Trolls Pounce on Facebook’s Tahrir Square

[kpete]

Trolls Pounce on Facebook’s Tahrir Square


Cairo’s Tahrir Square is a warzone, thanks to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s goon squad. But the crackdown isn’t limited to physical spaces where the protest movement congregates. Ever since Mubarak restored Internet service on Wednesday, the most important dissident Facebook page has seen a curious flood of pro-regime Wall posts, sowing disinformation.

Some of the new up-with-Mubarak commentary at We Are All Khalid Said is classic concern-trolling: people wringing their hands over how Egypt’s dictator deserves better than calls for his downfall. Some is pure abuse, questioning the loyalties of the page’s administrator. And some are blatant attempts to disrupt the protests by claiming upcoming rallies have been canceled.

It’s hard not to see the trolling as part of a larger effort by Mubarak’s allies to win the propaganda battle surrounding Egypt’s unrest. They’re detaining and beating foreign journalists in order to control the information flow. On Thursday, it arrested online activists.

A sampling of pro-Mubarak posts at We Are All Khalid Said on Thursday: “I’m sad that I was one of you,” Tamir Said hissed. Semsema Elamora called the admins “sons of bitches” and “garbage.” Moamen Bokhary inveighed, “God forgive him he spread fitna” — division — “and wants to burn the country, God is my refuge. We are all against him. Send it to each other so we can rid ourselves of him and his poisons.”



http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/02/trolls-pounce-on-facebooks-tahrir-square/

[Demeter]

1. Not Enough Time for Disinformation to Work

Unlike the US where it's been going on for 30+ years, since Watergate blew open the doors....Egypt hasn't had enough time to poison the well of public opinion.