The anatomy of the shill: chapter one: behavioral analysis.

0  2018-03-21 by RMFN

Shills exist. Anyone who has spent any time on reddit understands and knows the phenomenon. Anyone who has ever posted a thread questioning gmo's, looking into vaccine additives, Sandy Hook, or even the topic of shills themselves may have interacted with one.

How do shills behave?

Shills do not have arguments. (But they say they do.) They have snarky comments. Shills will attempt to discredit a subject by talking down to the people in a thread using a air of superiority in their tone.

Shills very rarely give their opinion. A shill will keep the subject on what you said. They will become extremely defensive when asked to clarify their position.

"The following is good for identification, if you have a hunch, but not for response (any call out just shifts the conversation to the accusation, which is just as much of a win for them):

Post history will include regular posts in a generic "mask" sub. Often NFL, NHL, NBA, but sometimes a specific team. Sometimes it is an obscure video game, or an activity like vaping or gardening. These posts are to divide up the post history so you can't see that they pop up to respond to certain keywords in various subs. The mask sub genre is likely selected by the operator as something they actually have knowledge/interest in so they can post organically until they see their keyword unacosted somewhere.

If you are curious enough to spend the time, disregard the mask sub posts and look at what conspiracies they address and the tone. Some are silly obvious once the mask is gone." -u/zikashima

Many will say, moslty trolls, tmor, and real shills, that I am just trying to silence people that I do not agree with. Incorrect. I'm not talking about people who simply dismiss an argument. Or people who use one or two fallacies. I'm talking about the ones who continue to engage but fail to formulate anything of their own. I am talking about users who display a combative and negative behavior in the forum. Shills follow a definitive linguistic pattern that can be scientifically mapped using very simple studies in syntax.

Shills can never truly blend in. They can only be converted.

https://np.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/85caf9/compiling_a_profile_of_the_shill_introduction

https://np.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/85kycn/israel_to_pay_students_to_defend_it_online

https://np.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/85ygx9/there_is_a_private_subreddit_called_rconspiracy

https://np.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/862ft7/the_gentle_persons_guide_to_forum_spies_shills

https://np.reddit.com/r/TopMindsOfReddit/comments/8621si/many_users_at_rconspiracy_discover_that_they_have

https://np.reddit.com/r/TopMindsOfReddit/comments/864bh8/concern_troll_rmfn_posts_the_gentle_persons_guide

https://np.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/865a1h/the_handbook_of_common_shilling_tactics_shills

78 comments

1  Crows_and_Beef 2018-03-21

You spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about shills.

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

I'm writing a book on the subject actually. The committee approved my thesis last Tuesday!

1  vts845 2018-03-21

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

I'm not joking.

1  talleyhooo 2018-03-21

I believe you

1  Natanatnat 2018-03-21

and yet, you are.

1  vts845 2018-03-21

It seems like one

1  psyderr 2018-03-21

It’s a profoundly important topic. With how important some coal media is, not enough people are aware of shills

1  Herculius 2018-03-21

Strange amount of down votes.

1  Squirrelboy85 2018-03-21

I want my copy soon.

1  I_Am_Teach 2018-03-21

Ha.

Anyway, wasn't there a guy who claimed to be releasing a paper soon all about how tmor thought they were super duper smart but really weren't? People ate it up here. Never heard anything else about it. Is this a repeat of that bullshit story?

1  wile_e_chicken 2018-03-21

Dude that's awesome. Please share the executive summary if/when you're able.

1  Kunasroommate 2018-03-21

I only have a couple subs I visit. Primarily this and a gardening sub.

Things I'm interested in.

Am I a Manchurian shill?

I don't get keyword notifications.

Maybe people who are invested in sports are just behind their team/beliefs 110%.

Without necessarily having given it much thought.

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

Looking at your post history you do not seem to display the linguistic cues common to a online shill. My analysis has determined that you are 89% human.

1  Zap_Powerz 2018-03-21

Now do me!!!

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

Really strange results. You're definitely not a shill... But I'm getting a humanity rating in the single digits... Did the Mormonism destroy your soul to that extent, or are you just a very craftily programmed Vatican bot.

I'll have to run a few more tests.

1  Zap_Powerz 2018-03-21

There you have it folks! I. AM. NOT. A. SHILL!

Humanity can, indeed, fuck itself to death.

1  oldaccount29 2018-03-21

Do me.

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

;) any time.

1  AIsuicide 2018-03-21

I'm betting I show up as Bashar Assad's personal PR consultant.

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

You seem like a genuine conspiracy theorist. Two gold stars awarded.

For the record: I only want to do people who are accused of being shills.

1  Tonisha420 2018-03-21

oh, me next!

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

"It’s because we are stuck in the 2 party system. We need to break that down first - I think that will help with a lot of the political infighting. I wrote in Green Party in GA in 2016 only because Jill needed 10,000 votes in order for the Green Party to even be on the ballot in future elections. We need to break down the 2 party system at any cost."

This comment of yours gave me hope. But the test came back inconclusive...

1  Th3_Admiral 2018-03-21

Oh what the heck, me too then. I was on the shill list in that thread and was even special enough to have a specific comment about me included.

For reference, the comment was:

/u/Th3_Admiral (this one's been around for a while yet is taking a new to this and thanks for the info approach in the CA posts)

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

You pass. Definitely human. But I think I know why someone would have added you to the list. You seem very antagonistic in many of your comments. But definitely show signs of humanity in the majority of your interactions.

1  Th3_Admiral 2018-03-21

Thanks! I can't even disagree with any of that, I admit I can be way too antagonistic online at times. I'm working on it though and trying to be more reasonable or just avoid posts that I think are dumb. Most of the time anyway...

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

I know what you mean. If I see another mountains were tress post I'm going to probably break rule 10..

1  godlameroso 2018-03-21

Do I_am_teach.

1  Kunasroommate 2018-03-21

Wooohoooo!!! Freedom to be inhuman 11% of the time!!!!

I'd like to thank rmfn, and kuna, and the big guy-Lenny.

1  vts845 2018-03-21

he is a step from a youtube channel.

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

he is a step from a youtube channel.

Is that supposed to be coherent?

1  vts845 2018-03-21

I understand

1  shunned_one 2018-03-21

As designated PNG in the private shill list yesterday, please enlighten me on my shilliness. If I am included in your little algorithm you have too many false positives.

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

My list is not the list in the thread. I only named four names in the conclave and you were not one of them.

"Morons, the lot of them. People who think Obama and Hilldawg were liberals are out of their minds. They were firmly center right when it comes to anything that mattered like financial regulation and foreign policy."

This comment shows you are indeed a human being. Not sure who put you on the list. But my method has nothing to do with political leaning or ideology. It is all based off of linguistic cues and patterns in syntax.

1  shunned_one 2018-03-21

Fair enough. I'll take my pitch fork and move along. Good day.

1  Natanatnat 2018-03-21

your an expert in semantics?

uh, no your not. I'm done with your insular fearful type. I'm going to comments and care about being called a shill as much as I care about being called any other petty slur. One more asshole wont make much of a difference I guess.

Go read some Plato. start there

1  canitbe73 2018-03-21

As another PNG (high five, /r/shunned_one!), I'm also interested to know how I'm a shill. I do nothing BUT give my opinion - but since people don't agree with it, that still makes me a shill somehow. Hm.

1  Tonisha420 2018-03-21

Do you think that the way you are defining shilling could be a common online personality that many people are attracted to? Argumentative, shallow and usually non-sequitur - because of the anonymous nature of Reddit and/or the internet?

This is in opposition to the sort of controlled shilling that I think you are describing. I personally have a hard time believing there are active shill networks meant to distract conversations around vaccines or what have you (although I would love to be proven wrong here with whatever research you've done).

Maybe I'm just pessimistic, but I think most internet users are just adult-age children, and don't care to have dialogue, or contribute in shill-like behavior and hide behind the anonymity of the internet for some sort of personal satisfaction.

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

https://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/862ft7/the_gentle_persons_guide_to_forum_spies_shills/dw2d5f6/?sort=new&context=3

You should read /u/Ciasellsdrugs comment.

1  Tonisha420 2018-03-21

Thanks for sharing, there's a lot of links there for me to check out, plus lists of links when I click on those links. Any one you think is a good start or a good summary?

Also, since you're working on a book, have you done any thinking into my thoughts above on the shill-like personality? Or even, shills "recruiting" real users to behave like shills? I use recruiting loosely, because it would be moreso mimicking behavior.

1  ogrelin 2018-03-21

The problem with shills is that people will use the accusation to attempt to discredit anyone that doesn’t agree with them.

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

Only if they disagree on one subject: the pattern of a shill.

1  ogrelin 2018-03-21

What I mean is:

  • I say the sky is orange.

  • you say no, it’s blue

  • I call you a shill

I see this happening on many subjects around here.

1  psyderr 2018-03-21

It’s not that you disagree, it’s the way you disagree.

1  MerchantOfSargoth 2018-03-21

I lol'd. You sound like my ex-wife.

1  I_Am_Teach 2018-03-21

Post history will include regular posts in a generic "mask" sub. Often NFL, NHL, NBA, but sometimes a specific team. Sometimes it is an obscure video game, or an activity like vaping or gardening.

Lmao, so they're a normal fucking person? This kind of shit just gives you the idea that you can call absoluetly anybody a shill. That dumbass rule book you posted in your last thread is the same thing. Any comment can be considered a "shill" comment in some way.

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

You're giving yourself away.

1  I_Am_Teach 2018-03-21

Stop trying to on get people banned here before the secret coven even mods you.

1  LetsSmashStacks 2018-03-21

I want justice to return to the pit. I have a valuable podium among like minded individuals. The only way to take back the sub is if the network of smaller conspiracy subs work together to re take conspiracy.

The moderators there have proven ineffective and weak. We must call out our enemies in public now. It's time things change.

I saw him post this in cst, seems fitting with the gaining full control thing.

1  I_Am_Teach 2018-03-21

He needs it!

1  T4nkcommander 2018-03-21

I see I missed a few tags tho, so that's nice.

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

Clarify?

1  T4nkcommander 2018-03-21

Adding to my shill tag count!

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

Haha awesome.

1  wile_e_chicken 2018-03-21

O HAI!

1  I_Am_Teach 2018-03-21

Act like an adult who wants to genuinely participate, please.

1  wile_e_chicken 2018-03-21

Stop glowing -- you're hurting my eyes!

1  I_Am_Teach 2018-03-21

Act like an adult who wants to genuinely participate, please

Why do accusers consistently add nothing to these conversations?

1  wile_e_chicken 2018-03-21

You tell me. I contributed by pointing out {{{those who glow}}}.

1  I_Am_Teach 2018-03-21

Youre calling me a shill because I make people like you uncomfortable when I hold you accountable during conversations, we get it. You’ll be uncomfortable for awhile.

1  wile_e_chicken 2018-03-21

Oh no no I would never call you a shill. Wherever did you get that idea? Seems like you're projecting.

1  I_Am_Teach 2018-03-21

K

1  why_are_we_god 2018-03-21

yes, the best shills will also be normal people.

for example: israel pays students to advocate for israel online.

1  I_Am_Teach 2018-03-21

I understand.

But like I said it allows the lazy and uneducated to just throw out a shill accusation and call it a day because these bullshit rules/lists exist. It’s an excuse for ignorance.

1  why_are_we_god 2018-03-21

i don't throw around those accusation, i prefer dealing with shills by shutting down their arguments, which you're going to have to do either way.

1  I_Am_Teach 2018-03-21

I support that mentality!

1  HISNAMEWASSETHROGAN 2018-03-21

Someone writing about shills as much as OP reeks of projection. It bums me out that these kind of conspiracies are clogging up this sub.

1  Iamamansass 2018-03-21

I mean this is great you believe in it but this is absolutely false. There are things that people have called interests. A lot of Americans grew up playing sports and enjoy the teams from where they grow up/live.

1  LetsSmashStacks 2018-03-21

Shills follow a definitive linguistic pattern that can be scientifically mapped using very simple studies in syntax.

Seems like that'd be very helpful in identifying shills, care to give the details?

1  Natanatnat 2018-03-21

You know so much less than you think. Justifying your paranoia with some imagined profiling skills protects you from all kinds of arguments you have NO response to.

It's a dogmatic response to an intellectual deficit.

And you get pissed off people calling you a russian bot and then turn around and do THE SAME EXACT THING call others shills.

1  wile_e_chicken 2018-03-21

Love these threads with tons of comments and 0 upvotes {{{for some reason}}}. Can you work that into the algorithm?

1  saintcmb 2018-03-21

Shills follow a definitive linguistic pattern

Like repeating a certain word over and over? Does that sound familiar?

1  RMFN 2018-03-21

You deny that they do?

1  saintcmb 2018-03-21

Is that what I asked?

1  saintcmb 2018-03-21

Yo?