It actually wasn't downvoted too much - plenty of people here found it plausible - but the amount of people saying I was stupid and gullible has really stuck with me.
I was told I had no idea how viruses work (this is true enough - I don't have a degree in biology) but still felt extremely gaslit.
You don't need a degree to understand how a virus works.
The amount of people saying something about you on a mostly anonymous internet message board has really stuck with you?
This is, probably for your own good, a decent indicator that you should stop visiting said website.
I like this website. I feel like I learn a lot - mostly on discussions about fields I only have outside knowledge of.
Its not like I was personally offended but had the realization that it is possible for large groups of smart people to convince themselves of something even when it is not true (or at the very least, have no actual data to know if its true)
Similarly, on New Year's Eve 2015 I saw mention of the Cologne mass attacks on women by refugees as they were occurring on, yes, 4chan/pol/, and checked /r/worldnews and /r/europe to find out more. I didn't see anything, and assumed that it was another /pol/ "it's happening" dank maymayism. I only later realized that German media and those subreddits' mods had all worked to suppress news of the attacks until they could no longer be ignored.
(Cue "/pol/ was right" couplet)
Was it confirmed these men were legitimate refugees?
> I only later realized that German media and those subreddits' mods had all worked to suppress news of the attacks until they could no longer be ignored.
Why would they do that?
Could you remind us who was that person who went to SF’s Chinatown to hug random people and was urging others to “come and visit and enjoy Chinatown” during the first critical months of unknown risk?