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[Newest Reality]

57. I am all for being cautious...

However, I don't understand. This sounds like red scare to me.

I would think that new members and those who have very low post counts would be suspect if their content suggested something fishy. I could even see jacking up the post count with trivial comments if we are talking about suspects, foreign trolls, sock puppets, etc.

It would be helpful to me to have some more evidence as to how the contention that their are even enough extraneous members here in order to be that influential, especially when there are so many with rather large post counts, (at least in the thousands) who frequently do OP's and comments. If you are suggesting long-term plants, I really would question that and maybe suspend judgement barring more explanation as to how that is so and maybe some anecdotes to at least support such a contention.

My opinion is that DU may be on the radar, but I think the social media, et al, are far more worthy of any time and investment from nefarious influences. Injecting undue paranoia and suspicion though, would be a good method of having a negative impact on the trust and candidness of members and could work by way of implication alone. That is a question to consider. Does implying we are a target make us all seem a bit more important and special as an online force?

Then to connect that and the vote to a pandemic that is only a potential so far seems like going out on a limb and fear mongering to make a point. It isn't even time to panic, yet.

Meanwhile, in our neck of the woods, people have diverse opinions, argue, fight, agree, learn, etc., in what looks like a rather normal fashion, overall, to me, and I think we do it all fine without help. I also think that it is often very difficult to change people's biased views, especially in little skirmishes on a mere forum and, in fact, the arguing can help to cement their views, (now that sounds like a good tactic if their views are misinformed or just plain wrong) so I wonder how much of a waste of time micromanaged propaganda here would be when there is so much fertile ground and a much larger audience on social media, alternative media, etc.?

So, let's not go full McCarthy here and rouse our own rabble and then mix it all together into a Chicken Little salad, just for the sake of sanity. We can cross bridges as we come to them, perhaps and avoid being overly paranoid about our members, maybe? Or does that make me suspect?