New trolls here speaks to the influence of DU

[musiclawyer]

Old timers can spot the trolls, whether they are intra or inter party seeking to create havoc. We'd like to think that this lil' ole website is just a speck on the rug in teh big scheme of things. But many people who make a difference--the boots on ground types, organizer types, the brain-trust types and those who write in other places-- read what's said here. Hence, the trolls come here to deflate spirits and have an impact disproportionate to what they could do in the hard copy world outside. Take it as a complement DU. This is not 1998 anymore

[tekisui]

1. Thanks for the validation, Trolls!!!

:hi:

[seabeyond]

2. i hear ya. i dont see democrats or du members looking to the repug sites, BUT

we are always getting so many repugs here, wanting to play. and they talk about us and put so much time and effort into us on their very own site. really is a compliment or says something about their mentality cause it is all adolescent in my view.

[LSparkle]

3. Thanks for the reminder ...

I've noticed the change of atmosphere here and haven't exactly liked it. But it's like when a
band you've loved forever becomes popular -- you shouldn't resent their success (or dislike their
new fans) but just be glad that more people are appreciative and remember "you knew them when ... "

[mdmc]

4. old trolls too

like me

[H2O Man]

5. Nominated n/t

[Iris]

6. yeah. But I kind of liked it when they just sent hate mail.

[lumberjack_jeff]

15. Yup. The good old days. n/t

[Qutzupalotl]

7. But they're happy to tell us how inconsequential DU is.

Over and over, rabidly.

[0007]

8. Giving the trolls the double finger can help, sometimes!

_|_ _|_

[asdjrocky]

9. It's funny

I've learned everything I know about political boards from DU. So many new words in my vocabulary that I've never known before... Troll, Freeper, Lurker... And the funniest thing of all, is I've been called all of these names here.

But not any more. Now I'm a good boy.

[Mike03]

10. I wish you would just cite specific examples of what you are talking about.

I'm sure you are right. But one reason I stick around GD is to avoid these sort of wide-blasting, accusatory, inflammatory, upsetting and angering posts.

I haven't seen what you are talking about lately, so could you please just give a link or two? All the Havoc here lately seems to be coming from us--and I include myself.

[2Design]

21. lets seeeee what are some of the signs of people I avoid and assume

they are trolls and they may or may not get tombstoned
1. They defend any of the BFEE or wh or other republics
2. They said clinton did it
3. One low count person starts a thread in question about something above and when others denounce it we have more low count people defending the first low count persons stuff
4. Even high count people who do similar things
5. If it ticks me off - I walk away - assume they are ramble rousing
6. If they are putting down any candidate, I avoid them
7. If they jump in on spitzer and talk about his sexual behavior without talking about the good he was doing on trying to take down wall street and the BFEE who would not allow states to make laws against predatory lending
8. only have one person on ignore right now but don't even remember why
9. some one who attacks
10. some one who has to go up against every poster on a thread
11. most of the candidate threads now that we are down to just two and they just attack each other
12. those who attack our present candidates and dig up dirt on them
13. people who just want to disagree with you
14. sometimes I just walk away because I don't want to talk about
15. If it is a low count person and it ticks me off, I walk away
16. If it is a low count person and they are attacking any democrat, I might do an alert to just say watch this person

[Boojatta]

32. Some allegorical questions

10. some one who has to go up against every poster on a thread

How many posts on an ancient Jewish message board would Jesus need before who could post a message to say that the death penalty for adultery is too harsh?

3. One low count person starts a thread in question about something above and when others denounce it we have more low count people defending the first low count persons stuff

Well, at least you can't say that Saul/Paul had a low post count on the ancient Jewish message boards. However, you might claim that he was a sleeper agent working for the Christians right from the beginning.

[Virginia Dare]

11. DU is NOT a speck on the rug..

I'm involved in a major research project on Washington right now, and there have been numerous times, where my search has led me to DU.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

16. Oh noes!!!

Don't tell me that the gubmint is researching yaks in thongs!

[Mike03]

12. Trolls were far more plentiful in the past, when we all agreed on something

like that Patrick Fitzgerald would kick some ass.

But we are so good at beating each other up, it seems to me the trolls have sidelined themselves. They are most surely watching with amusement as we do to each other what they used to do to us.

Eh, on second thought, this post is fantastic, because we can just blame phantoms for the strife and antipathy on this site.

Yeah, the trolls. For sure.

Kick and Rec, for this brilliance.

[tachyon]

23. Is anybody still waiting for those 48 business hours to end?

:evilgrin:

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

13. Fortunately, most here at DU still have independent intellects

and for the most part are capable of spotting and cutting through the crap that is flung in our paths.

And that's the one thing that REALLY frightens them, and that's why they continue to try so hard to defeat us.

And they will LOSE.

[Mike03]

14. On Edit...

Someone on another post in another forum was more specific on what you might be referring to, and I withdraw my criticism, if you are talking about the same thing that he is.

Just wish you folks would be more specific when leveling accusations, especially now when things are so damned touchy around here, and everyone is being accused of everything under the sun.

Take care

[zonkers]

17. I'm an old timer. I can spot'em. Their english skills have hughly improved since 04.

[RC]

18. Daz lerned to reed nd wirte from bein on DU so mush.

[donco]

19. Good, maybe if they pay

attention maybe, just maybe, they can learn the error of their ways……..Nah, not likely. :(

[alittlelark]

20. There are not enough bridges here in DUland.

Many are overstocked with trolls - the mod's cull their #'s frequently (Yay, Mods!)

Unfortunately we also have quite a few w/ permanent addresses under old dilapidated covered bridges.

[tachyon]

22. Some trolls don't know how to spell compliment.

:D

[alittlelark]

28. Aren't you cute!!!

The green skin and warts do wonders for you!

Soooooooo cute.

[hifalutin]

30. I think they come here

just to get edificated!

[L. Coyote]

24. It's a tough job market, and they can't flip burgers, so they work for R ops.

[byronius]

25. Information is power. This is power.

I've learned more from reading threads here -- unbelievably excellent stuff is stashed all around. It's a New Thing.

What's most interesting are the tactics necessary to disrupt this kind of new media. They can't simply throttle or bottleneck the information; they have to compete with it, and harass, and obfuscate. It takes intelligence to have any effect at all on the dialogue; it's a lot easier for DU to mask as FR people than the reverse. Perhaps someday they'll figure out some automated AI mass-invasion system that will shut us down.

As of now, they fail. I continue to learn. Especially from babylon sister, KPete, and H20Man. Will Pitt. Hatrack. I mean, c'mon, that's the Shit. Really. Like a Truth Cannon, all taken together. Still, as an Entity, DU's a Jungle. One has to be able to process and weigh fact. One needs reasoning skills. If you can navigate properly, this place is unique and powerful.

I think this place grows people. I really do. Even the bad stuff has a way of sifting information and opinion -- identifiable trolls can teach us a great deal.

[ms liberty]

26. An astute analysis. I agree. n/t

[ms liberty]

27. K&R n/t

[cynatnite]

29. I've been here since 2004 and I still can't spot a troll...

for the most part. It'd have to be really blatant...like when the freeptards come to DU for a hit and run. Mods usually tombstone 'em pretty quick.

Otherwise, I'm blissfully ignorant of trolls.

[rosesaylavee]

31. I use this to detect 'em. Catches them everytime.

[LWolf]

33. Of course, there was no DU in 1998.

When a site becomes more mainstream, you get more mainstream people. A site that was "underground" in the beginning is no longer so.

I don't see more "trolls." I see more people. A site that was, in earlier years, a sanctuary for left-minded people is now much more mainstream. There are many more conservative democrats, dlc democrats, 3rd way democrats here today than 5 years ago. Many of the leftist people who were here then have drifted away, or been stoned away, leaving the site more mainstream than ever.

I regret it, but I don't think people are "trolls" just because I disagree with their brand of politics.

[baby_mouse]

34. Yer not kidding. They're all over the place these days.

I certainly wouldn't consider myself an old-timer but Ive spotted a dramatic increase in numbers over the 4 years I've been here.