[zeugma]

On this issue of the Waco "shootout" charade, my number-crunching reveals that among FReepers who have commented clearly, the people who think the "official" narrative is bogus and wrong, MORE THAN DOUBLE those who buy the police narrative. However, when the latter dominate the threads in frequency of posts, even when we KNOW it is only a handful, it STILL creates the impression of size that is illusion. The trolls' purpose is to harm morale by trying to make the opposition at the very least sound smaller than it is.

well said. It can also discourage others from posting because they see how visciously others posting are attacked.

I've occasionally taken the time to go through and tally up posts on threads like these to see if my impressions of numbers are accurate, and I see similar results to what you describe.

Another common tactic is to constantly demand proof of claims, to cause folks to waste time looking stuff up, or to repeatedly attack small inconsiquential things and drag the conversation away from issues they don't want to discuss.

A few months ago someone posted an excellent article that analysed and described trollish behavior in some detail. I thought I'd bookmarked it, but I can't seem to find it.

 

[Finny]

It can also discourage others from posting because they see how viciously others posting are attacked.

Absolutely -- it is all about breaking down the morale of the kinds of American patriots who exercise their right to free association on FR -- Jim, thank you so much for this venue. May God bless and keep you and yours.

[don-o]

It can also discourage others from posting because they see how viciously others posting are attacked.

I have private messages saying exactly THAT regarding the Waco threads.