5G networks - safety, conspiracies and moron cell tower attacks

[editor]

Stupid, stupid, stupid twats

A mobile phone mast serving the emergency NHS Nightingale hospital in Birmingham is one of the latest targeted by arsonists who wrongly believe 5G technology is linked to the spread of coronavirus.

Nick Jeffery, the chief executive of Vodafone UK, revealed that a mast providing connectivity to the hospital was attacked over the weekend – bringing the total to more than 40 nationwide.

“It’s heart-rending enough that families cannot be there at the bedside of loved ones who are critically ill,” said Jeffery, in a post on LinkedIn. “It’s even more upsetting that even the small solace of a phone or video call may now be denied them because of the selfish actions of a few deluded conspiracy theorists.”

In many cases, mobile networks say, the sites attacked do not yet have 5G technology installed.

Arsonists attack phone mast serving NHS Nightingale hospital

Vodafone boss hits out at ‘deluded’ 5G conspiracy theorists after incident in Birmingham

www.theguardian.com

 

[mao]

Apologies, double post (deleted)

 

[agricola]

I really do not understand why swathes of social media haven't just been switched off during this crisis.

Yes, the local help groups are good but you could surely organize them by some other means than politically connected platforms that were already in many places sewer-like even before this happened.

 

[WouldBe]

Stupid, stupid, stupid twats

In many cases, mobile networks say, the sites attacked do not yet have 5G technology installed.

Arsonists attack phone mast serving NHS Nightingale hospital

Vodafone boss hits out at ‘deluded’ 5G conspiracy theorists after incident in Birmingham

www.theguardian.com

Saw something the other day where the dickheads had set fire to a landline pole.

 

[two sheds]

Saw something the other day where the dickheads had set fire to a landline pole.

 

[SpookyFrank]

I really do not understand why swathes of social media haven't just been switched off during this crisis.

Yes, the local help groups are good but you could surely organize them by some other means than politically connected platforms that were already in many places sewer-like even before this happened.

I dunno if this makes me a fascist or whatever but I'm increasingly thinking that social media needs to go, if not the entire internet. We can switch it back on in a couple of generations if and when people are able to demonstrate a basic standard of critical thinking.

So I suppose my solution to people burning a few bits of communication infrastructure is to burn all of it. But you know, for clever reasons not stupid reasons.

 

[Maggot]

I dunno if this makes me a fascist or whatever but I'm increasingly thinking that social media needs to go, if not the entire internet.

Really? That's like punishing a whole class because of one naughty kid.

Social media is more important than ever for keeping in touch with friends, and getting news from non mainstream media outlets.

 

[bimble]

Is this happening in other counties too (the burning of phone masts and attacking of workers)?

 

[Mr.Bishie]

I dunno if this makes me a fascist or whatever but I'm increasingly thinking that social media needs to go...

Bellends the likes of Icke & Holmes need to go first. I’m also of the thinking that when fb pulled the formers video from their platform, it’s made the situation worse, as the first thing these tin foil hatters shout is it must be true it’s been censored. Leave the shite there for full on fuckin ridicule.

 

[existentialist]

Bellends the likes of Icke & Holmes need to go first. I’m also of the thinking that when fb pulled the formers video from their platform, it’s made the situation worse, as the first thing these tin foil hatters shout is it must be true it’s been censored. Leave the shite there for full on fuckin ridicule.

Or stick a big fuck off disclaimer across the bottom of the video...

 

[Marty1]

Or stick a big fuck off disclaimer across the bottom of the video...

That might work in similar way the big disclaimers on cigarette packets work.

 

[NoXion]

Is this happening in other counties too (the burning of phone masts and attacking of workers)?

The conspiratwat brainworm is unfortunately ominpresent in the Western world, although it appears to be less common in east Asia, and positively virulent in north America. I've only heard of these acts of sabotage in a time of crisis (hope the fuckers responsible get the maximum) occurring in the US and the UK, so perhaps other countries are having better luck with these absolute fuckwits.

 

[existentialist]

That might work in similar way the big disclaimers on cigarette packets work.

The trouble with the disclaimers on fag packets is that most of the people who see them are already addicted, and in a position to want to discount them. These videos on YouTube, et al, are the recruiting sergeant for the idiotic conspiracy theories, and at least some of those viewing them will not yet have been infected with the ideas.

It would not be impossible for, say, YouTube to put together a fact check video, and then liberally plaster the conspiranoid content with links to the kosher one...and, of course, they're also in a position to monitor effectiveness via click-throughs and so on.

I'm not sure why you're quite so keen to pour cold water on suggestions to address the problem while coming up with no ideas of your own?

 

[Marty1]

The trouble with the disclaimers on fag packets is that most of the people who see them are already addicted, and in a position to want to discount them. These videos on YouTube, et al, are the recruiting sergeant for the idiotic conspiracy theories, and at least some of those viewing them will not yet have been infected with the ideas.

It would not be impossible for, say, YouTube to put together a fact check video, and then liberally plaster the conspiranoid content with links to the kosher one...and, of course, they're also in a position to monitor effectiveness via click-throughs and so on.

I'm not sure why you're quite so keen to pour cold water on suggestions to address the problem while coming up with no ideas of your own?

Im not pouring cold water on anything and - YT videos do come with disclaimers of a sort on these types of tinfoiler videos - usually a link to Wikipedia.

 

[editor]

Really? That's like punishing a whole class because of one naughty kid.

Social media is more important than ever for keeping in touch with friends, and getting news from non mainstream media outlets.

Agreed but it's completely out of control.

 

[bimble]

The conspiratwat brainworm is unfortunately ominpresent in the Western world, although it appears to be less common in east Asia, and positively virulent in north America. I've only heard of these acts of sabotage in a time of crisis (hope the fuckers responsible get the maximum) occurring in the US and the UK, so perhaps other countries are having better luck with these absolute fuckwits.

Does that make it more likely (as in this article) that it’s not spread ‘organically’ but been to some extent a targeted campaign?
I have no idea maybe we and the Americans just more susceptible to this stuff than others are.

5G coronavirus conspiracy theory driven by coordinated effort

Earlier this year, as COVID-19 began to spread, fringe groups began claiming the virus was linked to 5G technology.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[keybored]

Social media is more important than ever for keeping in touch with friends, and getting news from non mainstream media outlets

This is exactly why people are burning cell towers though. Agree with the first part. Facebook would be a lot less of a shitshow if it was personal profiles only with no pages and groups.

 

[NoXion]

Does that make it more likely (as in this article) that it’s not spread ‘organically’ but been to some extent a targeted campaign?
I have no idea maybe we and the Americans just more susceptible to this stuff than others are.

5G coronavirus conspiracy theory driven by coordinated effort

Earlier this year, as COVID-19 began to spread, fringe groups began claiming the virus was linked to 5G technology.

www.aljazeera.com

While I certainly wouldn't exclude the possibility that various interests are attempting to harness this phenomenon for their own purposes, I think the differences largely come down to culture and politics. There's been a particularly paranoid strain in US politics for a good few decades now, if not longer, and I think other English-speaking countries are catching the fallout from that.

 

[LDC]

Social media is more important than ever for keeping in touch with friends, and getting news from non mainstream media outlets.

Fucking hell I trust the BBC and others more than 99% of the shit on FB etc. At least I know where their biases and blindspots are and can work or think round them.

 

[Maggot]

Fucking hell I trust the BBC and others more than 99% of the shit on FB etc. At least I know where their biases and blindspots are and can work or think round them.

You must be following the wrong people.
Novara Media, Double Down News, Another Angry Voice, Evolve Politics, for example. Plus many local news outlets, plus many individuals providing valauble news and comment.

 

[ddraig]

You must be following the wrong people.
Novara Media, Double Down News, Another Angry Voice, Evolve Politics, for example. Plus many local news outlets, plus many individuals providing valauble news and comment.

What's your issue with the "MSM"?

 

[gentlegreen]

What's your issue with the "MSM"?

apart from being dumbed-down ?

 

[ddraig]

apart from being dumbed-down ?

You or them?

 

[gentlegreen]

You or them?

I'm not the sharpest cocktail stick in the plastic tube, so I let the intellectuals bombard me with stuff and some of it sticks - in that sense it's a bit like Urban ..

 

[Maggot]

What's your issue with the "MSM"?

I didn't say I had an issue the the MSM, just that it's good to get news from a wider variety of outlets.

I do have issues with parts of the MSM, but I'm not gonna generalise and tar them all with the same brush.

 

[Serge Forward]

MSM is basically his master's voice... non-MSM is all too often the fuckwit's voice.

 

[Marty1]

I didn't say I had an issue the the MSM, just that it's good to get news from a wider variety of outlets.

I do have issues with parts of the MSM, but I'm not gonna generalise and tar them all with the same brush.

Exactly - best to get both sides of the argument (within reason) and form your own view

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Imagine if explaining things "rationally" and defeating them in the Marketplace Of Ideas destroyed conspiracy theories. Or actually beliefs generally. It would be a whole different world I'll say that.

Bear in mind that "rationality" is not an objective thing.

 

[bimble]

I am hearing that many people are worried about 5g technology and possible health risks.
I haven't seen anything conclusive from either side and am keeping an open mind about it.

You must be following the wrong people.
Novara Media, Double Down News, Another Angry Voice, Evolve Politics, for example. Plus many local news outlets, plus many individuals providing valauble news and comment.

Have you reached a conclusion personally about 5g and if so how did you get to it?

 

[Maggot]

Have you reached a conclusion personally about 5g and if so how did you get to it?

Yes, I have come to the conclusion that 5g doesn't pose any significant health risks. I did that by asking people who know about science, and looking at fact finding/debunking websites like Snopes and Full Fact.