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FakeNoose

(41,933 posts)

30. Yes thread hijacking is the trolls' favorite tactic

Sun Apr 23, 2017, 09:49 AM

Apr 2017

I'm still sort of new on DU so I can't speak with authority on what happens here. So far I've seen nice, well-meaning people who know how to disagree politely and respectfully.

However I was on several other blogs last year where the alt-conservative pro-Trump factions (really they were russian trolls) completely took over with all their dissent and hijacking. Most of the "nice" people got disgusted and left the blog. It seemed to happen wherever the commenting sections were not monitored (edited by the blog owner) and wherever anybody could make anonymous (or alias) comments.

Especially I saw it all over Yahoo commenting sections, which I've left for good. I used to read the Rolling Stone magazine blog which actually has an awesome political column, but their comments section got so out of control last year (Russian trolls) that the editors shut it down. Also I've seen similar attempt on my own local paper the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. PghPG has an online blog that was getting trolled pretty much every day, but enough people complained that the trolls have been dealt with for now.

It seems that on DU if somebody tries to hijack a thread (by starting an argument) enough people react and the person gets ignored by everyone or even banned. It's actually quite effective. Don't allow people to have more than one identity, that seems to be the key. If they get banned as one entity, they can't come back later under another name and try it again.

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Does anyone here on DU feel that we have been or are being [View all] Lint Head Apr 2017 OP

The trolls have been easy to spot Warpy Apr 2017 #1

"The problem is that we have a few high post count lemmings who seem determined to take up the Cha Apr 2017 #4

Not bull. Too many get wound up and lose sight of the big picture. . . . nt Bernardo de La Paz Apr 2017 #12

Prove the personal attacks against our long time members. Cha Apr 2017 #24

Defiance of the party's core effort to "come together" JudyM Apr 2017 #44

That tells me nothing. Cha Apr 2017 #45

Really. Defiance of our party's agenda includes, of course, sowing reactionary division JudyM Apr 2017 #47

I think that all those threads praising Bernie to the stars are rather inflammatory. Vesper Apr 2017 #48

Reasonable and polite criticism would be fine. JudyM Apr 2017 #49

From what I've seen, these are not fine, they result in the same level of Vesper Apr 2017 #61

there are so many of them, after all ProfessorPlum Apr 2017 #55

I know, but some people seem to enjoy posting a multiplicity of such inflammatory Vesper Apr 2017 #60

I'm almost back to pre-primary numbers in my ignore list. woodsprite Apr 2017 #17

I had weeded mine out for inactive members before this latest spate of trash Warpy Apr 2017 #53

Fwiw Putin trolls did not attack Bernie. Good article here: emulatorloo Apr 2017 #41

No, it was more subtle than a frontal assault Warpy Apr 2017 #52

Agreed. beam me up scottie Apr 2017 #57

Yes. Drunken Irishman Apr 2017 #2

Maybe but... duncang Apr 2017 #3

Are you sure you can recognize it? flying-skeleton Apr 2017 #5

They have special powers that other people on here do not have. lol bathroommonkey76 Apr 2017 #59

Perhaps, but most of the dissension at DU is between long-time, long-participating, members. Gore1FL Apr 2017 #6

Troll technique is go early in a thread, trigger stuff & act as a catalyst. Then members Bernardo de La Paz Apr 2017 #13

Yes thread hijacking is the trolls' favorite tactic FakeNoose Apr 2017 #30

If you think that this site will stop revenge against the perfidious MoonMen AngryAmish Apr 2017 #26

Whats going on here is nothing Chevy Apr 2017 #7

I've always felt pretty safe here, too Rhiannon12866 Apr 2017 #8

Yes democrank Apr 2017 #9

It makes me wonder ananda Apr 2017 #10

If you find a forum with Democrats all agreeing.... WePurrsevere Apr 2017 #11

I wasn't here for the primary. I came across DU when I downloaded Political Nation Left IndianaDave Apr 2017 #14

I think it was Benjamin Franklin who famously said WhiteTara Apr 2017 #43

I really do not care who is trolling. My feelings and opinions are my own and little can be nikibatts Apr 2017 #15

Agreed. The purpose of the troll is to disrupt. To prevent deserning voices Lint Head Apr 2017 #35

When we see it? madokie Apr 2017 #16

I feel the same way but I try not to engage until it becomes obvious. Lint Head Apr 2017 #36

I think it's perceiving vindication in defeat rather than anything terribly sinister Sen. Walter Sobchak Apr 2017 #18

You could well be right. Kentonio Apr 2017 #23

Yes. A bunch of them left for a while, but now they are back. nt JTFrog Apr 2017 #19

+1 betsuni Apr 2017 #20

We have trolls here, yes. We've always had trolls and trollish behavior. ms liberty Apr 2017 #21

Yes, and they've been hijacking threads that call them out The Blue Flower Apr 2017 #22

DU was shut down on election night, so I do think that whatever we think about DU, they Baitball Blogger Apr 2017 #25

Election night was a Rightmare. Ligyron Apr 2017 #29

Really like watching a train wreck in slow mo. Baitball Blogger Apr 2017 #31

DU has high Google ratings and has gotten more press mentions... moriah Apr 2017 #32

They try to cause arguments and create negativity caroldansen Apr 2017 #27

Part of the Russian hack... Blanks Apr 2017 #28

Nyet. Orrex Apr 2017 #33

Trolls of all stripes are still here, no doubt... Wounded Bear Apr 2017 #34

YAS!!! But we are stronger together, and they HATE us for that. nt LaydeeBug Apr 2017 #37

I still get what I need from DU lunatica Apr 2017 #38

True. I've been here long enough to see when something is out of place Lint Head Apr 2017 #39

I wasn't on this many juries even before the election. sarah FAILIN Apr 2017 #40

Having done jury several times since the election, I've noticed an increase in alerts that make Lint Head Apr 2017 #51

I have noticed on other sites a telltale sign DFW Apr 2017 #42

Yes! I've noticed that myself. Sometimes it's knid o a broken nglish or broken text. Lint Head Apr 2017 #50

It doesn't have to be Russians. It could be: FSogol Apr 2017 #46

If they are tazkcmo Apr 2017 #54

Yes, absolutely. Shandris Apr 2017 #56

Thank you Shandris! Lint Head Apr 2017 #58

Da. No Textsky. JustABozoOnThisBus Apr 2017 #62