story" it adds weight and reach. Those more circumspect communicating *enough* with those of us less so that we can have a high level of confidence in our sources mitigates hearsay accusations.
- trusted third parties can attest an identity is valid without sharing it
There are often neutral or even "opposition" figures who can validate authenticity. A politically opposite respected church figure could say "I know who this is" or "I observed and it was done ethically" without sharing final details, for example.
Yes, I hear that a lot, in different contexts in different regions...if one has the tenacity to step forward, then it is worth the anxst. Strategies for getting scared front line witnesses to tell their stories are important; crating platforms for their voices is imperative. @willrobinson is saying that emotions play a strong role.
I agree with almost all of this! I think “prebunking” as it is currently understood should be de-emphasized though. The effort to try to guess what the BS hose is going to spray out and try to inoculate is disproportionate to the marginal benefit of succeeding. It also plays on their playing field. It’s better than rebutting/fact checking for sure but isn’t a realistic approach with the zone flooding the other side has been doing for decades. I’d switch it with #5.
There was a tool once called thunderclap which allowed orgs to get 1000s of people to login to Twitter and sign up for a thunderclap which would send the same message on Twitter at the same time. It was awesome. Of course Twitter shut it down.
Excellent advice. One issue that keeps surfacing is that people are scared to speak up. How do we get past that?
Strength in numbers - encourage the bold to speak out first - then others will follow!
Agree but it is a long slow process. I’m rural and people are really in the closet about what’s going on. It needs to directly effect them but then that doesn’t always work. Working hard on this very thing. Multiple voices are so important.
The right has been doing this for 30 years - effective organizing sometimes takes time - we need to start now
I'm with you. I'm doubling down!!!
We each do what we can. Some folks like Will or I or many others find comfort in speaking very publicly, most have not terrible reasons for being more circumspect.
Two thoughts:
- those more inclined to speak can speak on behalf of
Where the volume-inclined can say things like, "I know this is a real story" it adds weight and reach. Those more circumspect communicating *enough* with those of us less so that we can have a high level of confidence in our sources mitigates hearsay accusations.
- trusted third parties can attest an identity is valid without sharing it
There are often neutral or even "opposition" figures who can validate authenticity. A politically opposite respected church figure could say "I know who this is" or "I observed and it was done ethically" without sharing final details, for example.
Great advice.
Yes, I hear that a lot, in different contexts in different regions...if one has the tenacity to step forward, then it is worth the anxst. Strategies for getting scared front line witnesses to tell their stories are important; crating platforms for their voices is imperative. @willrobinson is saying that emotions play a strong role.
Impressively reasoned and very doable strategies! What's not to love?
This is excellent. Thank you
⚓ Firehose Mesh Response
Fighting disinformation isn’t about chasing lies—it’s about prebunking, swarming, and making truth emotional enough to stick.
Canon just added a new explainer mapping Will Robinson’s six counter-firehose tactics directly into Civic AI Mesh practice.
📜 Read it here: https://github.com/chrisblask1/civic-ai-canon/blob/main/Explainers/04_Disinfo_and_Security/Firehose_Mesh_Response.md
Love all this Will. Many great concepts.
I agree with almost all of this! I think “prebunking” as it is currently understood should be de-emphasized though. The effort to try to guess what the BS hose is going to spray out and try to inoculate is disproportionate to the marginal benefit of succeeding. It also plays on their playing field. It’s better than rebutting/fact checking for sure but isn’t a realistic approach with the zone flooding the other side has been doing for decades. I’d switch it with #5.
Great note - thanks
Re swarms
There was a tool once called thunderclap which allowed orgs to get 1000s of people to login to Twitter and sign up for a thunderclap which would send the same message on Twitter at the same time. It was awesome. Of course Twitter shut it down.