“Why Fakes Are the Internet's Original Sin”
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Title: A History of Fake Things on the Internet
Author: Walter Scheirer
Category: World History, AI, Data & the Future, Culture & Society
When did we start believing everything we see online, and why do we keep falling for fakes? Sam and Sophie dig into Walter Scheirer's history of internet deception, from text-file trolls to deepfakes, and why the real crisis isn't the fakes but our trust in them.
They trace the evolution of fakes from early bulletin board systems to photo manipulation, cheapfakes, and the deepfake revolution powered by GANs. Along the way, they explore the liar's dividend, the corrosive effect of bots, and why the desire to deceive is deeply human. The episode walks through Scheirer's argument that technology can't save us—only media literacy and rebuilding social trust can.
If you've ever shared a fake or wondered how to spot one, this episode is for you. The takeaway: the fight against fakes is really a fight against our own cognitive biases, and the future of truth depends on better people, not better machines.
A History of Fake Things on the Internet by Walter Scheirer. If you want the full written summary, the whole library is on 7minutebooks.com/app — over 6,000 titles, unlimited access from $2.99 a month, $9.99 a year, or $19.99 lifetime.
Chapters
00:00Fakes as a Feature, Not a Bug00:58From BBS Trolls to Photo Hoaxes01:46Cheapfakes and the Deepfake Revolution03:02The Liar's Dividend and Bot Pollution04:27Media Literacy and Rebuilding Trust05:52The Future of Truth
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