(OT) "Post-truth" is the Oxford English Dictionary's word of the year

[agate]

The Oxford English Dictionary has a "word of the year," and this year the winning word is "post-truth":

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

This is how the word of the year is chosen:

Every year, candidates for Word of the Year are debated and one is eventually chosen that is judged to reflect the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of that particular year and to have lasting potential as a word of cultural significance.

One of the words that came close to winning was chatbot:

a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the Internet

Maybe this place could use a chatbot? (Just kidding.) But maybe some other message boards are using them?

[Frog42]

Maybe this place could use a chatbot? (Just kidding.) But maybe some other message boards are using them?

I don't think they're advanced enough yet. They're still being refined.

[agate]

Maybe a chatbot wouldn't be needed. Each person here could sign on under several phony user names and develop a character for each name and post as that character would post.

I could be somebody named Nuisance and could be in here constantly stirring up trouble.

Or I could be somebody named Tooyoung who has just been diagnosed and comes in here looking for answers. Tooyoung could have a dramatic family life, with lots of relatives for us to keep track of, and constant threats of terrible calamities hovering over all of them.

Or another scenario: MrsMS and her husband run a small establishment where we're all welcome to visit. Private room and private bath, air conditioned, 3 meals served daily with your choice of food at each meal, game rooms and a library, a swimming pool, computer training classes, movies shown daily on a large screen, assorted pets (an aquarium filled with varieties of tropical fish, a pond filled with poi, cats and the occasional dog, horses to ride, maybe a tarantula for Howie).

Somebody here long ago had a pond filled with poi, I remember.

We could repopulate this board with fictional people.

No, I haven't gone bonkers. I'm getting used to the chatbot concept.

[Virginia]

I like the MrsMS and husband idea. Think Vicky is up to having us yet?

[agate]

Thank you for reminding me! I'd totally forgotten that Vicky has a house just waiting for us!

[Earth Mother 2 Angels]

((((((Hugs to All)))))) ~

Synonym for post-truth: LIES.

I believe that I have contracted a severe case of post-election coulrophobia. The cause: truckloads of post-truth. Treatment: a large dose of hygge. Apparently, I have to fly to Denmark to receive the treatment. Right now, there is no cure. There is hope that one will be discovered by 2020.



Love & Light,

Rose

[Virginia]

Rose, I am now going to have to look up coulrophobia and hygge. However since a cure may be found by 2020, maybe I don't need to.

[Cat Dancer]

Post-truth is a cousin to truthiness. Truthiness is that which appears to be true, but isn't. Just enough plausibility to convince someone that something is true. Post-truth takes it a step further. This IS true...but I choose not to believe it anyway. 2 plus 2 is 4, but I choose to believe that it really is 7.

[Cat Dancer]

Rose, I am now going to have to look up coulrophobia and hygge. However since a cure may be found by 2020, maybe I don't need to.

I'll save you the trouble: Coulrophobia .. fear of clowns. hygge: cozy, comfortable, "at home". Comes from the Danish. Or maybe Swedish.

[agate]

2 plus 2 is 4, but I choose to believe that it really is 7.

Everyone knows that 2 plus 2 is 5...

We're in an era, apparently, where one person's truth is just as good as another's. Hey, it's a democracy, isn't it? Isn't that what democracy is all about?

There are quite a few people who would say this. And if you try to tell them that what they're saying just isn't true, you'll be shouted down and accused of thinking you're better than they are.