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Have you ever noticed things you do online influencing the outside world?

I wrote a comment on a famous boxer's YouTube video a few days ago that had a number of replies, I was accusing him of only caring about money. Just now I watched a press conference and he was defending himself against that accusation!!

Does what we write online effect the world more than we think? I think the amount I have written online indicates that someone I know has probably read my words! It's quite scary really, but awesome too :smile:

Reply 1

username234673

I'm going to be ****ing massively rich this time next week.

Let's see if your theory is true! :awesome:

Reply 2

Phenomenological

Hate to burst your bubble but I'm sure tens of people say that to him daily, and I doubt anything he said was inspired by a comment on a youtube video.

Reply 3

The_Last_Melon

Original post by Phenomenological

Hate to burst your bubble but I'm sure tens of people say that to him daily, and I doubt anything he said was inspired by a comment on a youtube video.

Bubble isn't burst. I was probably the spark of the fire.

Reply 4

Aphotic Cosmos

Waiting outside the exam hall for my IB computer science exam, some friends commented that they had seen me posting on TSR and I was suddenly all like: "OH ****." Think I failed the exam because of that. People I know . . . stalked me online! :frown:

The internet is always leaking into the real world. It's quite scary these days.

Reply 5

viffer

Was it Audrey Harrison?

Reply 6

Salazar

This isn't quite what you had in mind, but years ago I made a fake bebo account and posted something on the page of a girl I knew. The next day she asked me if it was me who did that. I stumbled out a 'no' and never attempted anything like that again.

Reply 7

LivingMemory

During the News of the World and Andy Coulson debacle, the comments section below the articles on him in the Telegraph online repeatedly called for Coulson to be imprisoned, the PM to resign, etc, and I repeatedly stated to almost everyone that Coulson was 'innocent until proven guilty'. It's a common phrase I know, but despite all the allegations I hadn't heard anyone using it about that issue, and I used it almost everywhere. Just two days later, the PM used the same phrase in the commons. I'm of course not suggesting that the PM read what I wrote, but it's possible that one of his advisers or research team did (where else do these people read the news if not in the Telegraph? [Well, maybe the Times]), and it passed into their subconscious. If they later jotted it down in the PM's briefing, all it would take would be for him to read it out. I'm speculating wildly, I know, but it just made me wonder (and hope, slightly!).

Edit: I suppose this whole issue would qualify as being part of the Butterfly Effect.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 8

Pn94

Yeah, I've started to think my Dad's a WUM.

Reply 9

The_Last_Melon

Original post by LivingMemory

Edit: I suppose this whole issue would qualify as being part of the Butterfly Effect.

That's exactly what it is. I think if you write smart comments online consistently throughout your life you'll probably have had a strong influence on the world.