this post was submitted on 16 Dec 2025
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No Stupid Questions

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Like sharing a political post you disagree with to make a point, but because you're sharing it you're increasing its awareness and popularity.

Curious if there's a known term for it.

(Ex. Paradox of Tolerance. You can't be completely tolerant of everything because then you'd be tolerant of intolerance. Thus, a paradox.)

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[–] Lee@retrolemmy.com 2 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

It appears that it shall be known as the Dalacos Paradox: using something as an example of something that is best ignored or forgotten, thus increasing its attention and preventing it from being forgotten.

EDIT: I found "boomerang effect", which I think captures this in that you get the opposite of the intended behavior although this seems to be focused more on persuasion rather than bringing attention to something that you don't want to get attention.

An non political example might be "this book/movie/picture/song is so bad that no one should read/watch/see/hear it", thus brining attention to it and causing more people to read/watch/see/hear it than would have had it not been mentioned. Most of the stuff I was finding that sounded close seemed to be not quite right (related to persuasion or in the context of counter examples).

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 3 points 19 hours ago

There's probably a German word for it. They have words for all sorts of specific concepts.

[–] s@piefed.world 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Engagement bait?

Edit: Or in even more general terms, “counterintuitive”?

[–] Dalacos@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The problem is what you're linking is something you personally disagree with, but that doesn't mean it's "bait" in the first place. (I probably should've avoided a political example as I think some are getting carried away with that, but it could be anything.)

Different example: I could link something about peanut butter though I hate peanut butter with all my heart and hope it ceases to exist. Yet you'd never call "peanut butter cookies recipe" engagement bait. (Well, probably never...)

The term or phrase has to encompass more than just political sides or something like it. It's the act of spreading something you personally don't want to spread. But what you're helping spread could be benign from most people's perspectives.

[–] s@piefed.world 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

Sounds like a cross between the Streisand Effect and a very very mild and/or subjective information hazard

Edit: the phrase “Cutting off one's nose to spite one's face” also comes to mind

[–] edgemaster72@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

or counterproductive

[–] Yaky@slrpnk.net 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That sounds like a Streisand effect, or a variation of it.

[–] Dalacos@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Definitely not exact, but sort of a variation. Hoping for something that hits it specific but for all I know there might not be a precise term for it yet. (Besides "outrage porn" but even that doesn't hit the nail on the head, just a descriptor.)

[–] VinesNFluff@pawb.social 5 points 1 day ago

I just call that biting the ragebait, stranger.

Maybe... "there is no such thing as bad publicity" ?

It is itself hyperbole and it's by no means absolute, but yea plenty of times where bad publicity is still publicity.

[–] bryndos@fedia.io 4 points 1 day ago
[–] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

I believe it's called "Doing exactly what they intended it to make you do."

[–] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

“Feeding the trolls?”

[–] boydster@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

I don't have a word or short phrase for you, but I do have an upvote and engagement. Best I can compare what you describe to is this: Remember when you or one of your friends in grade school smelled a particularly smelly pair of shoes or a bad fart or whatever else, and the immediate reaction is to say to the rest of the group, "Whoa sniff this!"? It's like that.

[–] Lasherz12@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

A good example of this is the stock portfolios that allow you to mimic Nancy Pelosi's investments. By seconding every decision she makes it directly boosts every stock she buys.

I'd just call it misguided.