Attitudes of distrust and paranoia toward scientific and political institutions are increasingly identified as major troubles in online communication and often lumped together under the umbrella term of conspiracy theories. However, this term encompasses two distinct communication practices that deserve to be distinguished. Traditional conspiratorial thinking adopts pseudo-scientific arguments, while newer manifestations lack coherent theories, promoting trolling, and antagonism. We argue that these strands align with different types of digital communications and are supported by different technical infrastructure and cultures of use, with classic conspiracy theories prevalent in early online venues and “conspiracies-without-theory” more common on social media. By comparing the Flat Earth Society’s Internet forum and its subreddit, we highlight their stark differences. The forum prioritizes pseudo-scientific discourse, while the subreddit fosters confrontational antagonism and unmoderated escalation. Recognizing these distinctions is vital for understanding their communicative profoundly different nature and developing targeted strategies to address them effectively.

中文翻译：

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伪科学与反科学的网络阴谋论：地平说协会互联网论坛和 Reddit 的比较

对科学和政治机构的不信任和偏执态度越来越被认为是在线交流中的主要问题，并且常常被归为阴谋论的总称。然而，这个术语包含两种需要区分的不同的沟通实践。传统的阴谋论思维采用伪科学论据，而新的表现形式则缺乏连贯的理论，助长了恶搞和对抗。我们认为，这些线索与不同类型的数字通信相一致，并受到不同技术基础设施和使用文化的支持，经典阴谋论在早期在线场所盛行，而“无理论的阴谋”在社交媒体上更为常见。通过比较地平说协会的互联网论坛及其 Reddit 子版块，我们强调了它们之间的明显差异。该论坛优先考虑伪科学言论，而 Reddit 子版块则助长对抗性对抗和无节制的升级。认识到这些区别对于理解它们在交际上的巨大差异并制定有针对性的策略来有效解决这些问题至关重要。