why do so many "skeptical" theorists react with anger, name calling, and infantile derision

You seem to have the people here confused with people that come here only to argue against any and all evidence presented in support of conspiracy theories. 99% of the "anger, name calling, and infantile derision" comes from them.

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i really enjoy your second point, and it makes sense.

in response to your question though i can see there are some usernames where it seems as if its a job to them. certain people in /r/politics to be clear where i am noticing them. i enjoy reddit because the news that i get seems to come from the source not the main stream media. when i refer to someone as a schill i think they are paid people to create propaganda on this and other websites. now some people go all the way to say that someone is a schill when there is any question or disagreement. its crazy and its not the majority of the people on this subreddit imho.

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i agree with you. the whole reason why i came to this subreddit is because i wanted to find out information. but with any group of people there are going to be a couple who obsess over things. and in my opinion the people who obsess and accuse others of being schills are in the minority on this subreddit. i am trying to say the level of skepticism shown by one or two people is the minority on the subreddit.

I like how you're being downvoted for being reasonable.

people from r/skeptic and r/conspiritard come in here to stir up trouble and and downvote everything. that's where it comes from. a fraction of that may be actual innsurgents.

typically when your evidence and proof run out... you resort to name calling...

when you're throwing dirt... you're losing ground.

That is sound advice.

i'm betting its dust on the dust cap just like the other umpteen "blotches" in that picture. people are fucking retarded.

-conspiracynutt

;D

i stand by the statement that people are fucking retarded. just read this subreddit. thats all the proof one needs to present. or better yet, go over to the "skeptics" at /r/skeptic.

I don't think it's helpful to anyone to call people retarded though.

lol no its not helpful... but the situation is hopeless so i don't think its that harmful... its an agnostic statement at best.

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When I ask questions; most of the time I just get DV. Although some users are really polite and try to answer back. Good on them!

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Then again, some users miss the important questions about his arsenal. Like, "What store did he have the firearms sent to?" because the way the media portrayed it, he just had it all shipped to his home. No one answered that one for me. Just DV it. LOL!

I find it hilarious that conspiracy researchers react with the same close mindedness as the people they preach against. I have seen this in my 911 research, when I come to different conclusions about the destruction of the towers. Let the most compelling evidence win, don't resort to name calling.

Why do people come here to say you're stupid for believing in whatever the topic is? I dont go on clopclop and tell those people I think thats fucked up.

I'm confused by this logic though.. So you're saying that people who don't believe in conspiracies (which, doesn't really make sense, as conspiracies happen, it's not like they're a fairy tale) shouldn't be allowed to come in here and make counter-points? Down vote the trolls, answer questions, debate if someone brings up a rebuttal - there's no reason to say people "don't belong" posting here, that's the exact opposite of what we should want. If skeptics come here and we actually refute what they're saying, that's good for us, no?

It's worth considering these terms, I suppose, for a more precise understanding of them.

"Shill" is used here to stand for an advocate of a particular organization or cohesive set of beliefs, but who pretends to be merely a truth-seeker asking innocent questions.

The standard shill modus operandi is to ask a question designed to induce fellow Redditors to say something which the shill can attack or twist against them.

After asking the supposedly innocent question, the shill will usually become aggressive in arguing for the group or point of view he advocates, and after the aggressive phase, will become abusive and will insult individual redditors who have not been silenced or induced to agree with his point of view.

The shill often employs a second or even third account, so that he can hold imaginary conversations with himself, to give the illusion that others are agreeing with his true position, when he finally drops the innocent veil and asserts it.

A "disinformation agent" is much like a shill, but is usually intent on planting seeds of false information designed to confuse and mislead. He will often maintain an innocent front longer than the shill, in order to sustain the illusion that the information he has planted has some truth to it. His purpose is to modify the thinking of the general Reddit population on various issues important to him, for whatever reason -- perhaps he is a fanatic, or perhaps he is getting paid to spread disinformation.

The "disinfo agent" will usually have a storehouse of references he can instantly use to counter any criticism or questioning of his planted information. He has what are known as "talking points" -- a list of counters to commonly raised questions or objections to his planted assertions. These talking points are often well designed, and will silence the average critic, who is not prepared to deal with them. But when his list of talking points is exhausted, the disinformation agent has nothing, and will fall silent and disappear for a time.

This is my own understanding of these two terms, as they are used here. When seeking to understand terms such as these, you must look at them in the context in which they are used. Dictionary definitions are inadequate -- connotative meaning is of primary importance.

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I hear what you're saying. It's depressing to post against the hive mind, and be immediately attacked regardless of the quality of your post.

You are an obvious shill and disinfo agent of the highest order. You are also most likely an idiot, liar, priest, penishead, gaywad and a crook.

This is my theory. Do not argue.

A lot of people are just ignorant, and so they act like dis-info agents unwittingly. But you have to think 'why are they posting on a conspiracy sub reddit if they don't believe in conspiracies'. Especially when those same people stick around. On the other hand, are we assuming they are being paid somehow? By who? Seems a bit far fetched, either way there stupid. Not saying everything is a conspiracy, but when your on a conspiracy sub reddit and you don't even know that 9/11 was an inside job, your just stupid.

'why are they posting on a conspiracy sub reddit if they don't believe in conspiracies

Because it's hilarious to read some of the shit that is posted in this sub. Also, trying to have healthy discussions can never hurt.

you don't even know that 9/11 was an inside job, your just stupid.

Quite possibly the greatest quote I've ever read on Reddit.

That guy is just a shill trying to discredit us through improper spelling.

lol

I'm not sure I'm in on the joke. I know I'm bad at spelling if that's what it is. Anyways, 9/11 clearly had government involvement. If you don't see that, you probably don't acknowledge any conspiracy. So why are you here? I don't post on alien forums telling everyone aliens don't exist.

'why are they posting on a conspiracy sub reddit if they don't believe in conspiracies'.

Because provocative comments are more likely to attract people's attention. Especially if most people are going to consider them incorrect.

It's really that simple

So people that disagree with you are shills?

Occam's razor can apply here

Alex Jones is a shill.

It's easy to call out shills. Just look at jk13 who spends all his time on reddit defending Obama on everything even bombing poor families overseas as "necessary" to keep us safe from "terrorism"!.

Only posts in /r/politics and /r/obama. So easy to point out it's not even funny anymore.

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WTF, I never said you were?

I just posted my own experience dealing with people that work for political campaigns.

Being passionate about a particular issue doesn't make someone a shill. They are likely to be narrow minded though.

Um, it is when you spend every waking moment making up lies about the Obama administration to defend their corruption. He even tries to make excuses for bombing children overseas as possible terrorists. What the fuck?

It's like absolutely destroying someone in an online match of a FPS: They hit your inbox with "QS FAG!" and "Reported 4 cheating haxxor!" or my very favorite "UR MOMZ A SLUT U AIMBOT FAG!! 1v1 me if ur a pro!!!" As soon as they have any resistance to what they are trying to do, then it MUST be because that person is an enemy of some sort.