Banning doesn't work. They just create new accounts and come back. The best we can do is downvote them when they use trolling tactics.

banning doesn't work

I have been verbally attacked every day by the same poster for a week.

I am just going out on a limb here, but that poster should be banned.

Let them create new accounts. We should not allow abusive users here. Ever.

cleaning the graffiti of the traincars doesn't work!

we will clean them once a run then

Worked in Chicago. Can work here.

message the mods with info when things of that nature happen, and we'll gladly take a look.

I hit report every time this person posts. Nothing happens. I will message the mods now.

downvote them

They command standing armies of socks so this unfortunately doesn't work. I routinely catch these users up-voting themselves in dead threads (4 votes in an hour).

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It would be easy to just point out the trolls to everyone else? No? I don't know. Alot of times it's hard to make out who is trolling and who isn't. Goes farther than just trolling if you get what I mean. Disinfo makes it more complicated to learb about these thinga than just "trolls".

[deleted]

But what about dynamic IP's?

EDIT: It's a good question you downvoting pussies. Stay and challenge me! Don't downvote and run! It makes me even more right about it.

i'll drink to that.

they can come in one way, get shot down, then come back with another account, posing as "one of us." they have fake discussions amongst themselves, giving an illusion of conversation and effectively framing the topics, farming the comment threads, partitioning the undecided. Posts that are great or have great conversations will get reposted half a dozen times in a few hours, diverting the stream of people reading about the topic among the several, instead of joining the ongoing convo, muddying it with repeated posts asking the same questions, drowning it among a torrent.

in addition to tactics, the software being implemented now allows for simultaneous control of literally dozens of screennames, per agent. the tactics evolve to keep pace with the tech.

the apparatus applied today is several magnitude greater in sophistication than i think many people even consider.

.....they have fake discussions amongst themselves, giving an illusion of conversation and effectively framing the topics, farming the comment threads, partitioning the undecided.

Seems appropriate :D

How do i identify the disinfo agents?

you can't. that's kinda the point.

what you can do, and what is important, is pull back and look at the bigger picture a bit. what themes exist between people posting and commenting recently? what is the trend in comments? when did it begin?

what topic has pulled droves of mysterious commentators out? what are they trying to get you to do? oftentimes certain topics will appear to draw hundreds of people to your forum, people who won't be there tomorrow, and weren't there yesterday.

now, these aren't evidence that they're all agents, but signs to be aware of that indicate conditions for disinfo are ripening. maybe you'll begin to be able to pick em out, or predict when they'll appear. then maybe you'll notice certain trends in the way they work on people, words they use, standard techniques.

additionally, you can learn the gentleperson's guide to forum manipulation in the sidebar, and publicly point out when you see evidence of its methods being worked on unsuspecting folks.

Read this: http://cryptome.org/2012/07/gent-forum-spies.htm

this is exactly what i was looking for, thank you!

You have a wonderful vocabulary.

it's a magnificent result of all the hours i spend not getting laid. cheers.

:(

hey, hey, i got time.

it's not like the world is about to end or anything.

...right?

;)

oh shit!

sleeping with boots on.

I really appreciate your posts, I hope you stay around on this sub.

as long as we continue to be descended upon by fabianists and industrial unconsciousness or until i get a girlfriend i'm not going anywhere.

*I am currently interested in any open positions for "jump room" star gate projects. pm me.

So at least for the former, you'll be around ;)

let's put it this way, if for any reason i do disappear, i'm expecting you guys to raise the posse.

I was going to say "or assume you found love?"

Touché.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance

Thomas Jefferson

vigilance - the process of paying close and continuous attention; "wakefulness, watchfulness, and bellicosity make a good hunter"; "vigilance is especially susceptible to fatigue"

vigilance - the trait of being observant and paying attention

there are no fewer than 7 reposts of the same 'sandy hook mentioned on a map in the dark knight rises' videos, all on the most recent first page of 'new'. downvoting is not enough.

I have noticed a sharp rise in shill like comments being made. Especially related to gun-control. Though I'm not entirely sure this if isn't due to the latest round of brainwashing the main stream media has started after CT, or not though.

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I browse this subreddit a lot because you guys tend to have news that other places won't report, but lately it's pretty ridiculous with the amount of trolls, why don't you just start copying their usernames and posting them somewhere so it's easy to check if the guys a known troll?

They are bountiful, here is a list of ones that I have engaged in this thread alone. Read their comment history and see for yourself:

/u/Zagtar_the_Defender

/u/SincerelySincere

/u/BetYouCanNotTellMe

To give you perspective, this sub grew by about 25k users in the last few months...very few genuinely interested.

This was also on r/conspiracy... It may explain the trolling.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=6f2_1355313666

I'm the first to admit, I got pulled into a couple of conversations with trolls. Clue number 1 is them calling you a moron, dumbass, etc... Honestly though, once you see their tactics, it's pretty easy to sort them out. Would hate to see them evolve in response to any action this sub took.

[deleted]

More likely the same person with multiple accounts.

[deleted]

I'm fond of using this image to warn the unaware.

It would useful if "established" r/conspiracy members could blackball a suspected shill account (eg 10 members blackball you and you are banned). We would need clear rules defining when you can blackball - mere disagreement could not be enough.

Ideally it would also be necessary to insist on a minimum account period (30 days?) and minimum vote karma (+30) before you can post on r/conspiracy?

Thus the community polices itself, and the shills have a much harder time getting a platform.

What we need is some sort of monitoring and filtering system, which collects data about individual users to come up with a statistical profile of a shill. Look at the number of downvotes, what's being downvoted (is truth being downvoted?), and the number of anti-truth "skeptical" comments in order to root out the bad apples and keep our subreddit on-message.

Look at users like /u/haveyouconsideredthe if you want to see a good shill account to model data from.

Yeah that helps, but they do crop up like mushrooms (like this one here: /u/SincerelySincere) who follows standard procedure to flail arms when presented evidence.

Just want to point out that you have been shilling the idea that the shooters father has connections to LIBOR and have no facts to back you up. Does that make you a shill?

This is a conspiracy sub. Facts are sometimes sparse, but the big picture is what is important.

So basically as long as you make shit up that goes against "mainstream media" and the gobmint you are good to go here?

It's a valid conspiracy theory, there were plenty of external links - example. I'm not saying I firmly believe it, but that's not important. The important thing is to present all scenarios and let people decide for themselves.

Edit: Just read your history, and based on it I can say you actually provide nothing of value to this sub. You are another one of these parrots that perk up asking for evidence and oddly enough never present any yourself.

It's a valid conspiracy theory, there were plenty of external links - example.

There were not plenty of external links. The examiner article links to Fabain4Liberty. Sorry if i like my proof to be from somewhere slightly credible and not some bullshit blog.

You are another one of these parrots that perk up asking for evidence and oddly enough never present any yourself.

See when you make an extraordinary claim, its on you to show it to be true not the other way around. You could just say that James Holmes was really a unicorn that transformed into a human. I don't have to prove that that isn't true. The burden of proof is on you.

The burden of proof is on you.

The only claim I make is you contribute nothing, the proof is in your comment history.

No. History will be on my side.

How so?

When the LIBOR truth comes out. The LIBOR Truth Movement will be the single biggest truth movement of 2013, and the eventual unravelling of the elite.

Oh really? Cool beans. Come back and remind me when it happens

I can't upvote this post enough

I dont read the shill post either. Fuck em.

Report abuse always, and downvote something you feel does not add to the debate.

I often come here to debate and question peoples beliefs. I believe that is the purpose of this sub and having a bunch of yes men agree with everything you say is never constructive to finding validity or truth in any argument. However neither is having a bunch of people ask like assholes.

Lets keep it civil.

I regularly see a few /r/conspiratard/ users get top post comments here, pretty sad indeed.

troll back /r/conspiratard by making coherent points and asking poignant questions

Don't feed the trolls.

So are these trolls anticonspiracy people or they part of a bigger picture

well i agree but the format ur in allows this to happen, does just talking about it really change things or gives the illusion we are doing something..we are forever in the web of deceit..muddy waters are good for them divide and conquer old but still good ..just be always aware u are not in control..twilight zone...yes the eliminate posts and change to suit what they want u to observe...the right hand does not know what the left is doing..so i guess there is no easy answer with the trolls..but to be smarter than them...as they cant always be invisible..keep smiling long live elvis the king

Is this a nod to Snakes on a Plane?

Disinformation agents.

they should start r/trolls

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I used to be against them. Then I thought about it:

As a function of time, the information density is highest at the peak of the average persons attention span, about ten seconds. You begin to lose your average viewer after that. You can hit more people, faster and with more info this way. Since the visual cortex is also stimulated, you achieve a higher probabilty of said information being retained as opposed to a wall of text, which takes longer to absorb and may require repetitious reading.

This will (hopefully) draw more people into a dialogue in the comments section.

At least, this is my take on it... I say embrace it.

Edit: I accidently a word.

Trying to change the subject? That's just the type of trollish actions OP is talking about.

Aside from that, memes are a very minor issue in comparison.

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"Memes" are modern day propaganda.

I think of them more as modern day ideograms.

I don't see it.

Ideograms seem to have a single meaning or symbolize a single concept.

Historically, yes. Thus the "modern day".

I still don't see it, but that doesn't mean it isn't so; just that I don't see it.

I wasn't really trying to say they're not used as propaganda. They obviously are. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Memes could be the future newspeak. Think about it, instead of conveying ideas via words and a large vocabulary people just post pictures that have a predetermined meaning, limiting dialogue and the spread of information.

[deleted]

I've been pointing this out for months once I came to the logical conclusion that the internet dialogue is being dumbed down. I realized that they are creating basically 2 line ideas and just pushing those as opposed to well thought out observations. Thinly veiled as humor obviously.

edit: They should ban memes in /r/conspiracy based on this alone, i may message a mod.

You are very wise.

"Memes" are already banned (see rule nine in the sidebar), but the mods refuse to enforce this rule; something I find suspect. Though, please, message a mod with your thoughts, maybe you will change their minds.

Also, notice these "memes" almost always have a disproportionate amount of upvotes.

Shill or not a vote for silencing is a vote in favor of them. Truth is absolute, no matter of propaganda can change that. The more someone fights you about it, the more right you become, that goes for both sides. I won't support silencing anyone.

[deleted]

And they're trying to solicit this reaction from you. As long as there is conflict there isn't resolution, as long as there's confusion there isn't clarity. Its better to allow them to do their job, repetition shows more easily when its not broken up by engagement. Agendas list themselves to the unobstructed.

Never assume malice when ignorance is just as plausible.

Perfect slogan for suckers, fact is shills are documented fact.

According to people that have nothing to back up what they say about it. According to people that use wordpress or blogspot as a source.

I got a more perfecterest slogan for when I deal with people like that/you: Bitches be cray-cray.

What's it called when you ignore evidence?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networks

Here's the actual contract for persona management software from the government put out for bid.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/personamanagementcontract.pdf

None of that even points to nor is evidence of any type of OP on reddit. None of them.

"Bitches be cray-cray!"

Says the 2 day old account with negative karma...I rest my case. Like mushrooms.

Sure, because I am a long time lurker that just made an account I should be ignored. Nice policy. I see the negative karma as a badge because while no one can refute me, they can silently disagree by down voting. Like a pussy.

"Bitches be cray-cray!" I rest my case. Like my nuts. On your chin.

Dude, their subreddit has 8k subs, they get bored so they come to the superior one. Lmao. Pay em no mind, son

their subreddit has 8k subs

Or 1k subs with 8 accounts each.

I agree. We should ban anyone who doesn't agree with we know to be Truth, who ask for actual evidence of our beliefs, or who dares point out that we have made a mistake...

forum post about trolls

change the subject to limiting my personal free speech rights to call you all insane morons

this is part of the problem, right here.

also, watch me report this link but you will remain unbanned.

There is nothing wrong with asking for evidence. There is a lot wrong with being an asshole.

Your post above implies that the majority of our issues with shills/trolls here is simply that we are indignant at requests for evidence.

Why rules have I broken to necessitate reporting my post?

You don't actually facilitate productive discussion, you are here to simply cloud the already cloudy waters. The irony is you don't back up your opinions with any facts/links either.

Conspiracies are about finding proof, so to have a parrot on the wall consistently demanding proof is quite tiresome.

So pointing out that the "chemtrail" people can't actually be bothered to take direct samples is clouding the waters? Pointing out that GE has hundreds of VP's is clouding the waters? Pointing out that eyewitness testimony is extremely unreliable is clouding the waters? Pointing out that the anti-vaxers may be part of a plot to reduce the Earth's population of human to less then 500 million is clouding the waters?

Face facts - you and those like you get pissed when facts get in the way of what you know to be True.

[deleted]

Yes, that is exactly what he is saying... He is not talking about people like you, who immediately respond with accusations of being delusional. He's talking about dickheads who put words in people's mouths, and add nothing to the conversation.

Oh wait...

I guess it would be fair to let the OP explain exactly what kinds of things he would like banned. I apologize.

What about starting a private r/ that is invite only? Drastic, yes, but it's a way to weed out the bad eggs. If it's getting so bad that r/conspiracy is getting trashed, it might be worth migrating.

I feel like a lot of people on here are lurkers, I always think twice before posting on this, I mean a lot of people don't want any form of identification or username associated with certain topics after people like Hillary announcing that "alternative news" is a security threat on the level of terrorism and war

the issue I have with this is that the bulk of non-subscribing, non-tinfoilhat types who wander through here would not have access to our information.

the forum sliders don't hope to change our minds, they know they are unlikely to. the forum sliders hope to make us look dismissible so that the general public does not investigate our claims for themselves.

Hm. Good point. Would people be diligent enough to put some of the highlights from the private thread out in the public one for it to be trashed on by the shills, do you think?

I've been pointing this out for months once I came to the logical conclusion that the internet dialogue is being dumbed down. I realized that they are creating basically 2 line ideas and just pushing those as opposed to well thought out observations. Thinly veiled as humor obviously.

edit: They should ban memes in /r/conspiracy based on this alone, i may message a mod.

message the mods with info when things of that nature happen, and we'll gladly take a look.