Something Interesting Alexa Showed Me Regarding Recent Trolling Activity

[I Am Not A Mod]

Hi everyone.

One of the things I have noticed lately is that, at least from where I sit, trolling activity has increased greatly recently. Many relatively new accounts, or older accounts with previously little or no activity, suddenly coming on and posting negative comments about President Reagan, saying they are lifelong Republicans but no more, and a bunch of other things that could be legitimately held beliefs on their part but when taken in aggregate make it clear that there is quite a bit of trolling action going on.

I found the following to be quite illuminating. Alexa.com is a website which tracks web usage for those who voluntarily use their software (a browser toolbar extension). They accumulate the data and compile it into useful reports, such as traffic reports. They also report on related topics-- "People who visit this page also visit".

So, what sites do "People who visit" Free Republic also visit?

• The Hollow Planet:

  "Progressive-left activist news and essays with an extensive link page to all things counter cultural and activist."

• Co-op America:

  "Contains information on boycott campaigns, sweatshop activism, public service, barter and LETSystems to regenerate local economies in the service of local needs."

• CIVICUS - Worldwide Alliance for Citizen Participation:

  ""Promoting a worldwide community of informed, inspired, committed citizens who are actively engaged in confronting the challenges facing humanity." In English, Español, Français."

• Emc:

  " People who visit this page also visit:

  • Clarity Web-Portal for Issue Resolution and Social Action. clarity.aurdev.com - Site info 
    
    
  • A SEED Europe www.aseed.net - Site info 
    
    
  • Mobilization for Global Justice www.a16.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Resist Corporate Rule tao.ca/~resist - Site info 
    
    
  • Co-op America www.coopamerica.org - Site info 
    
    
  • International Action Center www.iacenter.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Free Republic www.freerepublic.com - Site info 
    
    
  • Do Something www.dosomething.org - Site info 
    
    
  • CIVICUS - Worldwide Alliance for Citizen Participation www.civicus.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Essential.Org www.essential.org - Site info 
    
    

  "

• OpenWords.Com:

  " People who visit this page also visit:

  • Celebrate Capitalism www.celebratecapitalism.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Latino Education Network Service palante.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Industrial Workers of the World www.iww.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Save The Good Friday Agreement Coal members.tripod.com/SavetheGFA - Site info 
    
    
  • A Call To Charms calltocharms.faithweb.com - Site info 
    
    
  • Photo of Fritz Weidner www.pivot.net/~weidner/fcw150x150-1.jpg - Site info 
    
    
  • [maine Greens Update] Fritz Weidner lists.psouth.net/pipermail/mainegreens/2002-June/000008... - Site info 
    
    
  • Woodstock Electronic Press ewoodstock.com - Site info 
    
    
  • Portalscripts.com www.portalscripts.com - Site info 
    
    
  • OurVoices www.ourvoices.org - Site info 
    
    

  "

• League of the NewJust:

  "Concerned about growing environmental harm, the increasing power of transnational corporations and other matters which affect the quality of life on Earth. "The chains of capitalism and the quest for profit obscures the path leading to true happiness and self-actualisation. In ignorant denial, capitalists fail to acknowledge the inherent unsustainability of their system as well as its intrinsic wrongdoing, crime against, not only humanity, but against a larger purpose, against mother Gaia and the great interrelated systems of the Universe."

• Government Is Not God Political Action Committee:

  "GING-PAC raises support for socially conservative legislation and candidates" [Hey! A conservative one! Who would have thought?]

• Focus on the Family:

  "Offers practical help for your marriage and child-rearing. Recent magazine articles, letters from Dr. James Dobson, news, and RealAudio broadcasts." [Score another for the good guys]

• Do Something:

  "Encourages young people to create their own vision for making a difference in their community and provides them with the resources and support needed."

• Billboard Liberation Front:

  ""Improving" outdoor advertising since 1977."

• Facing the Future presents Creative Action:

  "We are often overwhelmed by global problems - hungry childgren, rainforest destruction, over population and global warming. Creative Action helps you get involved in solving critical global issues."

• A SEED Europe:

  "Action for Solidarity, Equality, Environment and Development, a global organization linking youth groups and individuals. Information on campaigns, action reports, news, agenda and publications for ordering or download."

• Mobilization for Global Justice:

  " People who visit this page also visit:

  • The Hollow Planet members.primary.net/~gmarshal - Site info 
    
    
  • Resist Corporate Rule tao.ca/~resist - Site info 
    
    
  • Direct Action Youth www.geocities.com/djh_uk/day.html - Site info 
    
    
  • Facing the Future presents Creative Action www.creativeaction.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Co-op America www.coopamerica.org - Site info 
    
    
  • CIVICUS - Worldwide Alliance for Citizen Participation www.civicus.org - Site info 
    
    
  • A SEED Europe www.aseed.net - Site info 
    
    
  • Clarity Web-Portal for Issue Resolution and Social Action. clarity.aurdev.com - Site info 
    
    
  • 50 Years Is Enough www.50years.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Indymedia.org www.indymedia.org - Site info 
    
    

  See more Related Links...

  ---

  People who are interested in this site also bought:

  "

• Clarity Web-Portal for Issue Resolution and Social Action.:

  "Details solutions and everyday actions we can take to confront the many issues we face: environmental, social, governmental, and economic. Provides links, essays, articles, and other resources to that end. Takes on a systemic/holistic view of the world and the issues we are facing."

• Drudgereport.com: Hi Matt. Keep up the good work.

• Win Without War:

  "Coalition of national organizations offering a mainstream voice advocating alternatives to preemptive war against Iraq. Current actions, member organizations, alternatives to war, press room, and resources."

• Pax Christi USA:

  "Christian non-violence organization. Includes press releases and information on memberships."

• Newsmax.com Keep up the good work, Carl.

• International ANSWER:

  "Activist group against war and racism, formed in response to the rush to war following the September 11 attacks. Background reading, fact sheets, campaigns, petitions, action alerts, and resources for activism."

• Worldnetdaily.com

  Somehow, I doubt all those people from the left-leaning sites on this list are just lurking and browsing here.

  Just some food for thought.

[Devil_Anse]

Thanks! Feel free to ping me or hellinahandcart or netmilsmom (and several others are interested, too) if you see a poster who:

-Is brand new that day.
-Posts only on one thread.
-Uses mostly lowercase, even for the personal pronoun "I".
-Uses a lot of run-on sentences, coupled with really lousy grammar and few paragraph breaks.
-CLAIMS TO PERSONALLY KNOW SOMEONE IN THE NEWS STORY THAT YOUR THREAD IS COMMENTING ON.
-Uses the word "judgemental" (spelled that way, instead of the newer, correct spelling of "judgmental") and often calls a freeper "judgemental."
-Makes the "point" that if one is critical or expresses outrage at something, that that "is not very Christian, is it?"
-Has a posting name which is letters and numbers combined, such as "bbaby091"; or has a posting name that combines caps and lowercase letters randomly, such as "SweeTY2004".

I'm not saying that any one of the above, BY ITSELF, means that the poster in question IS the troll we call "the obligatory insider".


Speaking for myself, I have no authority to do anything about the troll, but I am still interested, and am hoping that someone who DOES have authority will find out what's going on.

[jerri]

Mr X is:

3. A nut

[Devil_Anse]

Sticking to political threads is much more accurate

I see your point: if someone is screwing up the political threads, that attitude on their part fairly easily marks them as a political opponent who is playing dirty.

But, see, that's the weird thing about this particular situation. It's been going on for some months now and it often happens on threads which are not overtly political.

A crime thread can become political, in that people may express different views on the death penalty, or on search/seizure, or on police misconduct. The troll I've been noticing (I still believe it's one person, though it has a different name or two for each thread) brings the bleeding-heart liberal cant to the crime threads it disrupts.

And, more to the point you made, it would indeed seem that someone whose politics were 180 degrees removed from FR's would want to stick on the political threads. But maybe some of these left-wingers are being a little more subtle. (I know, subtlety in such people is hard to imagine.)

You're right about the threads dealing with nationally publicized crimes--there will be teaming up, and fighting. But this troll never goes that deep on the issues. It clearly has no actual views on such things, but is only there to disrupt and make a mockery of all discussion.

I don't know the why or wherefore of it yet, but it's a definite phenomenon that is occurring on here over and over lately. That's all I know for sure.

[tiki]

So we're surrounded by a bunch of wackos!

Just like in eal life even Cyberspace doesn't spare us.

[Freedom2specul8]

I'd like to add one common phrase that I've noticed...

"since none of you were there"

or"...none of you know ANY details on this case..."

(and other variations of the same comment"

[Devil_Anse]

Thanks! If you want to know the characteristics of the particular troll I've been noticing, read my Post 121, in which I yammered on about its characteristics.

[Devil_Anse]

I didn't know about "bothsidesnow" until Retrokitten told me. Glad to be told. Speaking for myself only, as for double-reporting, if more than one person tells me about one of these trolls, I find that more helpful, b/c the more people who agree on what they are seeing, the more I feel secure in my judgment that it IS "the obligatory insider" (as some have christened the troll we have noticed.)

[bicycle thug]

OK, you are a moderator. Having posted on many forums over the years and having run into many interlocutors who emulated moderators as closely as possible but only got in everyone's way, I admit I found the thread a little annoying at first take. I have also had enough hassles with ad ware and other things like browser helpers from hell mess my machines up in recent years, so I was familiar with that tool bar by name. Ad ware, parasiteware and the likes gives me hives just thinking about it.

So if I transfered annoyance at Xupiter.com, Lop.com or gator onto you... OPPS! I apologize.

(Even us iconoclast types know better then to terminally annoy a moderator, even if they had also complimented their work.) This certainly was an experiance for the books, I'm at least glad I have good aim when I shoot myself in the big toe. ;-)

[Devil_Anse]

"since none of you were there"

THANK YOU, Kim, for adding that!! Our Obligatory Insider would never dream of leaving out its claim to personally know MORE than anyone on the thread!!

[Freedom2specul8]

I looked up nashville guy and pris..and sure enough...they said it. I bet if we were to look up all the names we'd find more.

[Devil_Anse]

I'm SURE you'll find more that said that, b/c I distinctly remember several of them saying something similar. It is one of the Obligatory Insider's favorite themes, for sure.

[Devil_Anse]

Check out this thread: more sightings of the "obligatory insider". (Remember "pris" from the thread about the little boy who was pushed down stairs?)

[BOBTHENAILER]

Thanks! Feel free to ping me or hellinahandcart or netmilsmom (and several others are interested, too) if you see a poster who:

It will be my pleasure to do so. Trolls take up too much bandwidth.

[Grampa Dave]

This started years ago on Rush's show. I think in the 1992 election.

Rush called them Seminar Callers.

For us seasoned troll/maggot hunters those words on radio or posted on Free Republic, "Shout I am a left wing liar, and you conservatives are so dumb to let me get away with this!"

One one thread about two years ago, we must have had 100 of these "GW has done it now! I will never voted for him or republican again!" Or "I voted twice for Reagan and the party left me. I will never vote Republican and for GW again!"

When you hear a caller who sounds like that on the radio, find a station with commercials for awhile. On Free Republic just go to the next reply and skip that one.

[Grampa Dave]

I'm in total agreement with you re your statement here:

"90% of their posts are limited to these threads only. To me, argumentative/combative posters who only post on 1 subject are trolls."

Most of their responses are copied off their clipboard. Some are really funny. They have 2-4 mantras at the most. They cycle through those clip board mantras each day.

[Grampa Dave]

This is a great response, and I may just borrow it from you!

I had a friend actually say something those lines and I replied "well that does it, if President Bush doesn't campaign for me to get a billion dollars this year, then I won't vote for him again!". He wasn't too amused, but he saw my point.

[BOBTHENAILER]

(and other variations of the same comment"

Yeah, I've seen those type comments and will keep a look out for them.

[Ace's Dad]

Interesting post - in a former life - hawk - I went up against Pax Christi - not nice people back then. Soviet front group, as I remember.

[GOPJ]

You're insightful. It'll take your kind of insight to ferret out disrupters.

Their goal is not to take us on about our politics, but to discourage real communication between us and to destroy our sense of community.

We're not dealing with random democrats, we're dealing with paid professionals. They work for cash, and that cash buys the illusion of grass roots support. Being students of social psychology, their minders probably don't pay them much. Better to make them think they really believe in what they're doing.

Democrats amplify their voice with "rent a crowd" games. (If a person will lie for you, he'll lie to you and about you) It's an old totalitarian tactic. Hitler used it. Birds of a feather and all...

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

We post from this account ... when we don't want to ... have our pagers going off whenever someone replies to the thread.

The mods have pagers?? Who knew!!