I've found proof of a massive coordinated astroturfing campaign on /r/technology
64 2015-01-02 by [deleted]
If you've been on /r/technology recently you've probably noticed that every single day at least 4 out of the top 10 articles are attack pieces against Comcast. At first I thought this was because reddit just hates Comcast, but as I analyzed the posting trends, I noticed quite a few oddities in the posts that reach the front page.
Check this out.
Yesterday an article was posted about Google Fiber's attempts to get the FCC to grant them utility pole access. This post recieved 4,933 upvotes and was the #1 story on /r/technology yesterday. In the thread /u/skyxsteel made this comment, which received 1,062 upvotes:
I'm tired of the whole "it's free market as long as I get to do what I want" argument these monopolies throw out.
Today, /u/500500 posted this article 8 hours ago. It is literally the same exact article as the one posted yesterday, except its from a different source. It currently has 800 upvotes and is the #3 post on the front page of /r/technology right now. In his thread, he made this comment.:
I'm tired of the whole "it's free market as long as I get to do what I want" argument these monopolies throw out.
Sound familiar? It's the same exact comment that another user made yesterday. Looks like someone deviated from the script.
Check out /u/500500's most successful posts in /r/technology, almost all of them are attacks against Comcast that gained thousands of upvotes and were on the front page of /r/technology.
But wait, there's more. /u/500500 also made this thread in /r/technology. Familiar? It's the same exact title of the first post I linked to, submitted 6 hours after that post hit the front page. So why in the world did this post receive 1,187 upvotes? Who would see a post with the exact same title and upvote it?
Something fishy is going on here. Looking back at his posting history he'd often post articles that were on the front page the day before (oftentimes using the same exact headline) and it'd receive thousands of upvotes regardless if it was old news or not. Very fishy.
Edited:
Screencaps in case the posts are mysteriously deleted
http://i.imgur.com/ucMvcK5.png
28 comments
8 [deleted] 2015-01-02
[deleted]
2 idmfk 2015-01-02
Thing is, Comcast is literally hitler
5 Poiluv 2015-01-02
It's one guy karma-whoring.
3 oblivioustoobvious 2015-01-02
I don't know which it is but can you explain to me what the reasoning behind this "one guy karma whoring" is?
What I mean is that, "He does it for karma" sounds just as likely as "People have hidden agendas".
1 Poiluv 2015-01-02
Aren't they one in the same?
But seriously, is dissing Comcast really something a corporation like Google or Verizon would pay to have done, when people already hate Comcast with a passion? That'd be like KFC buying all the ad space in a town that only has a KFC.
1 oblivioustoobvious 2015-01-02
They can be. What I meant is that the OP always posts a submission for a "hidden agenda" in a sense because nobody can truly know the OP's intentions. Whether it's simply for karma or if it's to spread an agenda are different things.
How do you know that people already hate Comcast with a passion when it could have been Google/Verizon paying to seed such a thought to begin with? Also, I don't find your analogy to be apt.
So to make sure I'm clear, your only reasoning for you being certain that it's a karma whore is Occam's razor?
2 SkepticalFaceless 2015-01-02
You hit on an interesting point. Do we hate comcast, or are we told to hate comcast?
I hate comcast because they call me all the time to try to upsell me, which is objectively annoying. I think Google is simply speeding things up. Conspiracy or not, I'll take Google fiber over comcast even if it means Googl owns my traffic. The way iI see it, between their search engine and their mobile OS, and gmail, they already do.
1 Poiluv 2015-01-02
Considering the awful service I've had from Comcast, the lobbying they do to Congress (as does every major corporation, so fuck them all), and the high price for such awful service, I'd say their hate is well-earned (as is any other US telecom's).
You're right about Occam's Razor. I'm not the user in question, nor can I read minds, nor have I asked them directly. How else would I reach my opinion?
3 [deleted] 2015-01-02
Agreed. Reposting with top comments from previous threads is a variant on a very successful karma strategy. I'm on my phone but search reddit for 'karmanaut' to see the effectiveness of this.
5 ShamAbram 2015-01-02
I'm tired of the whole "it's free market as long as I get to do what I want" argument these monopolies throw out.
-4 teleportation_larry 2015-01-02
You win the thread.
-3 oblivioustoobvious 2015-01-02
Downvoted because your comment and the comment do nothing above to address the submission itself.
2 LetsHackReality 2015-01-02
Just from a business standpoint, if it's not illegal, it's in Google's interest to AstroTurf whatever project they need public approval for.
But fwiw I'm pretty sure Google is owned and operated by and for the banker cabal. There's just too much satanic & masonic imagery in their logos.
3 JamesTheJerk 2015-01-02
Examples? I hadn't noticed.
2 mashupXXL 2015-01-02
Seconded. Examples please.
1 LetsHackReality 2015-01-02
Honestly I stopped looking there, kinda hoping others will pick up where I left off. Those are pretty in your face. And I don't think Apple or Microsoft are any better, fwiw.
2 a9sdd8nas90 2015-01-02
you might be on to something
2 JamesColesPardon 2015-01-02
Nice work, Truth. We appreciate it.
1 retrobuddha 2015-01-02
where do the owners of reddit have their money invested
2 [deleted] 2015-01-02
Reddit is owned by the Neuhaus family, one of the richest "chosen" (hahaha) families so I'm guessing most of their money goes back to Israel.
1 retrobuddha 2015-01-02
You are correct sir, and I'm sure Reddit is controlled to satisfy the Neuhaus investments and used for mind control for there political interests.
0 myksane 2015-01-02
Woah
0 FormalPants 2015-01-02
Honestly, it's probably just a karma whore. Similar happens on askreddit daily.
Keep an eye out, though.
0 godiebiel 2015-01-02
Isn't /r/technology dead after all that bullshit ?
http://www.dailydot.com/news/reddit-technology-banned-words/
Fuck most users went to /r/futurology or /r/tech. Is /r/technology even in the defulats ?
8 creq 2015-01-02
After I discovered the banned words lists I was made a mod there, and old ones were kicked out. There is no longer a banned keywords list. It may no longer be a default because of what the old mods did, but the sub is still thriving and growing everyday. :)
2 DaneelR 2015-01-02
Do you have anything to add to OP's finding? Will you be investigating the claims?
3 creq 2015-01-02
Yeah, we're looking at it but generally speaking it just looks like the guy is karma whoring.
Edit: It wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that Verizon or some other big company isn't trying to manipulate things over there in their favor we just can't see any proof of anything like that going on.
1 DaneelR 2015-01-02
Have you tried sniffing that dude's alt accounts, maybe he's Unidaning his way to the top?
0 cuckname 2015-01-02
i just unsubbed technology
1 creq 2015-01-02
I see. Well, is there something we could do that you think would improve the sub?
8 creq 2015-01-02
After I discovered the banned words lists I was made a mod there, and old ones were kicked out. There is no longer a banned keywords list. It may no longer be a default because of what the old mods did, but the sub is still thriving and growing everyday. :)
2 SkepticalFaceless 2015-01-02
You hit on an interesting point. Do we hate comcast, or are we told to hate comcast?
I hate comcast because they call me all the time to try to upsell me, which is objectively annoying. I think Google is simply speeding things up. Conspiracy or not, I'll take Google fiber over comcast even if it means Googl owns my traffic. The way iI see it, between their search engine and their mobile OS, and gmail, they already do.
1 DaneelR 2015-01-02
Have you tried sniffing that dude's alt accounts, maybe he's Unidaning his way to the top?
2 [deleted] 2015-01-02
Reddit is owned by the Neuhaus family, one of the richest "chosen" (hahaha) families so I'm guessing most of their money goes back to Israel.
1 Poiluv 2015-01-02
Considering the awful service I've had from Comcast, the lobbying they do to Congress (as does every major corporation, so fuck them all), and the high price for such awful service, I'd say their hate is well-earned (as is any other US telecom's).
You're right about Occam's Razor. I'm not the user in question, nor can I read minds, nor have I asked them directly. How else would I reach my opinion?