Solution for rumors going viral in Whatsapp

Hello,

First of all, I would like recognize and appreciate Government of India for acknowledging the problem of virals. Because acknowledgement by a Government authority brings the problem on to the center stage for discussion, debate, solutionizing, addressing it - no problem can be solved without first acknowledging that there is a problem and needs to be solved.

Also, for the stern ask to Whatsapp to do something to curb the virals being spread via its platform without thinking about its feasibility or practicality. Because, the one expecting solution should probe people to solve the problem without getting into its nitty gritty details, else there will be no one asking for a solution which inturn means there will be no one thinking about solving it - no ideation or innovation will occur. (There can be exceptions where few can volunteering think about finding solution but they will be very few of them)

For this ask of GoI, Whatsapp has also reciprocated it with equal seriousness and is trying to find a solution to its best possible and has not washed off their hands saying like others that they are just a platform to share for people and so it is not their mistake but that of people's using it. It is true that Whatsapp is just a medium for sharing and it is the people who are not using it in a right way for right things. Need to appreciate Whatsapp for deciding to find the solutions for addressing it.

After going through Whatsapp's call for researchers/scholars to come up with solution for this problem, I was thinking about it. After a while, I got this simple idea if implemented by Whatsapp will definitely curb the spread of mis-information or rumors (though may not stop it completely).

This idea is using the human psychology aspect and more specifically Indian's mindset (may be applicable to people of other countries but I am talking about only whom I know).

This idea or solution needs only a small change (in its minimalistic basic approach) in the app by Whatsapp.

The Idea is:

When a Whatsapp user tries to forward a video, a popup can be shown asking for user to confirm for proceeding with forwarding or not. This popup should contain few notes in the language chosen by the user.

The notes can be something like for example:

• Are you sure this information is true and not fake/rumor?
• Please note that you can be held accountable and legal action can be taken deducing that you are a participant in, if any, untoward incidents (link which will take to a page listing the various incidents/cases that are considered severe and punishable and has to be avoided in terms of public safety) arises due to forwarding of this information.
• Link pointing to general guidelines of do's and dont's w.r.t forwards.

Note: The above wordings of the popup is just for example. I suggest Whatsapp to utilize the appropriate experts in finalizing the content of it.

Note: Incidents to be listed should be done by working with GoI officials which would have discussed, debated among public and approved via proper legal route.

The content should be something that will discourage people from forwarding information carelessly, without validating it or second thought to others.

Since currently it's free and easy to forward the information to others, people often end up forwarding the information irrespective of whether it is valid or not, it is true or fake, often thinking that "what cost is there in forwarding something that he/she has got from someone else - if it is useful, it is useful else the recipients will ignore it". This is the mindset of people who forward everything carelessly.

But the moment they are told that they are accountable and can be held legally while forwarding, then all of a sudden, the mind will start re-thinking and validating about the information that is being forwarded and Whatsapp user will take a conscious decision about proceeding or not.

Since freedom should also be respected, we should not stop people from forwarding the information. Just enable the user to make conscious decision on forwarding instead of carelessly.

IMHO, this will definitely curb the wide spread of virals and also, bring consciousness among users on what to forward and not.

Also, Government can take appropriate legal action on those people if caught involved in spread of mis-information which caused harm to public safety.

This solution as described above is in its minimalistic approach or basic approach. However, this can be extended further by implementing algorithms that can make this solution contextual and intelligent rather than being dumb on asking for every forward.

I will talk about few of those enhancements in more detail in my next blog if anyone shows interest about them.

Science vs God

I got this mail from a friend, which speaks about Science vs God. Its very impressive, thought-provoking, simple but fabulous. I bet everyone will love this one. The subject of this mail was "Don't miss even a single word...Every second is worth reading this mail... Too good" is true.

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An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.
He asks one of his new students to stand and.....
Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.
Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him.
Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?
(Student is silent.)
Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...God.. .
Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.
Prof: So who created evil?
(Student does not answer.)
Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Prof: So, who created them?
(Student has no answer.)
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you.
Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.
Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.
Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.
Student: No sir. There isn't.
(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)
Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat.
But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that.
There is no such thing as cold . Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy . Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it .
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make
darkness darker, wouldn't you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.
Now tell me, Professor.Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)
Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? (The class is in uproar.)
Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)
Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain,sir.
With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable. )
Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it sir... The link between man & god is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

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The mail also claims that "This is a true story, and the student was none other than........ APJ Abdul Kalam, the former president of India".