You're correct. Still, I have often wondered if forums like FR are immune to the time honored political art of planting. You still see this in so called town hall candidate nights. Numbers of totally unfamiliar faces asking questions of the candidates. All supposedly from the community, and few who could give you directions to anywhere in the area.
I would think the anonymity of boards, particularly well read boards, would be susceptible to "planting". It would seem a great way to try and discredit the likes of Free Republic.
Absolutely. I know of at least one organization that had paid people to periodically post stories promoting their pet issue (NRST/fair tax).
Thus the call for the Viking Kittens to come out when someone with a very recent sign-up date posts something controversial. I put more weight behind someone with a
Aug 24, 2000 signup date than someone with a Feb 10, 2005 date.
I believe that "planting" is attempted continuously on FR. It is fun to hunt the plants out, just as it is the many "trolls".
By now, we have enough people who make almost immediate "CAUTION CAUTION" statements, especially when there are newbies involved in the discussion on any side (such as the lead FReeper of the above story), that we don't seem to be misled too often, or for very long.
All in all, FR has become a remarkably reliable source of information, despite the clear vulnerabilities of the internet news genre.
We have gardeners that look for 'planters'.
They are called THE VIKING KITTIES!