Fake forum comments are 'eroding' trust in the web

as with everything, being aware of the issues and implications of such agendas is quite important in recognising
the organic from the processed.
f

reply to post by TrueAmerican

When the news came out that our government had hired 1000 psyops people to spread the official story about 9/11 and criticize anyone who did not agree....

That is quite a specific claim. Have any source to prove it?

Or, is it just an example that the OP is discussing?

Actually, the OP's story seems to be more about corporations using shills for marketing and financial gains, more so than some "Government" dis-info.

(It also seems far more likely that a Government -- any government -- may wish to be more "political" in their attempts to sow rumors and dis-info, with a goal to destabilize or stir discord in some others' regimes.....).

Originally posted by ProudBird

When the news came out that our government had hired 1000 psyops people to spread the official story about 9/11 and criticize anyone who did not agree....

That is quite a specific claim. Have any source to prove it?

I think I made it clear that I could not be sure the story was true, but here is one thread on it:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

The dreaded "Q" Unit.

What if the hirings are fake, and the real psyop is the government trying to stir mistrust among forums? Why would they have to hire anyone to do it, all they have to do is make an allegation. It's hard to take anything seriously if it doesn't have a credible source, and even credible sources need to be looked at closely at times.

Originally posted by Evolutionsend
I often see suspect posting here on ATS. Statements that make me feel the person is either trolling or possibly emotionally removed from society. I've actually met one of the more questionable types in person, and tbh he's a jaded and angry person. Not someone employed by anyone. I think it has more to do with people having no life than anyone paying them to push certain things. The classic "the world's messed up and I'm the normal one" attitude.

once you have this label it's hard to remove or distance yourself from it, even if it wasn't your intention in the first place.
I admit that reading this irritates me. I try my best to change myself, get a job, do better, be nicer.
and I get absolutely slammed for it. which puts me back into ""the world's messed up and I'm the normal one" mindset.
I can't believe i'm in this situation and I honestly wish for a meteor to slam my house right now.

reply to post by TrueAmerican


Yeah.... it does deserve the as you posted.

"Russia Today"....and Wayne Madsen.

Credibility = 0.

Here's a second for good measure.

reply to post by roughycannon


You should never "trust" anything you read anyways, especially on the web.

reply to post by roughycannon


I have been using the internet for a very long time, and the first thing I learned was don't trust anything you read on the internet.

reply to post by RainbeauBleu

I've noticed that the nasty comments outnumber the decent.

Nothing has changed, it has always been a nasty place, come into my web said the spider to the fly, I will catch you and instill in you all manner of deceit.

The thing I hate is when I am enjoying a discussion or topic and
some a-hole side tracks the hole thing. they are very persistant.

reply to post by roughycannon


But I mean usually you can tell. The stock-brokered auto replies. It's usually pretty obvious when it's not a real person or a fake. Not to mention that forum managers can track the IP.

What ever happened to good old fashioned "quality" anything? It doesnt matter if youre a quality person, place or thing, people are getting paid to bring you down. Someone with balls would just try to get better than you at what youre doing, not hire disinfo jockeys. Its seriously sad what people will do for money and this isnt even the worst case of that by any means but its still very sad. If we ever have evidence of one on here we should all spam his posts with the opposite of what theyre saying... Just a thought.

I have done a lot of marketing on youtube, and back in my shadier days, I employed mass commenting spam tools. To me that proved how much influence even just one person could have. Faking the ratings and comments on videos (one of the practices I no longer do) using mass accounts and software as well as outsourced workers I found on Odesk.com, I was able to double my conversion rates (clicks to sales ratios) on products I promoted, just because it made people feel like it was a good idea to buy stuff because they thought it was popular, not that they actually needed the product.

There is still a lot of that done now days, just read the "blackhat" marketing forums. I read on that forum that 85% of the views on Mac Miller's "donald trump" music video were faked using an advanced technique to trick YT's hit counter to make him appear more popular. Email accounts, youtube accounts, facebook accounts, and twitter accounts are sold by the thousands. There are plenty of software programs out there that can help automate these processes as well.

Moral of the story: Think for yourself. Propaganda is everywhere, whether its for profit or for politics(which is usually in the end for profit).

Originally posted by Gorman91
reply to post by roughycannon

 

But I mean usually you can tell. The stock-brokered auto replies. It's usually pretty obvious when it's not a real person or a fake. Not to mention that forum managers can track the IP.

"Not to mention that forum managers can track the IP"

Thats what proxies and dynamic IP addresses are for.

reply to post by CREAM


true, but surely it's got some idea behind where it's coming from.

Fake Forum Comments?

For Real?

Why.... You would have to be some kind of Nutty, Conspiracy Theory, Bat-[snip] Insane, froot loop to believe that ANYONE wants to control the information that the public has access to, or to control general public discourse in any way!

Our Government only wants to HELP us, not hurt us, make up our minds for us, belittle us for looking for the truth, and "Teach" us that they are utterly infallible and incapable of lies of any kind!

Honestly... Those who think that Disinfo Agents post here on ATS, or anywhere on the internet are just as bad as HITLER!

HITLER I TELLS YA!!! HITLER!!!

(This post brought to you by the smooth, soothing, and refreshing taste of Fascism, Ask your parents to spend their monthly government approved ration stamps on Fascism TODAY! (With State Approval, of course))

reply to post by ProudBird

Yeah.... it does deserve the as you posted.

"Russia Today"....and Wayne Madsen.

Credibility = 0.

Here's a second for good measure.

Oh, yeah... Totally... The Government would NEVER attempt to hire people to post comments on the web, to control public opinion...

It was also revealed that HBGary Federal was contracted by the U.S. government to develop astroturfing software which could create an "army" of multiple fake social media profiles.

en.wikipedia.org...

It's recently been revealed that the U.S. government contracted HBGary Federal for the development of software which could create multiple fake social media profiles to manipulate and sway public opinion on controversial issues by promoting propaganda.

blogs.computerworld.com...
www.boingboing.net...


I guess that just "Slipped your mind", eh?

Didn't It?


Didn't It?

reply to post by ErtaiNaGia

twas a noble action by anon and the 16 year old chick hacker that exposed hbgary and the persona operative software agenda
f

reply to post by roughycannon
I have and continue to believe this forum is full of dis-information agents or whatever you would like to call them but the TOS and Hall Monitors are doing a pretty good job of repressing free speech and honest reaction and they have the clan of follower to chimes in their support. I dare not say more.

It's really nothing new. Information Warfare has always been a useful tactic, it's just become more powerful as a force multiplier with the advent of radio, T.V., internet and now social media. It's a silent weapon that people have no idea they are even victims of.

The key is to make you insecure so that you will seek comfort in the direction they choose. They influence and sabotage your emotions in order to manipulate your buying habits and voting patterns. They insert their own memes into the culture with the information they plant. They tell you how to feel, what to think and what to do without you even realizing it.

I just wish people would remember this when the rumors of war start up (Iran), the next horrible crime spree is endlessly splashed on the news, the price of beer, cofffee, etc or other gloomy economic indicators are lamented or the pundits discuss the Presidential candidates..