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This isn't surprising. Radical right types don't take losing elections and being out of power graciously. They're overbearing bullies when in power, vindictive and vicious when trying to get power back.
Note, too, though, the possibility some of these creeps have a moneymaking interest in putting up a whole bunch of blogs with stolen material and photos, icons or avatars that link to commercial sites. They're looking for clicks that bring them money, so if they can dupe people into clicking what they think leads to another blog or story, but go to a commercial site instead, they get credit for the click through.
Spawning lots of different sites could be deviously useful for several things. One is generating buzz. When bots report back to wherever that there's a lot of buzz about this topic, that person or what have you, bloggers and reporters start looking into it. If it then winds up as blog posts and news stories, the system has been successfully manipulated. You get a megaphone effect going, IOW.
Another reason for setting up a string of blogs is to facilitate spam operations, including comment spam, and/or denial of service attacks, where a blog or Web site gets flooded with so much crap that legitimate visitors can't get to it. For the spam operation or for combating trolls, many blogs and e-mail programs require a visitor to give an e-mail address and/or Web site URL. Anti-spam utilities such as Spam Karma and Akismet check to see if the given site exists. If it does, an e-mail is more likely to go to your inbox or a blog comment is more likely to be approved as legitimate, and so on.
Years back I would sometimes visit a site called Blogs for Bush that was completely Astroturf. It existed to launch ugly diatribes against Bush administration critics and to tout the White House and GOP party line. This paid-for blog always had a bunch of sock-puppet commenters. From the writing style and British or Canadian spelling of some words, one staffer was obviously masquerading as at least three different regular commenters. The camouflage was so transparent as to be laughable. Every post would have 12-30 comments, and after awhile you could discern patterns to them.
Back when Technorati had pages of scrolling just-published posts for blogs of various kinds, including politics, it was obvious that a large number of right-wing bloggers had figured out a way to game the system. I could publish a post, ping Technorati and wait hours for it to appear on Technorati's new-posts page, if it ever appeared at all. Breitbart would publish a post and it would appear on Technorati quickly, and then show up again and again, even when it was no longer a new post. Same for posts by Michelle "Beware, She Bites" Malkin, Pamela Gellar and a long list of others.
I think you may be onto something here.. the money is one thing.. I have heard that some of the RWNJ's make comments at HuffPo and other sites as that and they are paid a fraction of a penny for every comment they make. Also they get paid for followers and fans... They are paid by the GOP itself.
ReplyDeleteThis could be sorta the same thing... so anytime we click on them or visit we are putting money in their pockets... and if you comment, they have your contact information and they can send you emails and such.
Annette: Happily I never get emails but I do see their comments all over the place and not just on the Blogosphere.
ReplyDeleteand they are paid a fraction of a penny for every comment they make.
ReplyDeleteI guess that's the Republicans' idea of an eceonomic stimulus program?
Seriously, it sounds as if Shaw may have cost some people some dough by blowing the whistle on all this crap. Which might account for why they were mad enough to try a click-jacking attack via the follower lists.
When I participated on the MoveOn.org “Great Goals” forum, there were regulars who leveled vicious and vulgar personal attacks at those of us attempting to make positive suggestions. I can still remember their names. They were sent to the forum by these Web sites: Bill O’Reilly’s, townhall, freerepublic and worldnetdaily. These sites openly admonished readers to attack MoveOn as “the most dangerous organization in America.” These “freepers” trolled the fourm 24/7 and left attacks after every comment. Finally, someone even set up some sort of auto-post and posted one porn photo after another. MoveOn finally shut the forum down.
ReplyDeleteThese same types set unsigned and undocumented propaganda emails into motion, then sit back while morons spread them through cyberspace.
We, my friends, are the good guys.
BJ
The GOP just stole a page from telemarketing. I just came from reading an NPR piece. I was "forced" to ask one of the commenters if he was a paid troll.
ReplyDeleteB.J., I visited FreeRepublic a few times a few years ago. Many of the comments were so vile, I copied and made a post of them to show what mean-spirited lowlifes some of Bush's hard core supporters were. That site seems to exist for some of the most ignorant, backward, people in the country. The hatred and resentment expressed there was truly remarkable, and that was at a time when their politicians controlled the White House, Congress and usually got their way at the Supreme Court. I'm sure it's worse now.
ReplyDeleteInfidel - I've never been there and after what yhou've written, I think I'll restrain myself.
ReplyDeleteFrodo believes that it is nothing more than "that ole black magic" which has us under its' spell. Realizing of course that it is incubated by the "eye of newt."
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this story. Now that you mentioned it, I've seen folks like you describe trolling twitter.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Leslie!
ReplyDeleteI had to read this a few time's and it still didnt all sink in, but I understand most of it, some of the computer term's are over me, because I never spent any time trying to understand computer stuff. Over the last 2.5 year's ... I have found so many site's Leslie that look very elaborate, professional and well worded, that I knew right away that certain thing's were inaccurate ... I caught fairly quick, because you could see the slant, push, and bite in it (I'm alot better detecting shit on the street in person than in cyberspace). As far as how many comment's are on posting's and such ... I dont have alot of comment's myself, and just a few of the same folk's, that I comment on there's, etc ... but I can promise you that my blog for instance, is safe, and not any trap, or out to try to manipulate any folk's, nor is it fancy or anything. I would never even participate in anything like that, because it is actually against my standard's ... especially if someone ever offered me money ... immediately I would say "NO' quicker than a right winger sez "NO". I do admit that recently my blog may have had seemingly some slant to the left politically ... which I try to avoid and be as neutral as I can ... but the only reason why Leslie, was really out of anger ... simply because for year's I voted republican, and even voted for Bush/ Cheney ... who had let me down so hard ... not that I hate a person for being conservative, but because of what the conservative sidehas done and the sell out thing has been enormous, especially to China ... I DONT HATE China either ... but this is SO UNFAIR and UNBALANCED ... if folk's would just take time to look at what they (GOP)actually done. But I will shut the Hell up, and thank you for the insight and info, because I learned some.
One more thing .... the GOP folk's are a lil bolder and less fasionable than the left, in my opinion ... as Michael Moore ( one of my heroes, I may add) say's ... "when the GOP want's something, they come in gun's blazing and just do it". I feel that the democrat party should go after them tooth and claw at time's when in power, I mean ... it is great for President Obama to offer a bipartisan hand, I'm all for it, but you can only do it so much, before you just have to tell them back "NO" ... and stop asking them for their approval, that's just me. This stunt the GOP just pulled with this so called Pledge is another crock of shit if I ever seen one ... I almost couldnt believe they were that bold to pull something like that, if that isnt a slap in the3 face to America, I dont know what is ... Okay I'll shut up for real.
Frodo: LOL!
ReplyDeletePen: I don't twit that much, so I wasn't aware of that. In fact I think I only have about 6 followers. : )
RC: I've been trying to avoid using the term "stupid" when describing the GOP because it's become a cliche. But they are, if for no other reason that they don't realize that most people are smart enough to see through their bullshit.
Somewhat related to this, I'm getting ready to post a couple of pieces about chain e-mails. Most bloggers are sophisticated enough to know they are scam, but many of my friends and family simply don't have a clue. Basically I'm addressing them, sending it to FB in a misguided hope that they will read it. 99% of these bogus emails stem from the right - no surprise - so the second part will provide some interesting examples.
Excellent, SW and Leslie. Technorati has changed their method of assigning authority and now count links in articles of blogs that have registered with, been investigated by, and confirmed as legitimate and then risen high enough to be considered influential.
ReplyDeleteThat made PP's authority ratings of 495 (global) and 595 (topical) darn hard to come by, but I'm glad they did it, because it drove out the Republican charlatans.
TC: I have to check into to Technorati - see it referred to but don't know much about it. I think that part of the word that says "tech" scared me off.
ReplyDeleteYou ought to register your blog there. You'll probably sit in limbo for up to a year, but the recognition is good when it comes. Email me if you need help.
ReplyDelete