Just as the great detectives we see in media and film, the likes of whom such as Sherlock Holmes, there are new information and "mysteries" always afoot. Every day, we seek to consume, correct and spread these information one way or another whether it be intentional or not. Today, we'll be able to learn how to become our own type of detective in the online space and figure out the legitimacy and intentions of ever-spreading information.

 

     In most media today, usually online, there are many outliers from actual factual information. The opposite is seen a lot throughout the countless texts and messages we receive and send every day. There are two types of fake information, misinformation and disinformation. The main yet discreet difference between the two is the intent of the sender.

 

     For misinformation, fake information is consumed by the previous receiver without even knowing that it is untrue. Then, that previous receiver unknowingly becomes the sender of that fake information. There are many mistakes and reasons that a person sends misinformation by accident. Sometimes, that person took that fake information because they thought it would help the receiver. Another would be, that person was not able to be perceptive enough of suspicious sources.

 

     For disinformation, the sender knowingly takes or even makes their own fake information to do harm for any of these several reasons: to disrupt, to mislead, to manipulate, for profit or for political reasons. 

 

     Here's the situation: an American resident gets his whole house swatted because of a “prank caller”. This is what happened to Ludwig Ahgren, popular online figure and full-time streamer, during his Chess tournament that he hosted. Apparently, the "prank caller" was a viewer of his who seems to remain anonymous. For a person to give the LAPD a fake call just to waste someone’s time is just mind blowing. This is a prime example of wanting to disrupt through disinformation and what it means to find out the consequences of disinformation and how harmful it can be.

 

There are quite a few ways to figure out whether something is considered misinformation or disinformation. There are times that said information is “too good to be true” and caters to your needs. For an example of disinformation, most scams follow this by making the scamee go through a process that they think will help them, but in fact, not. The scammer usually uses the technique of making an offer seem enticing and sometimes even realistic to lure their victim. In another situation, a family member may have fallen for a pyramid scheme. The premise of a pyramid scheme is to “recruit” people who will also do the same and seemingly earn profits from these recruitments when only the people on top do.

 

     To summarize, what makes misinformation and disinformation separate, is the intent of the sender. Always remember that it is essential not only for professionals but also the general public to be able to be keen in figuring out the facts, lies and intentions of any given situation.