[El Gato]

I'm beginning to wonder if the FR database of sign up dates hasn't been hacked. I see a whole lot of supposed long time FReepers on these threads defending the Russians, but I've never seen those the majority of those names before and I've been around since 1998 myself.

[Technogeeb]

I'm beginning to wonder if the FR database of sign up dates hasn't been hacked.

Nah; the Russians have been planning for this sort of thing for years. As part of their cyber-warfare plans, they have a propaganda wing with people that pose as ordinary posters and establish accounts for later use when needed (such as now) in forums, blogs, etc. all across the Internet.

The problem is determining which of these people are Russians, which are cowards, and which are just paleoconservatives who legitimately believe in isolationism. There are probably a few of the last group among Free Republic (and I respect their position even if I do not agree with it), but they can be easily distinguished from the Russians because they won't actually excuse the Russian aggression the way the Russian infiltrators are doing.

[maclay]

I'm beginning to wonder if the FR database of sign up dates hasn't been hacked. I see a whole lot of supposed long time FReepers on these threads defending the Russians, but I've never seen those the majority of those names before and I've been around since 1998 myself.

Seems to me that an organized psy-op would have to register ahead of time to be effective. Smacks of foreknowledge.