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The extremists sites a.k.a online discussion forums have increased in recent decade.
Now, this is a question which we have to answer with utmost awareness. We live in the world of polarization, full of post-truth. Our data is used by, literally every big company for advertisement a.k.a. revenue purposes. Watch Netflix documentaries like The Great Hack, or The Social Dilemma. Or maybe, just listen to Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg speaks about how they manage your user data. If not all this, just go to the Facebook advertisement section and see how minutely you can manage your target audience. It will surprise you. The information which all these internet platforms are garnering is unprecedented.
To put it simply, our data online has become a commodity. And, in the post-truth that commodity is being misused by certain conservative so-called discussion forums online like 8chan, The Daily Stormer, and recently, Kiwi Farms.
Read more: What is ‘KiwiFarms’ propagating right-wing hate?
Above mentioned sites are online discussion forums of like-minded individuals generally talking about online games and more. Although, the current state of discourse across the globe aims to divide between right and left. Hence, the discussions often are radically and normalise the violent nature of argumentation.
What do these forums do?
These forums take dissent very sternly, and humour seriously. Free speech applies to them only to mock and ridicule people from the margins, particularly individuals from the LGBTQ+ community. Leaking personal information is a protocol, rule one, punishment. They call it: ‘doxxing’. People on these forums are known to be far-right conservatives, and more often than are seen to be propagating white nationalism.
People who raise voice against any conventional idea, or against these forums are receiving violent online trolling. That trolling even comes home. It takes shape of harassment, and abuse. For the users on the forums this is a form of amusement, and show of power.
And, if you think this is all just on the internet, then you’re wrong. It is not. Christchurch shooting, El Paso shooting, Poway California Shooting and many more, the suspects have links with these forums.
Read more: Kiwi Farms blocked by Cloudfare & DDos-Guard
Conclusion
Amidst, all this there is an increase in the number of hate crimes. The nature of conversation has become violent. Trolling on the internet is a norm. Hence, exaggeration is our first nature. These things divide society into binaries. Demarcates society into hard lines of black and white, or in this case right or left. And, what is the point of all this? The answer is simple dominance. Altering someone’s life is the endgame, even if it ends with the individual killing themselves. Because here death is celebrated as a victory.
All the above-mentioned sites have been shut down. Will they be back soon? Cannot say. But definitely, individuals part of the forums wouldn't be happy about this and will try anything in their might to get it restored.
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