QAnon is a cult. Their acts of violence are escalating.

So I am actually a professional researcher. Qualitative and quantitative research and analysis is how I make my living. Reading Q drops is not useful research in itself.

I’m not trying to be rude or play the expert. I’m just trying, with kindness to say that you’re only seeing part of the picture - and I think the most horrible and scary part.

The first thing I’d say is let’s assume Q is 100% right about everything. That doesn’t mean you have to give up everything to fight the good fight. Do you feel like you’re making a difference? If you’re not involved will Q falter? Is spending so much time reflecting on this dark stuff making you happy? If the shot is going to hit the fan anyway, can you just enjoy life in the meantime?

However I’d you decide you do want to do rigorous research, This is how I would research the topics Q deals with:

Step 1. Assess the quality of the source material. Can anything be verified? Are there primary sources like photos or interviews? Are there multiple independent sources that confirm the same facts? Are the sources primary, secondary or tertiary?

  1. How good is the analysis? How reliable are the findings? If the facts are verified, are there alternative explanations? Are there leaps of logic or correlation/causation issues?

  2. What do other researchers and analysts say about these topics? What does the opposition say? Repeat steps 1 and 2. Compare and contrast. Who do you think is most convincing?

/r/conspiracy Thread Parent Link - vice.com