The Trolls Among Us
And you thought the trolls on the DP were bad!
I've been meaning to share this article from the NYT Magazine for some time, and in light of the threatened attack on the Daily Paul, now seems like an appropriate time. The title of the article is The Trolls Among Us. Here is a snip:
/b/ is the designated “random” board of 4chan.org, a group of message boards that draws more than 200 million page views a month. A post consists of an image and a few lines of text. Almost everyone posts as “anonymous.” In effect, this makes /b/ a panopticon in reverse — nobody can see anybody, and everybody can claim to speak from the center. The anonymous denizens of 4chan’s other boards — devoted to travel, fitness and several genres of pornography — refer to the /b/-dwellers as “/b/tards.”
Measured in terms of depravity, insularity and traffic-driven turnover, the culture of /b/ has little precedent. /b/ reads like the inside of a high-school bathroom stall, or an obscene telephone party line, or a blog with no posts and all comments filled with slang that you are too old to understand.
It is disturbing and sad. This subculture of lost people takes pleasure in destruction. It is possible that the Daily Paul will be attacked in some manner described in the article. No worries, I have the site backed up and defenses in place.
“Lulz” is how trolls keep score. A corruption of “LOL” or “laugh out loud,” “lulz” means the joy of disrupting another’s emotional equilibrium. “Lulz is watching someone lose their mind at their computer 2,000 miles away while you chat with friends and laugh,” said one ex-troll who, like many people I contacted, refused to disclose his legal identity.
Another troll explained the lulz as a quasi-thermodynamic exchange between the sensitive and the cruel: “You look for someone who is full of it, a real blowhard. Then you exploit their insecurities to get an insane amount of drama, laughs and lulz. Rules would be simple: 1. Do whatever it takes to get lulz. 2. Make sure the lulz is widely distributed. This will allow for more lulz to be made. 3. The game is never over until all the lulz have been had.”
This is just another distraction from our real mission. Whatever you do, please don't feed the trolls!
Read the whole thing - though I warn you, it is disturbing:
The Trolls Among Us.
point taken
I'll say Corporate Owned Media from now on.
----------------------------------------------------------------
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
~Mahatma Gandhi
----------------------------------------------------------------
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
~Mahatma Gandhi
PLS STOP USING MSM "label" - for those who havent learned it yet
using the MSM label automatically gives a psychological tag to a person/listener/audience that they are the mainstream and we are not. every time any one of us refers to this group as mainstream automatically connotes a zillion other things by association-----and puts us, ON THE DEFENSIVE.
labels are very powerful.
When this group starts repeating "fringe, truthers, divisive groups" etc., it automatically gives them credibility and us, the burden of "proving" we are not.
to turn the tables against them,i always referred to this group in their complete "label": OLD MANIPULATED CORPORATE MEDIA.
each time this is repeated,the words get more powerful, and puts this media group on the defensive--automatically. a psych tag/label is one effective way for us to eat into their "credibility" which was paid for and built largely on lies and corporate interests,as opposed to the truth and peoples interests.
o ur just a troll
Ha ha! Just had to throw that in there.
But of course, that was very well put.
You crystallized my thoughts eloquently.
More fearmongering from the MSM
The pattern is simple.
1. Get a reporter to delve into something the kids are into.
2. Find the absolute worst and most outrageous outliers and highlight them.
3. Find one or two people who can't help but say outrageous things and get quotes.
4. Frame said thing into quite possibly the worst threat you and especially your family could ever face - paint a nightmare scenario to trigger the amygdala.
5. Profit.
Why this is on the front of Daily Paul, I know not except, I guess because someone's amygdala got triggered.
Remember all the other crap like this:
-D&D - One of my friends had to play in secret because that 20/20 special convinced his parents it was devil worship.
-MMORPGS- Ohhh, some guy got unhinged because his character died and tracked down and killed the guy who's character did it. I guess online gaming is a threat to society!
-The year 2000 bug - We're all gonna die from a russian nuke misfire! - Oh noes not my bank account!
I'm sure you could find a hundred more like it!
Stop perpetuating this crap, the author is trying to make a name for himself. Reminded me a little of Gonzo Journalism.
----------------------------------------------------------------
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
~Mahatma Gandhi
----------------------------------------------------------------
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
~Mahatma Gandhi
again:PLS STOP USING MSM "label"
using the MSM label automatically gives a psychological tag to a person/listener/audience that they are the mainstream and we are not. every time any one of us refers to this group as mainstream automatically connotes a zillion other things by association-----and puts us, ON THE DEFENSIVE.
labels are very powerful.
When this group starts repeating "fringe, truthers, divisive groups" etc., it automatically gives them credibility and us, the burden of "proving" we are not.
to turn the tables against them,i always referred to this groups in their complete "label": OLD MANIPULATED CORPORATE MEDIA.
each time this is repeated,the words get more powerful, and puts this media group on the defensive--automatically. a psych tag/label is one effective way for us to eat into their "credibility" which was paid for and built largely on lies and corporate interests,as opposed to the truth and peoples interests.
Or the Bullcrap Media..
______________________
*** God bless Ron Paul ***
* Ron Paul For President *
______________________
*** God bless Ron Paul ***
* Ron Paul For President *
o ur just a troll
Ha ha! Just had to throw that in there.
But of course, that was very well put.
You crystallized my thoughts eloquently.
If people care about the DP,
they should refrain from verbally attacking these 4chan people. It will only make them more determined to bring down the DP. I will make an analogy with sports, which I hate to do, but maybe will help some understand. If members on one team name call or deride members on the other team before the game, that will only make the team who were verbally attacked more determined to beat the other team. I would refrain from commenting about them until well after the attack.
Do you really think they
Do you really think they aren't already active? Why do you think they'd target this site? Because it was good for tons of "lulz" in the past and continues to be a staple. It's really not the difficult to figure out who these people are. I've always known RP supports to at least be thinkers. So when all someone can do is spew vomit or if every time they post the whole thing can be roughly translated into, "I like unicorns!" or "I have nothing so you suck!" then that should be a clear red flag.
"But, indeed, no private person has a right to complain, by suit in court, on the ground of a breach of the Constitution. The Constitution it is true, is a compact, but he is not a party to it."
"But, indeed, no private person has a right to complain, by suit in court, on the ground of a breach of the Constitution. The Constitution it is true, is a compact, but he is not a party to it."
Yeah, but Ron Paul is for the legalization of marijuana
Which ironically puts a big chunk of 4chan on his side.
I will admit there are just plain stupid people there though.
I guess we will find out if there is a serious attack soon enough.
I'm glad it would be happening on New Year's so I wouldn't be here.
============================
Glen Beck -- An Exposed Enemy:
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/90198
Glenn Beck Supports NAFTA and taking your job:
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/86643
holy s***...
It's all in your mind.....
i like this article though , it has enlightened me to realize this paradigm shift.
"Universal Truth Is Not Measured In Mass Appeal" - Immortal Technique - The 4th Branch.
"Universal Truth Is Not Measured In Mass Appeal" - Immortal Technique - The 4th Branch.
just wanted to point out:
the whole point of /b/ is trolling. people that go there want to be trolled hard and want to troll themselves. in that sense, its actually good there's a place for them to do it without being bothered. they can go and be destructive there instead of everywhere. in that sense, /b/ is being constructive by giving them a place to do that.
------
Conspiracy theory addicts destroy our movement from within.
Let Reason triumph over unreason.
------
Conspiracy theory addicts destroy our movement from within.
Let Reason triumph over unreason.
Trolls don't stay in /b/,
Trolls don't stay in /b/, however. They depart the cave, and next thing ya know, 100 pizzas and 3 strip-grams arrive at the front door.
"Cowards & idiots can come along for the ride but they gotta sit in the back seat!"
Oh no... Pizza and Strippers!
Hell maybe even a brick throught the window and a barrage of prank calls... For the love of god hese guys MUST BE STOPPED!
----------------------------------------------------------------
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
~Mahatma Gandhi
----------------------------------------------------------------
A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.
~Mahatma Gandhi
Except...
They don't just stay there. They come out into the real world.
And they inspire copycats, like the nut who was here earlier today threatening an "attack" by 4chan.
There are two "memes" on
There are two "memes" on 4chan which make me doubt this.
1) RON PAUL /b/
There are a lot, a LOT of /b/tards that supported Paul. In fact, I would guess that there are already a lot of /b/tards here... using your site peacefully.
2) /b/ is not your personal army.
Any big site regularly gets people asking the site to come flame someone in force. /b/, being a depot of trolls, gets this more often than most. And most people that post there can't be bothered, and tell the inquirer to get bent (but in more creative terms).
Now, if you have someone claiming to be from /i/ threatening trouble (/i/ being an Anonymous board off of 4chan specifically set up to raid other sites) THEN I'd start worrying.
hate to say it
I'm still wondering about this guys fascination with vagina attacks... there has to be some sort of "V" related attacks in his history. :O)
Fortune Favors the Bold they
Fortune Favors the Bold
they are teh stupid
Fortune Favors the Bold
There's a time and place for stupidity for entertainment's sake
4chan is just the time and place 24 hours a day.
----------
"We will never give up. We will never give in." - Dr. Ron Paul
----------
"We will never give up. We will never give in." - Dr. Ron Paul
Off topic
From the article:
"Federal state legislators have recently proposed cyberbullying measures. At the federal level, Representative Linda Sánchez, a Democrat from California, has introduced the Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act, which would make it a federal crime to send any communications with intent to cause “substantial emotional distress.”
This is scary and why I fully believe that in the next ten years or so, we'll see the government seriously attempt to control free speech on the internet. They'll use the "oh but anonymous trolling emotionally hurts people!" sympathy card to win public support, but will use whatever powers they gain to silence websites that the government deems threatening or controversial.
This is why I see 4chan as the future of the internet. Not the trolling "we do it for the lulz" mentality, but the idea of a popular discussion hub where users are forced to be anonymous and threads are deleted shortly after they are created. If we see more government control over the internet, this is pretty much how we will be forced to communicate.
Substantial emotional distress
With that wording, simply posting information regarding the depth of our current economic troubles would qualify as an illegal act as it would cause emotional distress for a lot of people.
That's why I hate precedence
That's why I hate precedence in American law. As soon as a precedent is set in a case, it becomes solid rock in the law books, citeable for the next century in the wackiest trials. One lame judge permits "single tear runs down my cheek" as cause, and suddenly all the judges are compelled to decide in favour of vindictive repression. Its all pretty weak.
"Cowards & idiots can come along for the ride but they gotta sit in the back seat!"
I'm glad someone finally noticed that
Good eye. This is the direction it is headed, I'm certain.
Enjoy it while you have it folks. Mark my words - the days of sites like the Daily Paul are numbered unless we can get control back.
This article can be seen as a shock propaganda piece that makes the case of: "look at how terrible the internet is! We need more regulation to protect our kids!"
I can see the Feds wanting to shut sites like 4chan down. I don't know if you looked around at 4chan, but there is some pretty nasty, raunchy stuff there. Once the propaganda machine goes into effect, it would be pretty easy for the evening "news" to manipulate more regulation into effect. Like a laws requiring that people have a license to have a website, and make the license just expensive enough that it doesn't make economic sense to keep sites like the Daily Paul going, Also all kinds of stifling Federal regulations that will make webmasters responsible for content that users write.
All kinds of stuff like that that seems good to Joe Blow and Jane Airhead when they're presented with it in a 30 second soundbite on the evening news, but that will ruin the net as we know it.
- sigh -
This question will be open ended....
What I would like to know is why are we going to let them?
'It's for the children'
'It's for the children'
Trust in God, but tie your camel tight.
"Socialism needs two legs on which to stand; a right and a left. While appearing to be in complete opposition to one another,they both march in the same direction." - Paul Proctor
Oh Yea....
The same ones like the ones they slaughter in other countries with big red, white, and blue bombs with cocky statements written on them by brainwashed soldiers before they are launched...
go defenses!
go defense!
human psychology
Here's an idea about how to prevent yourself from feeding the trolls:
Watch out for your own ego!
If a discussion increases your blood pressure, as felt by a throbbing in your head or faster rate of breathing, maybe it's time to take a 5 minute break. If you feel compelled to react emotionally, be warned; you are just a few keystrokes away from feeding a troll.
Dignity is at the core of our constitutional values for individual liberty.
Aprreciate your advice.
Emotional Italian genes that love liberty can be difficult to controll.
Excellent advice.
Excellent advice.