Site somewhat hijacked?
Submitted by egervari on Sat, 03/31/2012 - 21:55Hi everyone. I have a serious question.
I haven't been too active in the forums lately, although I always come to the daily paul every day to read the articles and watch the clips.
I've noticed a trend in the comments and forum posts over the last several months that sort of disturbs me, but I guess it was bound to happen, if it wasn't happening before already.
I notice a lot of new posters - like 1-12 weeks old accounts - posting the weirdest things, often replying to posts (including some of mine) that have NOTHING to do with the comment they are replying to, and often try to derail the comment, or bring up some conspiracy theory, or some other such thing.
This user is a perfect example:
http://www.dailypaul.com/user/44888
Often, I see a massive flux of positive votes swing that person's way... which is weird because their post doesn't make any sense in context... and then negative votes done to the post they responded to... even when it reads perfectly normal and is quite sound logically.
Are our forums/comment threads being hijacked, and how bad is it?
I guess it was only a matter of time. It's really not surprising, but it does make me much more cautious of what I read here from newer members. If I didn't make sure to do my own due-diligence before (which wasn't that often to begin with), I will always make it a point now.
Thoughts?
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Hear Walter Block talk about trolling Ayn Rand lecture in NY.
http://mises.org/media/7513/Austrian-Scholars-Conference-201...
One never knows for sure.
Free includes debt-free!
it's natural.
newbies are hearing the message, and climbing on board.
it'll be a little rocky as they get to know everyone, and we get to know them.
it'll work out.
anyone who consistently posts illogical, inflammatory posts, is going to get modded down, and ignored for the most part.
I don't think the user I
I don't think the user I pointed out (and there are many like him) can be excused as a person that is learning and is just getting off to a rocky start...
ok.
I didn't know this was about a couple of people you had specifically in mind.
I was just generalizing.
I have noticed this as well.
I have noticed this as well. These guys seem innocuous at first, then go active as trolls/shills after about 11 weeks of being members.
Best advice is to be aware and don't feed the trolls. It's my theory that they are paid by the number of responses they can provoke. Best way to make them go away is to make their income stream dry up.
Resist the temptation to feed the trolls.
bizarro conversation you say?
check http://www.dailypaul.com/user/18544
like an opinionated drive by.
"You underestimate the character of man." | "So be off now, and set about it."
Maybe the site should stop allowing new posters
since they seem to bother older ones so much and how about a list of what is allowed to be posted?? That should make you a nice tidy forum of which you would approve.
You need to read the post
You need to read the post below. You and others take my post in a way it was never intended to be taken.
After reading many of the new
After reading many of the new comments below, it's quite clear that either I was not communicating my position clearly enough, or many of you new members took this post entirely the wrong way.
I did NOT say that 'all' new members are hijacking the site, or any such thing. I was not collectivizing, but nonetheless, many of you took it that way.
Of course, I clarified this below, but now the post is long gone on page 2.
Here is the example again to demonstrate what I mean.
I wrote a post in response to Biden's comments about impeaching George W. Bush a few days ago. I said the following, which was a perfectly reasonable thing to say, but also acknowledges Biden for being intelligent, albeit extremely evil at the same time:
This is a pretty thoughtful post I think. It's most certainly not taking Biden's side, that's for damn sure. There is no reason a Ron Paul supporter would take offense to this posting, especially since the conclusion is likely what they would want it to be anyway.
The post was given negative votes, then it went to +7 or +8, and now it's back down to +3.
Here was one of the responses from our "new" member:
This post makes no sense, has terrible spelling, etc.
On top of this, he gets a +4 vote to his, and generally, his +votes happened in tandem with my -votes at basically the exact same time.
This just caused me to be highly suspicious of this particular user. To be honest, this is just one of several examples.
I hope that by looking at this example, you can see that I am not just pointing out new users with unclear views, or people still learning about what Ron and his positions are about. For some reason though, it would seem that many of you have taken it to mean this... and I'm not really sure why. I was not collectivizing, and I hope you're not doing that to me either.
Yes I agree there is
Yes I agree there is something strange about some of the posts and replies here. They almost sound like a spam bot. But it's not just happening on this site, but in a lot of forums and various places. Just as there are bots and fake accounts for advertisers and spammers, there are fake social media accounts, etc.
And by the way I do agree with your comment about Biden, and I would say the same is true of Obama.
I'm not sure if this user is
I'm not sure if this user is a bot or not. His posts all sort of relate to the various comments. Mine was actually more out of left field than his other ones.
I just think it's strange that someone - who? - would program a bunch of bots to not only post comments, but also work in tandem to +vote these comments, -vote the original posters, etc. That is some crafty bot programming.
Well some of the short
Well some of the short replies and bad spelling could be attributed to people possibly posting on cell phones, etc...that has happened to me in the past, where I didn't notice mistakes until later.
I don't think bots are actually down voting. One thing I've noticed is that sometimes when I up-vote something, it increases the + number by +2 instead of by +1... and sometimes the voting button just doesn't work at all. So maybe something glitchy or weird with the site.
I don't know. Odd.
Those voting problems are not
Those voting problems are not actually problems. The issue is that webpages are static, and you can't see the votes occur in real time. You only see the updated vote count when you press up/down - because the ajax request refreshes the number when you do that.
When you see the vote go up or down by 2, that's because someone also voted the same way you did, and they did it AFTER you refreshed the page.
If the vote total doesn't change, that's because someone voted it down and you voted it up, or vice-versa.
The problem I am talking about is not easily explained away because of bad web technologies (html, javascript, etc.). The problem I'm talking about is far more suspicious.
---
As an aside, I do get a little annoyed that once again, my posts are being voted down - like the original post in our little mini-thread here. It was at +2, but now it's only at +1.
Obviously, members here don't like my posts/topic, and I have to question them: Why? Are they not reading it? I am just baffled. I guess knowing the truth is not that important to them.
I see. Well, maybe there are
I see. Well, maybe there are some users working in teams/groups to troll, or perhaps they have multiple accounts. There was one recent weekend in particular where I was suspicious that was going on. I don't want to call out anyone in particular in case I'm mistaken. But there are obviously not just Paul supporters reading and commenting on this site.
I'm new to DP...but not to the revolution...
...and I try to stick to the subject when commenting on a post. Sometimes however I see people only agreeing/commenting with what the subject initially begins with but I often feel the subject matter can be expanded to those who are less informed about the overall depth of the subject. It's not that I disrepect the original post, but I believe, like myself, once a conversation gets started, I want to see more along the lines of the original post, but deeper. Those who post things linking in other directions sometimes leads me to things I am thinking about also. Conspiracy theories have become conspiracy fact, but to some new supporters this is all part of the awakening. Of course some people will comment off subject like in any conversation but it's up to the individual interacting in the conversation to click on their comment. Any experienced reader will quickly skip over chatter in the comments.
Let it be written, that in 2012 we changed the World!!!
I have only been here for 14 weeks
but had been following the DP for about one year and decided that I should join to help support a website that has done so much to support Dr. Paul. I don't know what you mean about being hijacked but I know I have been attacked a couple of times for just stating my opinion or thoughts because I have only 14 weeks. I think some people get a little paranoid but I can understand because of the way the people that are brainwashed feel about and comment about Paul.
All I have to say is that I am thankful to the long time supporters because it took me awhile to come around. But once it happens there is no going back and excited to be part of the R3ovlution this time around!
I just recieved someone else's reply...
that was sent to someone else.What's up ?Very strange.
6 week old DPer
It is good that the revolution is spreading and more people want to join. We want the brush fires of liberty to spread. The opposition is definitely here too though, but we won't let a few flappers put out the fire.
Absolutely correct!
Liberty brush fires set, spreading far and wide.
People are creepin' around this camp, they want to know what it is that's so energizing. Must be in need of learning how to R3VOL.
As for the site, discouragement with attempts of misconstrue but, all here are well armed to counteract the "creepers."
Revolution baby...2012! President Paul!
TY, Michael Nystrom, for a place to come that I call camp :)
I don't think it's been hijacked
Because I don't see them having control of the website. I think there are individuals who try to throw a wrench in the movement. I also believe that the real "Daily Pauler's" know that to disagree, one does not have to be disagreeable.
" But I must say tonite that I know that justice is indivisible- injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
MLK
It's funny, I still think of
It's funny, I still think of myself as a newb.
Heck no!
Your probably one of the great debaters by now! Your a "Senior" and I haven't even completed my "Freshman" year!
Free thinking and debating are the hallmarks
Of a healthy community. If everyone here agreed on everything, what would be the point?
I prefer to hear differing opinions. It helps to grow one's perspective.
If you don't agree with a post, then create a discourse to reply to the post with, and refute the argument.
I don't understand why
when you reply to someone,it doesn't post under their post,it posts somewhere else in the column.So the next reader has no clue what that post was even about.So you're thinking, what on earth were they talking about?If you take the time,you can usually track it down,but that takes more time.It didn't use to be this way,so what's wrong?I think you're right,and maybe someone is messing with us.
...are you pressing the "reply" link to the desired comment?
and filling in your comment?
The only times I've ever seen this happen is if you're signed out, click on the login link in the comment you want to reply to, then sign in & reply, it treats the comment as a new one instead of a reply.
"You underestimate the character of man." | "So be off now, and set about it."
Thank you,so much !!
I think all is ok now,God bless !!
Jon I had this problem one time
And I think Michael had me change my "Comment viewing options" right at the top here and it fixed it. It must have just needed a reset? but it worked great. Sound right?
"You go and carry off the enemy's land; the enemy comes and carries off your land"-Ancient Sumerian tablet
perhaps in your case
but that doesn't sound like what's described here, to me at least.
If this user has their comment viewing option as flat instead of threaded, then comments aren't going to appear as threaded by reply, no, newest will just appear on top. Or oldest if that's the setting.
But nearly no one ever uses these features—so little that they were dropped from drupal 7.
"You underestimate the character of man." | "So be off now, and set about it."
So the feature doesn't work anymore?
I did not realise that, But I know it was doing the same thing to me before I reset it. I would hit reply and post but it would throw it down or up several replies rather than on to the one I was actually replying to.I went and changed options to flat and then changed them back and it has worked great ever since.I didn't realise the option to do this was no longer there. Thank you.
"You go and carry off the enemy's land; the enemy comes and carries off your land"-Ancient Sumerian tablet
no, DP is still drupal 6, feature was dropped in 7
I never said the feature wasn't working here.
Maybe an individual refresh helps it somehow, who knows.
"You underestimate the character of man." | "So be off now, and set about it."