Say goodbye to the information age: it’s all about reputation now
&gt;  the ‘reputation age’, in which information will have value only if it is already filtered, evaluated and commented upon by others<p>Isn&#x27;t this just a return to form? This sounds like what newspapers, publishers, academics, etc have been doing for hundreds of years. Even &#x27;fake news&#x27; is nothing new; there have always been disreputable publishers willing to endorse wild conspiracies.<p>The novel thing is that the filtering and evaluation has become decentralized. The article implores us to ask &quot;Who are the authorities who believe it? What are my reasons for deferring to these authorities?&quot;, but increasingly we depend on our friends and likeminded crowds to approve information through sharing rather than engaging with an authority by subscribing to a newspaper or feed.<p>Since the most exaggerated interpretations of a situation are almost inevitably the most shared, just checking the reputation of the source isn&#x27;t enough. Consider the amount of mainstream media coverage on the &quot;golden shower&quot; aspect of the Trump dossier, when it was the least supported accusation. Or how Cuddy&#x27;s provocative speech on body language went viral, despite other reputable researchers casting doubt. The structure of social media rewards stripping out context and nuance.<p>So instead of questioning authority figures, question your tribe. Does it sound too good to be true? Did you learn something new, or just confirm existing beliefs? Have you taken the time to see how the other tribe thinks about this issue? You can only escape your filter bubble if you make a conscious effort to do so (I&#x27;m still trying).