General Discussion

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts) Sun Mar 4, 2018, 01:58 PM Mar 2018

Is "Russian bot" the best term to use to identify real person troll farm postings?

Not only at DU, but generally?

Voting options below. Suggestions?

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	Russian Trolls
	2 (100%)
	St. Petersburg Peters
	0 (0%)
	The Cyber Gulag
	0 (0%)
	Trump Puppetters
	0 (0%)
	Putin Puppetters
	0 (0%)
	13 Indicted Ivans
	0 (0%)
	(reserved)
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8 replies

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Highlight:

Is "Russian bot" the best term to use to identify real person troll farm postings? (Original Post) Fred Sanders Mar 2018 OP

Bots are just computer programs that propagate information. The Velveteen Ocelot Mar 2018 #1

Also Cirque du So-What Mar 2018 #6

Then "bot" is not the right term, postings in comment boards are by Ivan...etc. Fred Sanders Mar 2018 #7

"Russian bot" dehumanizes them ProudLib72 Mar 2018 #2

We all need to be better @ Troll Bot Spot Botany Mar 2018 #3

There are also "bot herders" who are people that deploy and administer the bots. FarCenter Mar 2018 #4

It's important to be specific. nocalflea Mar 2018 #5

I passed defacto7 Mar 2018 #8

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,606 posts)

1. Bots are just computer programs that propagate information.

Reply to Fred Sanders (Original post)

Sun Mar 4, 2018, 01:59 PM

Mar 2018

Trolls are actual humans who write crap for the bots to spread.

Cirque du So-What

(25,908 posts)

6. Also

Reply to The Velveteen Ocelot (Reply #1)

Sun Mar 4, 2018, 02:05 PM

Mar 2018

those who pick up that crap, either wittingly or unwittingly, and fling it like primates in a zoo.

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)

7. Then "bot" is not the right term, postings in comment boards are by Ivan...etc.

Reply to The Velveteen Ocelot (Reply #1)

Sun Mar 4, 2018, 02:06 PM

Mar 2018

Which postings are originally written in Russian and then translated and then sent to Ivan etc...for posting.

Or/Or independent operators as well?

ProudLib72

(17,984 posts)

2. "Russian bot" dehumanizes them

Reply to Fred Sanders (Original post)

Sun Mar 4, 2018, 02:02 PM

Mar 2018

Reduces them to a single, automatic function.

Botany

(70,447 posts)

3. We all need to be better @ Troll Bot Spot

Reply to Fred Sanders (Original post)

Sun Mar 4, 2018, 02:04 PM

Mar 2018

n/t

FarCenter

(19,429 posts)

4. There are also "bot herders" who are people that deploy and administer the bots.

Reply to Fred Sanders (Original post)

Sun Mar 4, 2018, 02:04 PM

Mar 2018

nocalflea

(1,387 posts)

5. It's important to be specific.

Reply to Fred Sanders (Original post)

Sun Mar 4, 2018, 02:04 PM

Mar 2018

Bots can seem amazingly human, they're not.

Bots are AI.
Trolls are humans.

defacto7

(13,485 posts)

8. I passed

Reply to Fred Sanders (Original post)

Sun Mar 4, 2018, 02:09 PM

Mar 2018

because the answer to the question is "no". Call a bot a bot, and a troll a troll. We really need to be able to tell the difference the best way possible. A troll can be dealt with. Trying to deal with a bot is like punishing a rubber ball with electrical wires... a waste of time.

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