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[–] citrion ago 

There's more than one way you can use a word like "conspiritard".

On one hand, you can use it to talk about people who will take any old irrational, unbased, uncheckable, unfalsifiable nonsense and throw it in the face of indisputable fact or scientific consensus. Those people are legitimately annoying, disruptive, disrespectful, and in the worst case can create a mob mentality.

On the other hand, it can be used as a pejorative by anti-intellectual morons, who are made uncomfortable by inquisitiveness, skepticism, independent thought, and any attempt at challenging propaganda lines.

To answer the question, it depends a lot on which flavor you're dealing with.

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[–] BoiseNTheHood ago  (edited ago)

Most conspiracy theorists come across as some of the most annoying and intolerant people around. They won't listen to any alternate view, and any facts that prove them wrong are just part of the conspiracy.

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[–] leery ago 

Astroturfing transitioning gradually into a mildly self perpetuating meme.

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[–] RedSocks157 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

My biggest problem with conspiracy theorists is that if you don't agree with them, they just call you mouth- breathing Fox News-watching retard. Instead of someone who, you know, thinks critically about things.

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[–] Engival 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

I'd say the problem is that "real" conspiracies get lost in the noise of speculative and unscientific crap. Highly vocal conspiracy theorists that just regurgitate everything they hear discredit themselves.

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[–] escape 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

Because the primary way they try to get followers to their cause is by being fucking annoying. Loud spammy messages, obnoxious websites that are all random colored text on a dark background, all center aligned. They get hyper-emotional when you challenge their theories. Oddly enough the majority of them can't separate their wacky beliefs and their own identity, so they get personally hurt if you debate them. It's like zealotry.

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[–] Beers ago 

What does it mean to be a conspiracy theorist, to you?

If someone believes the moon landing never happened, but they never tell anyone, or host any annoying websites, etc. Are they still a conspiracy theorist? Are you still "against them?" I don't see how any of the traits you described have anything to do with the definition of conspiracy theorist that I understand...

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[–] HowAboutShutUp 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

If someone believes the moon landing never happened, but they never tell anyone, or host any annoying websites, etc. Are they still a conspiracy theorist?

Yes they are, they're just not one the general public has to put up with. They're still in denial, though.

I am generally not "for" anyone believing anything that's patently absurd, but if they're not holding the poop on the end of their stick under my nose, I won't generally go out of my way to complain about the smell.

You have to understand that when conspiracy theorists come up in conversation its the visible, annoying ones that are getting referred to, but the parlance is the same. Its like kleenex. Not every tissue is a kleenex, but every kleenex is a tissue, and people will still use kleenex to refer to all tissues.

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[–] HowAboutShutUp 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago  (edited ago)

Because most of them come off as the kind of people who spray vinegar at "chemtrails." I mean really, if conspiracy theorists could manage to stop seeming like the sort who'd manage to cut their own heads off if you asked them to apply Occam's and Hanlon's razors, it might be a bit easier to take them seriously.

And then when you act skeptical instead of trying to make a more well-reasoned argument their tactic is to SAY IT AGAIN LOUDER AS THOUGH YOU DIDN'T HEAR THEM THE FIRST TIME, and when you ask them for facts and sources, they offer you something made by somebody at least as irrational sounding as they do, if not more so. Also, they never, ever, ever shut the fuck up about it even if you're trying to do/talk about something else.

Like seriously, if you sincerely believe you see a problem, figure out a way to present it compellingly to the average person, then maybe people will stop assuming you're a retarded maniac. Nobody wants to hang out with a retarded maniac.

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[–] NothingButLies 0 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago 

It's jealousy. Scientific research indicates that conspiracy theorists are right at least as often as mainstream media.

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