GOSSIP
Gossip is idle talk or rumor, especially about personal or private affairs of others.[1] In British dialect, the word refers to a godparent.[2]
Gossip has been researched in terms of its evolutionary psychology origins.[3] This has found gossip to be an important means by which people can monitor cooperative reputations and so maintain widespread indirect reciprocity.[4] Indirect reciprocity is defined here as "I help you and somebody else helps me." Gossip has also been identified by Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary biologist, as aiding social bonding in large groups.[5]
Among girls, the majority of gossip is not malicious, and it can serve as an important means of creating a sense of intimacy and learning about group norms.[6] However, gossip can also hurt reputations and become a form of relational bullying.
With the advent of the internet gossip is now widespread on an instant basis, from one place in the world to another what used to take a long time to filter through is now instant.
The term is sometimes used to specifically refer to the spreading of dirt and misinformation, as (for example) through excited discussion of scandals. Some newspapers carry "gossip columns" which detail the social and personal lives of celebrities or of élite members of certain communities.[citation needed]
OPINIONS
In general, an opinion is a judgment, viewpoint, or statement about matters commonly considered to be subjective, i.e. based on that which is less than absolutely certain, and is the result of emotion or interpretation of facts. What distinguishes fact from opinion is that facts are verifiable, i.e. can be objectively proven to have occurred. An example is: "America was involved in the Vietnam War" versus "America was right to get involved in the Vietnam War". An opinion may be supported by facts, in which case it becomes an argument, although people may draw opposing opinions from the same set of facts. Opinions rarely change without new arguments being presented. It can be reasoned that one opinion is better supported by the facts than another by analyzing the supporting arguments.[1] In casual use, the term opinion may be the result of a person's perspective, understanding, particular feelings, beliefs, and desires. It may refer to unsubstantiated information, in contrast to knowledge and fact.
Collective or professional opinions are defined as meeting a higher standard to substantiate the opinion. (see below)
