The Low Spark of Well-Heeled Trolls

[babylonsister]

The Low Spark of Well-Heeled Trolls

by xxdr_zombiexx | January 17, 2008



About a year and a half ago I wrote a piece about paid trolls and posted it at Daily Kos.

Some call it Astroturfing

The use of paid shills to create the impression of a popular movement, through means like letters to newspapers from soidisant ‘concerned citizens’, paid opinion pieces, and the formation of grass-roots lobbying groups that are actually funded by a PR group (AstroTurf is fake grass; hence the term).

Recently, I have seen concerns related to trolls, paid or otherwise surfacing again, likely due to the upcoming election battles, so I have re-posted this here in a mildly edited form to raise awareness.

If nothing else, this phenomenon highlights the power blogging has garnered.


The Low Spark of Well-Heeled Trolls

Ever wonder why "do not feed the trolls" was such an ineffective way to address the problem?

How is it that such dullards can ruin the most intelligent of message board discourse?

From Pandagon

What a lot of us suspected--that conservative trolls that seem to generate knee-jerk right wing talking points are just plants that are put there by the endless stream of right wing money earmarked for propaganda--looks like it's probably true. People are reporting that they're getting these comments from people that are coming from this company called Netvocates. The company sells itself as a company that will defend your organization's reputation by sending people to fill blog comments with defenses. The blurb from the site is quite telling:

For many organizations, blogs represent an uncomfortable topic. Unlike traditional communication mediums, blogs frequently impact an organization and its products and image in uncontrolled and often unexpected ways. In addition, the sheer volume of blogs, message boards, and other discussion forums makes it difficult for organizations to effectively monitor the activity relevant to them.

She goes on to document that the

company appears to work predominantly for corporations that are attempting to mitigate damage by people who are criticizing their practices and marketing on the internet.

But there's also a group called the Rendon Group that is all about controlling public opinion on government actions that people are reporting on their site meters. Considering that the Rendon Group has contracts from BushCo to spread pro-war propaganda, it's hard to imagine that they aren't also targeting left-leaning blogs, possibly trying to circumvent productive anti-war discussion by bomb-throwing and other nonsense. Something to keep an eye out for--if you have right wing trolls that only comment on certain topics, especially if they just generate generic talking points, there's a solid chance they are a troll-for-hire.

While most of us attempt to restrain ourselves from "feeding the trolls" many of them, in fact, could be "nourished" by the "endless stream of rightwing money".

So, ignore them or not, they have plenty of impetus to come and soil what is one of the Blogoshpere's greatest strengths - unfettered public discourse. The Troll-for-Hire is there to destroy it whatever one does.

more...

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/12224

[panader0]

1. Damn, I used to like that song. Now it'll have a new connotation.

[babylonsister]

2. Ha!

My first thought, too! I like(d) it as well-now it has a whole new meaning.

[Enthusiast]

9. Some of them are well hidden

Some of these advocates are well hidden. They are "stealth" fascists. They aren't readily recognized because for part of their public appearance history, at least, they will present a reasoned argument. Then on some vital issue they will gently steer the discussion in a direction they want. This is a practiced art form and there are very capable masters that operate internet wide. There is no bottom to corporate pockets.

[gateley]

11. Ditto - it's coming off my iPod. nt

[bemildred]

3. It is worth remembering in this context, that if the trolls merely

succeed in muddying the water, distracting, and preventing intelligent discussion, that is already a "win" for them.

[navarth]

4. that's good stuff to know...but how does one identify them?

that's what I'd like to know

we'll skip what I'd like to do to them:grr:

[yurbud]

7. some obvious ones: their posts are articulate, glib, and undocumented

If you ask them a question, they will not address the content of what you said but robotically respond with things like

''YAWN!''

''that's old news''

''conspiracy theory''

etc.

Remarkably similar to how politicians respond to legitimate tough questions because they are written by the same people and designed to obfuscate and blunt debate without saying anything substantive.

Real people who disagree with you can't resist actually engaging to some degree.

[cloudythescribbler]

10. Documentation is often suspiciously sourced or doesn't prove the assertions at all, and

then there are those who merely use epithets and invective IN PLACE of any substantial arguments.

Another is the use of the obvious presumption of something that is hardly established (eg, assuming that Obama had McClurkin appear BECAUSE of the latter's antigay views to pander to homophobes -- a presumption for which the evidence I have seen is exactly ZERO).

Often they come up with fatuous versions of supposedly 'left' arguments, like on political correctness or the Reagan stuff.

There are many other things that mark the type -- I'll recommend this as this discussion needs to be extended more broadly

[yurbud]

13. the PC ones set off red flags with me--I have met people like that in real life, but Bush Terror

has put that stuff in perspective for most people.

Not that it is unimportant, but we see that we are all in this together, and you don't beat up your allies for not dotting their I's and crossing their T's when they are trying help save democracy.

[Daveparts]

5. Belive it or Not, I wrote George Soros

About this very thing. Of course I had a mercinary angle as well wanting to get my book published. Mr.Soros is of the belief that the neocons are scattered and discredited. I pointed out that after watergate the same gaggle of criminals reformed in the Reagan administration and moved to positions of authority under Bush. They may be scattered temporarily but they are not finished. I advised this he used his philanthropy to promote the causes of the left rather than just politicians.

[natrat]

6. they work in packs

bhuto got offed and there was a report that some type of laser might have been used. So this thread was filled with responses that were very similar to one another. ie laughter at the absurdity of it. Almost like dont you dare question the crowd here ---maybe maybe not i dunno---but they seem to appear now and then and use numbers to dominate a discussion

[stimbox]

8. Operation Mockingbird is alive and well on the internet.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=109x31730

[gateley]

12. Wow -- thanks for the link. I'd missed that. RECOMMEND TO ALL. nt

[ursi]

14. I listen to alot of liberal radio and I swear ...there is this one guy who

calls in to everyone of the shows I listen to. There is no way he has that kind of time. Must be paid.