How do you identify a Russian troll

[phattonez]

Maybe I am paranoid but there's a couple ones in particular around here that seem pretty obvious.

So are you going to name names?

 

[phattonez]

Re the avatar, did you read my OP on ways to ID a Russian troll? Regardless, I was pulling your chain, that's why the smiley is there.

Sure, European trolls are possible, but I haven't seen any articles from any sources suggesting such a scenario.

Canadian trolls are the worst.

 

[beancounter]

You believe that as much as 1 out of 10 members here is a Russian operative?

I said no more than 10% of the people who fit the criteria I listed. As a percent of the total population, it's probably much lower.

But all you need is a few bad apples pushing the right buttons to cause the desired effect.

 

[Mason66]

You don't think it's a problem if a hostile foreign power makes a concerted effort to instigate dissent, mistrust and hatred among the people of the target country?

Any red blood, god fearing, true American patriot should be concerned. Aren't you a patriot?

Why don't you worry about what you can control.

Accusing people on a public board of being from Russia does not help anybody.

 

[phattonez]

Example: Here in Whittier, these neighborhoods went from being borderline street gang "no go zones" in the 80's and early 90's back to being the quiet and somewhat boring baby factories that they were in the postwar years, because so many of the gangs moved to the Inland Empire and to Palmdale.
They were, quite simply, priced out of the market and the rest were reduced by attrition due to law enforcement stepping up and doing their job.

Fact check: false. While murder and rape may be low, robbery is through the roof (and is far more common than the other two). Whittier is still a dump.

 

[lurchadams]

I know I'm not, and I think you're probably ok, but the rest have us surrounded!

They kind of stir up dissension (from both sides) the point being increased conflict and polarisation.

I think one major indicator of any troll is that they create a thread with a very controversial topic, take a fringe position on the topic and then neglect to participate in the thread after the OP.

 

[dobieg]

For ME, no not at all, and I can back that up right here at DP because there are quite a few conservatives I get into discussions with. Paid Russian trolls aren't usually very good at actual debate or have you not noticed that?

Quite simply, they tend to suck at it pretty badly. It's not their job to debate.

The whole premise of the op is ridiculous and the telltale signs they point to just happen to have similarities to Trump supports. It's obvious what they're trying to do.

 

[americanwoman]

So are you going to name names?

Not here. :2razz:

 

[Proteus]

I said no more than 10% of the people who fit the criteria I listed. As a percent of the total population, it's probably much lower.

But all you need is a few bad apples pushing the right buttons to cause the desired effect.

And what exactly is the desired effect that is achieved by trolling a messageboard with a few hundred active participants?

 

[lurchadams]

LOL. There are one million anti-Trump troll threads. The left is way far ahead of the Russians.

LOL - Communism is by definition, far left!

You just outed yourself, Comrade! <joking>.

 

[lurchadams]

Can you prove they are all American? How do we know that they aren't European trolls who are trying to spread European style liberalism here? Wouldn't that be equally disgusting? Not sure what you mean by my avatar being overtly patriotic. I picked it because even though I am ModerateRight and slightly conservative, I am an independent and pretty much hate both parties. I vote a mix of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.

Methinks you doth protest too much

 

[What if...?]

So, we know that Russian has maintained a sustained campaign of sewing divisions between groups in the U.S. by posting on social media. I think it's quite evident we have at least a few here on DP.

Here are some of my ideas on IDing a Russian troll.
- Starts a thread with all sorts of name calling to provoke a response (e.g. Libtard), especially if it's one of their first posts in the forum.
- Occasionally has poor English skills
- Opinions often convey extreme racism, xenophobia, and homophobia
- Avatars and Usernames are often overtly patriotic
- Dismissal of sources without providing counter sources. Often resorts to ad hominem attacks.

What are your thoughts?

I see suspiscious grammatical errors sometimes.

Ones with partisan handles who screw up the grammar like someone for whom English is a second language, not just the one of their birth they suck at using.

People tend to write like they talk. And nobodyhere talks like that.

Also, you can't get them off script. Throw a curve and they stumble.

I've been looking for ways to identify Communications interns, our domestic "troll farm" degree track.

And actual professionals here watching and tending the latest "messaging" campaign.

One thing we learned from the election tampering is it doesn't take an army to tend messaging. Bots can keep an eye on multiple sites and alert a message Herder when one needs attention.

So far there's no real way to tell.

One thing is for sure though. Some know for sure that this is going on, and keep quiet because it benefits them.

 

[roughdraft274]

So, we know that Russian has maintained a sustained campaign of sewing divisions between groups in the U.S. by posting on social media. I think it's quite evident we have at least a few here on DP.

Here are some of my ideas on IDing a Russian troll.
- Starts a thread with all sorts of name calling to provoke a response (e.g. Libtard), especially if it's one of their first posts in the forum.
- Occasionally has poor English skills
- Opinions often convey extreme racism, xenophobia, and homophobia
- Avatars and Usernames are often overtly patriotic
- Dismissal of sources without providing counter sources. Often resorts to ad hominem attacks.

What are your thoughts?

I am fairly certain that I accurately called out a russian troll who is now banned from the forum. It wouldn't surprise me if there were others, though I don't think this could be some widespread thing. I think the sad thing is that the right wing is so against traditional american concepts that they honestly can't be differentiated with russian trolls in any meaningful way. They all want to suck Putins dick, they all want to trash the FBI, CIA, NSA, they all want to demolish our alliances around the world. It's sad.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

The whole premise of the op is ridiculous and the telltale signs they point to just happen to have similarities to Trump supports. It's obvious what they're trying to do.

Respectfully disagree.
I've witnessed paid organized trolling activity firsthand on other social media during the runup to the election.
Like Justice Potter once said about pornography, "while I may not be able to define it for you", (actually I could if you want to spend eight or nine pages reading about it) "I know it when I see it."

And on other social media, it worked like tsunami, or a feeding frenzy.
You can discount it all you like, but once you've been on the receiving end the way I've been, you think differently.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Fact check: false. While murder and rape may be low, robbery is through the roof (and is far more common than the other two). Whittier is still a dump.

I know exactly where you get your data from and it's true, burglaries ARE up in Whittier, but they are also up throughout the entire COUNTRY and throughout most major cities and suburbs.

Where in L.A. do YOU live?

 

[phattonez]

I know exactly where you get your data from and it's true, burglaries ARE up in Whittier, but they are also up throughout the entire COUNTRY and throughout most major cities and suburbs.

Where in L.A. do YOU live?

In the Foothills. Crime has been getting worse here as well, but luckily we're not at Whittier levels, we're still well below national averages.

 

[Moderate Right]

Methinks you doth protest too much

LOL. Which side has been protesting nonstop ever since Nov 2016, including the million women march (protest) on DC and the recent protests in large cities across the country? Methinks you doth protest too much

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

In the Foothills. Crime has been getting worse here as well, but luckily we're not at Whittier levels, we're still well below national averages.

Then quit looking down your nose at Whittier, you're not that much better off, and it's indicative of larger problems.
And in any case, the thread is about identifying paid trolls, which isn't all that different from identifying sock puppets.
We already know how to identify bigots. Just read their bigoted posts

 

[phattonez]

I am fairly certain that I accurately called out a russian troll who is now banned from the forum. It wouldn't surprise me if there were others, though I don't think this could be some widespread thing. I think the sad thing is that the right wing is so against traditional american concepts that they honestly can't be differentiated with russian trolls in any meaningful way. They all want to suck Putins dick, they all want to trash the FBI, CIA, NSA, they all want to demolish our alliances around the world. It's sad.

Maybe because they don't see how those alliances are actually helping Americans.

 

[phattonez]

Then quit looking down your nose at Whittier, you're not that much better off, and it's indicative of larger problems.
And in any case, the thread is about identifying paid trolls, which isn't all that different from identifying sock puppets.
We already know how to identify bigots. Just read their bigoted posts

We're much better off than Whittier thank you very much.

 

[Quag]

Do you have a point, tovarish?

If you had read the point comrade you would understand why your overly patriotic avatar is relevant
But then Russians are known for their lack of humor

 

[What if...?]

My thought is that you vastly overrate the reach of this site.

I'd be surprised if there was even a single Russian operative wasting their time trolling DP.

From all accounts this is an unusually civil debate site.

So a group trying to increase division in this country might very well pay special attention to us over a site where they're screaming at each other constantly.

There are lots of people here I like that I totally disagree with politically. That is the opposite of what the troll farms are tasked with.

And one person can "supervise" many many sites with bots looking for certain words and phrases.

I would bet money we see a good number of Communications interns here, because of the climate. Communications is the degree arc where you study.the techniques employed by the troll farms.

And professionals in any thread where someone has invested a lot of money on PR on some subject.

The general overall civility here could result in a successful deconstruction of "messaging" that could result in complete failure of the campaign.

So I don't think we're as uninteresting to the troll farms as one might think at first.

 

[Quag]

The half that doesnt agree with you

You catch on quick!

 

[lurchadams]

LOL. Which side has been protesting nonstop ever since Nov 2016, including the million women march (protest) on DC and the recent protests in large cities across the country? Methinks you doth protest too much

The rational, patriotic, sympathetic people on the side of good have been protesting. Trump and his alt-right base just can't get past the fact that the protest marches in DC had higher attendance than Trump's inauguration

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

We're much better off than Whittier thank you very much.

Okay.