What has Sup Forums done to you?

I am a PhD candidate at La Trobe University studying how online discussions about moral, social and political issues might have an effect on peoples’ views, attitudes and beliefs. I am focusing exclusively on Sup Forums, its users, and the views that are expressed on its boards.

So, obviously Sup Forums is a good place to start.

>Do you think spending time on Sup Forums altered your perspectives?

>If this prospect interests (or irritates) you, then you may find completing my anonymous questionnaire vaguely entertaining.

I have set up a website [OPhere.net] which has all the project details, a dedicated email address to contact me, and a link to the anonymous online questionnaire. I am hoping to organise some one-on-one interviews as well, so if you would prefer to skip the prompts and just tell me your views, please do not hesitate to contact me.

This research has been granted approval by the La Trobe University Human Ethics Committee. Reference No: E16-027

>TL;DR: PhD student wants to know your views on various social, political and moral issues.

sounds like a 4th tier school.

More like 3rd tier. Generally goes by department in Aus.

In any case, what does it matter?

I want my opinions published somewhere they will be read, not in a 3rd tier New Zealand Uni.

I want to fuck you in the mouth

Fair point, but who ends up reading your opinions will be determined by the journal I publish in, which will (hopefully) be 1st tier (i.e. American).

Define your tier-rankings.

Top 20 per country? 50?

I see - and why is that?

Oh, and La Trobe is an Australian university, not that it really matters.

I doubt it? I've never heard of your school before now. Sociology is meme-tier.

Looks like we hit a new level of Aussie shitposting lads

I'll suss out the website OP. Don't mind getting involved.

>>Do you think spending time on Sup Forums altered your perspectives?
I've watched my perspectives change Sup Forums, I've even seen some of my arguments used by popular YouTubers, something I'm proud of rather than offended at being plagiarised (honest thanks guys).

>>If this prospect interests (or irritates) you, then you may find completing my anonymous questionnaire vaguely entertaining.
I've been unemployed for some time, I'd prefer my opinions were distributed vicariously through better demagogues with greater platforms than if I entered the public view myself. I'm worried what I believe could hurt my chance of employment.

Now do you understand anonymity? Good, because the threat of disemployment the far left regularly implements is a form of very real, very effective censorship which is only countered with anonymity.

And it's sociology faggots like you that promote the same diversity policies, affirmative action and repression of any political dissent which, although may not be the only factor, is absolutely a factor in my unemployment and is a deliberate impediment to my right to pursuit of happiness.

t. White male high achieving STEM graduate.

PS: women are twice as likely to gain employment in STEM.

i just reported this, have fun in the pokey, faggot

Why would you have heard of an Australian university? The only one with any transnational mainstream media attention is Melbourne uni, and they are hopeless at sociology.

Cheers man, much appreciated!

I can do an interview in person.

Expect an email soon.

Meanwhile, I'm completing the questionairre.

How does a room full of phd pillar society faggots smell after a group orgy party?

First reply didn't post. Wanted to say thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Simply knowing people's views doesn't tell you anything about the influence online discussions has had or not-had on those people's positions.

How much do you pay per hour of our time?

Do you actually frequently visit Sup Forums?

Or are you an outsider looking in?

i startet questioning political events happening around me alot more. i've also become more skeptical about the idea of a goverment.

>PhD in anything but STEM
Why bother?

I appreciate that you took the time to answer here. I am very familiar with the principles of anonymity, its function and implications included. If you take part in any aspect of my project I can guarantee your anonymity. There is a short outline of protective protocols on the website. Also, the purpose of my research is essentially the opposite of the social justice warrior bullshit you describe. I want to capture how things actually are.

sent ;)

Been lurking for years, and spent 2014 researching Sup Forums as well. Yeah, I frequent the boards a lot.

Cheers

The internet in general has made me hate people in the most intimate of ways.

Turned me against my family, my friends and my romantic encounters (I only like emotionally detached face fucking.)

Politically its turned me into a government leech sucking down as many social programs as there is available.

The real question is... am I happy?

Only if your not.

Damn straight, that's why the interviews are so fucking important. The trick is actually arranging them.

>implying a PhD student has any money

Patrick, based on your PhD title, how "fiction" is in the very name... I don't believe you. You are studying us because you believe we're criminal, you're a criminal sociologist teacher, you are literally part of the group "crime and governance thematic group symposium." You are literally not likely to present us in an intellectually honest light.

You likely don't care that I've been unemployed so long for reasons so contrary to my merit, in fact you either deny that SJW is a factor or you think I deserve it. I know your type too well. You and the employment agency woman who literally told me I deserve to suffer when I tried to apply to new start.

I don't believe you.

Neither should anyone in this thread.

The Internet in general? That's a lot of platforms user... surely they haven't all made you misanthropic? You clearly know yourself, and what I really need are critically self-aware people to participate. I would greatly appreciate it if you had a go at the questionnaire...

It can be fun/interesting.

I see you have googled my name. What you are referring to is a link to TASA, in which my profile lists all of my research interests. I am not actually a teacher (PhD candidate, not yet qualified to be a lecturer).

Have you considered that my interest in that field might actually be one of sympathy or at least consideration for the 'criminals'?

In any case, the 'fiction' bit in the title is a reference to the default disclaimer at the top of every Sup Forums thread. I kinda hoped everyone would get it...

Exactly, I mean look at what I am doing. I get to spend my time researching a website I actually like spending time on.

If it makes any difference, I'm a self-taught web designer.

I can literally taste the greed off all the most popular website interfaces.

If people deserved anything but agony someone somewhere by now would have designed an "ease human suffering" button. But instead we got the kill everyone project.

I could do that, but fuck you, how about you go plague your own mind with the heavy sociopolitical implications of technological alchemy.

Really? How did you link spending time on Sup Forums to these changes?

>Do you think spending time on Sup Forums altered your perspectives?

Obviously so, though im willing to bet you expect it differs depending on what the individual gets out of the interaction.

For me it was validation. I wanted my personal thoughts and opinions to stand trial. It's encouraged me to be partisan, to listen objectively to views that my society would deem as hateful without proper rigours. I narcissistically saw myself as a "philosopher" but only grew to hate those that presumed intellectual superiority though a kind of self-aware projection. Id like to think that everyone can see truth, there is no skill or hidden depth of mind, it just takes time and curiosity.

Other times its been for catharsis, a sake of belonging. Though its easy to see the lines blur, I like that there is a place where i can say nigger ad nausium just for the sake of it and be more or less completely secure about my beliefs on race, ideology, politics etc.

This website is probably the longest thing i have ever committed to in my entire life.

Pic related

>Project title: interpreting ARTISTIC works of FICTION and FALSEHOOD on Sup Forums

Totally likely he's showing things how they are.

People like you make me misanthropic, yes, but you'll find much of Sup Forums is Christian. It is an imperative that we love our enemies, for they are fun to dismantle and at least they're ridiculous enough to assure us they're on the wrong side of history.

No one 40 years from now is going to believe diversity quotas were anything except a Marxist attacks on certain demographics.

>I am not actually a teacher (PhD candidate, not yet qualified to be a lecturer).
PhD candidates tutored at my uni, you are still on contact with students.

>Have you considered that my interest in that field might actually be one of sympathy or at least consideration for the 'criminals'?
So you admit you actually believe we're criminals instead of recklessly misrepresented by the mainstream media? Outside of the edgelords that think Nazi sympathy is funny (believing them makes you a victim of Poe's law), Sup Forums is full of libertarians and Christians. These are people who fled to the last bastion of real free speech, through anonymity, to converse about what they believe is a moral high ground.

>In any case, the 'fiction' bit in the title is a reference to the default disclaimer at the top of every Sup Forums thread. I kinda hoped everyone would get it...
Your sociology peers won't.

Well, being a web designer would definitely give you a solid insight into the nature of internet-human interfaces. Fair enough, the site will be around if you change your mind.

Which cunts are you voting for next week?

Why are you using protonmail.com instead of your university email address?

>studying how online discussions about moral, social and political issues might have an effect on peoples’ views, attitudes and beliefs

You're studying how our statements and expressions of what we believe might be connected to what we believe?
Whoa, you're really onto something here.

>no, I'm studying how the interaction affects
How the flying fuck are you going to quantify that?
All you're going to get is that what we say correlates with what we think. Shocking data, really.

Just finished the questionaire and sent an email.

Let me know if you recieved it.

This fucking goy.

>Do you think spending time on Sup Forums altered your perspectives?
No, if anything it has reinforced my belief that everything must be questioned and that any idea must be put into the free marketplace of ideas to be tested.

>If this prospect interests (or irritates) you, then you may find completing my anonymous questionnaire vaguely entertaining.

No thank you, I live in Melbourne and I know a lot of faggots from the La Trobe campus who are socially regressive and would honestly love nothing more than to see someone with my views on the world be fucked over.

You realise that if he fucked someone's anonymity over, he could ruin his entire academic career?

...

Sam Newman might be running for Mayor of Melb.

reading news from Sup Forums that are not shown on the tv or goverment controlled sites. i also got introduced to books about alternative economical systems and politic. this is can be toxic,but also a gateway to learn new things

Again, the title is an ironic play on the Sup Forums disclaimer, but your reaction suggests that it was not as clever as I thought it was!

Not sure what I have said that has led you to believe I have such motivations/intentions...

You are right, I have tutored in a few subjects, but I am bound by research ethics legislation (and my own fucking principles) to keep the results from my research confidential.

I absolutely do not 'admit' that I think Sup Forums users are criminals. That would imply knowing a shit load more about the users than is even possible from spending time on the boards. I was just trying to explain why that link comes up when you google my name. You should also see that I am interested in research about emotions, for example...

fucking lmao.

usyd law master race right here.
except i'm getting fucked in the butt right now

*website

Cool, that actually makes a lot of sense... I tend to forget that everything that happens on Sup Forums is not necessarily in the form of conversation on the boards. Lots of linking to other platforms, reading articles etc. I hope you have a crack at the questionnaire man!

You sound weak

nothing of value was lost

>This

>just sign up to my honeypot and get put on my gover- mailing list

I'll pass.

So.
You'll use a biased, tiny subset as a subject.
Then announce it, ensuring more bias, and ensuring the responses will be exponentially biased.
Yes, this is the expected output of the education system today.
When you graduate, you'll be well-positioned to pass on your bias, furthering the decay of education.

Jesus fuck I don't even want to vote. I can't see a viable candidate yet... ask me again in a few days though.

> sound weak.
> value

You'd fuck this face, too if you could.

Because I assumed that if I actually do get a lot of emails from participants that they might get lost in the flood of university related emails I get. That and protonmail is a specifically anonymous/encrypted service that I figured might reassure participants that I am not fucking around with the anonymity thing.

>publishing email address on Internet
>not wanting horse porn

Pick one

Yeah im really missing out on the crybaby that thinks the internet ruined them

The plan is to try and get as many boards represented in the study as possible. The main goal of the research is simply to try and determine if people actually change their perspectives on issues/concepts as a result of reading stuff online. I will obviously be discussing the unique aspects of Sup Forums, and recognizing the limitations of any research is kinda mandatory for a PhD project, and essential to any publishable work.

But user, are you saying you don't like horse porn after having a few beers and in need of a good laugh?

thats because sociology is hopeless.

Aren't you compromising the results of the research by talking to us?

All done OP
Hope it helps

Shame that you think so, but it seems like a good way to examine important issues to me.

Seems interesting, OP. I just finished filling out your questionnare. Best of luck, friend.

Is this just a research project or your actual doctoral thesis?

Not at all, the project is ethnographic, which basically means that you need to get in touch with your research topic (i.e., walk in their shoes). Besides, the research question depends on actually asking what you think anyway. Fair question though.

Cheers man, much appreciated! Do feel free to shoot me an email if you wanna discuss further.

It's my doctoral thesis, but I am not going to pretend that I am not personally interested in the topic!

Spending time on Sup Forums has made me not trust the media. They will manipulate and spin anything to maintain their narrative.

Really appreciate it mate - I honestly didn't expect this much participation. Feelsgood.jpg

I actually took this seriously, so don't let me down, Australia.

People definitely change on this board. I went from Romney-style cuckservatives to genocidal racist. Then again, it seems like common sense that people have their beliefs change if exposed to different ideas.

I can appreciate that, but doesn't Sup Forums often do the same thing? I mean, I have seen some intellectual gymnastics here that put Clinton's rhetoric to shame.

Just lol if you get any real answers out of this.

Sup Pat.

Spending time on Sup Forums has done nothing to alter my perspectives, I believe just like I did in the beginning, that humans are neutral, there is objective good and evil, and we should all work towards one clear and open direction.

Sup Forums exists as counter-culture, it is low effort, low risk, low engagement counter-culture. Because the Internet generations are low effort, low risk and low engagement.

When you are drafted to fight a war or forced to segregate or doped by the government, it creates a survival tension in the population. If some of us are getting fucked, maybe we will all get fucked in the future, so they tend to rebel and cry for rights and justice and freedom.


They (we) will always settle for immediate comfort and safety.

When you are given a cold drink, a hot meal, a comfortable environment and the freedom to pursue any passive interest, it creates a dulled and obeisant population. Some groggily realize the sweet web they have fallen into and try to rebel, a sense of survival, an instinct inside them is shouting to fight, to resist. But they lack the necessary pressures, they are in no immediate physical danger and since humans are neutral and also bad a long term prediction the VERY tools they use to resist: namely websites like this; are simply farmed and exploited to construct a better and more comfortable trap.

>Q: On an ethical level, how do you feel about your work in the future being used to enslave, eliminate, subvert or silence any opposition to a global and monolithic system of control?

I assume given your personality, you will feel a sense of horrific pride at your contribution no matter how small.

You see, they are building the bombs with words and pictures now. That's you Pat, you're with the builders.

How much does your department make in grants each year? I wanna know how much money is spent on scrutinising opinions of autists on a Mongolian pube-shaving forum.

Are you a richfag or can you actually make money in that field?

I can't speak for the country, but I can definitely say that I take this project very seriously. Hopefully when it's finished you will get to read it! And also, thanks for taking it seriously user, much respect.

Outside of Sup Forums, this is what people Australians actually believe.

heh, nice try CIA

You picked the worst possible time to do this. You're as like to be speaking to a correct the record shill as a native.

>born Muslim

:\

I tried to answer it as decently as I could. Hoping someone who's undergoing a PhD respects scientific method and will remain unbiased in the final result.

Is that a man cross dressing as a Muslim woman?

Well, I see your points here, but my research is about highlighting the role of websites like this one in our lives. I don't think my results would mesh well with an exploitative approach...

We worship a fucking frog god that blesses god emperor trump with meme magic. Trump doesn't make mistakes, he plays 3D chess. Sup Forums is satire and you will be laughed at by your uni.

I do respect the scientific method, and I can guarantee that my work will be unbiased (to the extent that it is possible - what inherent bias is present will be recognized, and its impact/influence on the results interrogated).

Quite possibly, but that's a risk I am willing to take!

come to agorphobia cafe and ill beat your ass fag

Everyone's born muslim :^)

By the time you complete your study, we'll have the trains running in Europe again. Don't waste time

Not sure what you mean by that... Might be missing a reference here.

Sent you and email

Seriously?

>not sure if particularly well thought out austrailian shitposting or a humorous attempt at gathering useless information
all you need to know is
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