Sharing with Responsibility on Social Networks: Avoid Mass Dissemination of Lies and Ignorance

Reliance on unverified sources and unverified reporting and forwarding on social networks have made them a platform for the mass dissemination of ignorance and lies. See for instance some of the Fake Quotes making rounds on the internet: 

• See quote investigator for the false quotes spreading on the net: 
• See the Fake Buddha Quotes making rounds on social networks
• See the fake Iqbal Poetry that is going round and the website and the page that promotes sharing with responsibility. See also  video about sharing with responsibility
• Albert Einstein's quotes that are totally false
• How totally fake quotes spread on the internet: Case Study
• 13 pintrest quotes that are totally false

Level of scholarship of educated people has now decreased to such an extent that they are willing to share what suits their perceptions without critical analysis. They are now sharing unverified ignorance and lies on a mass scale.

With the decrease on reliance on edited content by sources that have credibility, news travelling on the internet are becoming a  menace. This is especially true on Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter and elsewhere where the attribution of the statement to a person or a credible source can no longer be traced. It requires extensive analytics to trace a report to its originator. There have now been several studies regarding this phenomenon of fake news. 

Even cable/media channels of news organizations spread false reports on air/media which never appears on the print versions of the same organization. The regret about airing an incorrect news on the media is not seen. Unlike in the printed versions of their newspapers where they have to retract the story with the regrets. Hence, the credibility of a printed is more.

We now need to define what is a credible source and how to tell people whether what they are sharing is credible or not.

Charter of Sharing with Responsibility

1. Any picture with a quote or message should identify the source
2. Before sharing, search the internet for a credible stable website page link. 
3. The website must have an owner that can be contacted. 
4. It must have a link to at least a stable website page link. Facebook posts vanish in history and can not be traced. Facebook/Twitter websites live in the present and now. They do not give access to who said what and when in a manner that can be traced. 

Quran and Hadith Injunctions Against Spreading of False News and Slander

• The sin of making and spreading rumors
• What does Quran say about fake news
• Gossiping, backbiting and spreading rumours

See Also: 

• Progress vs Pollution and Development vs Destruction of Nature? Costs of Progress and Development
• Eight Disconnectivities induced by Social Networks and Smart Phones - Costs
• From Disposable Cups to Throwaway Relationships: Costs of Disposable Culture
• Rememberance of the Loved Ones and Life
• Time Management of Social/Marriage Events in Karachi: A Case Study of How to Create Social and Youth Impact
• Remembering East Pakistan: We look before and after, And pine for what is not
• Computer Revolution and Moore's Law: A Personal Journey
• Hajj kay Saathi: Dekh mera Zauq o Shauq (Passion)
• Pursuit of Excellence vs Guzara: How to teach excellence through everyday examples
• Of Hanafi School of Marketing, Orientation of New Students and Dr Matin A Khan of IBA
• How West Teaches History (through Movies) and How We have Forgotten: A Nation that has No History, has no Future !
• Capitalist Transactions Replacing Traditions and Values from Istanbul to Makkah
• Georgia - Lesson in Preserving Language, Religion and Culture
• Of Achars, Chutneys and Halwas: A Lifestyle Getting Lost Through Branding and Mass Production