Paid Political Trolls on ATS...I fart in your general direction!

I've been a member of ATS for only a few weeks now (after lurking for many months) and for the most part I've spent my time being entertained & enlightened. I've done alot of eye-rolling, alot of jaw-dropping, and alot of "eureka!-ing", and I've had a great time doing it...for all of these reasons, I love ATS.

However, I'm dismayed by the rabidly negative threads in regards to presidential hopefuls, particularly Barack Obama, that have been cropping up in the past few weeks...

Why should anyone be dismayed when "everyday folks" take the time to voice their opinion and exercise their right to Free Speech? Because I'm certain that some of these "opinions" are nothing more than campaign propaganda, and that these "opinions" are placed on ATS by paid political trolls...and, I'm pretty sure that their mothers are hamsters and their fathers smell of elderberries.

Who would be stupid enough to PAY anyone to create these threads when it's so easy that my cross-eyed Siamese cat Daisy could do it??!??...in fact, here's what Daisy had to say on the subject:

Daisy: MEOW, write an inflammatory thread heading, post a couple of YouTube or Fox News videos, MEOW, add a line or two of poorly-spelled, rehashed garbage and VOILA!!...propaganda for the masses!! And people will RESPOND to it!! (Daisy shakes her head sadly...)
Now, gimme a can of tuna and point me to the litterbox...(smugly saunters away).

How to deal with these trolls? Ignore their threads...there's nothing more crushing than rejection, is there? So, reject by ignoring...

link:
www.abovetopsecret.com...



**Daisy has just informed me that she is available as a paid political consultant...salary to be discussed upon employment**

Ezzi (sticking tongue out at trolls)

there are LOTS of threads on this subject...just type "paid trolls" in the search box...here's a great thread on this topic started by SonicInfinity...

link:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

I give you a star for originality. I agree with what you are saying as well. I am sure that it is happening here. Look at some of the more prevalent spammers of the anti-Obama threads and you will see that they are relatively new here and 90%+ of their posts and threads are all about Obama.

I think there are long time members who also are concerned about him as a candidate and they post in the same threads as well, but with those members you still see them contribute to the forum in other topics and discussions.

I am not really sure why the mods are letting in run wild though. We can't have 15 threads about a Breaking Alternative News story, but apparently we can have 100 on why Obama is the devil and why his supporters are sheep. Maybe the mods are just trying to help us realize how nice it was when Above Politics was its own forum and wasn't clogging up ATS.

Also, the ignore them and they will go away idea won't work. There are waaay too many members on ATS and all it takes is one person to get irritated enough to respond and all the sudden the tread gets bumped back to the top again. The threads are like herpes.

[edit on 3-6-2008 by Karlhungis]

reply to post by ezziboo


I usually dont post on posts like that as my personal politcal opinion is mine and would only change if i see fit

with other issues re this website its good to hear or read other aspects of unexplained info

the flooding of a lot of types of personalities have hit here

Originally posted by Karlhungis

I am not really sure why the mods are letting in run wild though.

A deluded man will see antagonism as confirmation of his beliefs.

A Deluded man will also spread his delusion to those whom are angry enough to accept it.

You can see that analogy running rampant all over the world even as we discuss these matters - look to the east, and you see clerics preaching the path that leads to hate, look to the west, and you see a pack mentality specified to animals within our own political structure.

But if you really want to know why, then i can but speculate.

you raise a very, very good point. that is non-participation in overtly negative, biased, hateful threads started by trolls. further more it is learning to "not feed the trolls" in other threads as well. it is hard, at least for me, but as i get better i realize it dramatically increases my enjoyment of ATS. as much as i want to yell and scream and even gouge out eyes it does nothing but feed them the attention they crave.

DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS PLEASE.

reply to post by Karlhungis


thank you very much for the star, Karl. I must give credit where credit is due: John Cleese & Monty Python, et al...salute!!!

I figured that an inflammatory yet snarky-funny (to those with a sense of humor) thread title would generate the most "traffic", much like those with pithy titles like:

Obama Sheep: You're Stupid! Duh!!!

or

NEWSFLASH: Many Black People Will Vote for Obama Cuz (GASP) He's Black And They Finally Have A Presidential Candidate They Can Identify With!!
(not to be confused with NEWSFLASH: Many Women Will Vote Fore Hilary Clinton Cuz (GASP) She's A Woman! or Hilary Clinton: She Cries When She's Upset!!)

or

Obama Smokes Cigarettes...Oh, The Humanity!!!!

or

John McCain, The Shocking Truth!! He's Really Old And Has Alot Of Health Problems!!

Breaking news, all of them!! Mon dieu, where would the rest of us be without the insight gained by threads such as those mentioned above?!

Mais jamais, I shudder to think!


[edit on 3-6-2008 by ezziboo]

Moot point as far as Obama/Clinton goes...Obama has clinched the nomination (to cap it off, he farted in Hilary Clinton's general direction...I kid, I kid, people).

[edit on 3-6-2008 by ezziboo]

reply to post by Animal



Yep, Animal, I found myself falling into the same trap...getting angry, having a near-aneurism/ischemic attack, posting a reply, then smacking myself in the forehead for being "had."

Sheesh!

Anyone who humorous (and smart) enough to quote Monty Python and the Holy Grail has to be a friend of mine so I am giving you a star and listing you as one of my friends.

reply to post by ezziboo


Obama's top campaign contributors.


Goldman Sachs $571,330
University of California $437,236
UBS AG $364,806
JPMorgan Chase & Co $362,207
Citigroup Inc $358,054
National Amusements Inc $320,750
Lehman Brothers $318,647
Google Inc $309,514
Harvard University $309,025
Sidley Austin LLP $294,245
Skadden, Arps et al $270,013
Time Warner $262,677
Morgan Stanley $259,876
Jones Day $250,725
Exelon Corp $236,211
University of Chicago $218,857
Wilmerhale LLP $218,680
Latham & Watkins $218,615
Microsoft Corp $209,242
Stanford University $195,262

Clinton's Top Contributors

DLA Piper $507,850
EMILY's List $498,103
Goldman Sachs $447,850
Citigroup Inc $425,052
Morgan Stanley $406,545
JPMorgan Chase & Co $284,914
Lehman Brothers $279,240
University of California $267,967
National Amusements Inc $251,025
Skadden, Arps et al $233,945
Time Warner $207,950
Greenberg Traurig LLP $204,950
PricewaterhouseCoopers $198,150
Kirkland & Ellis $197,550
Merrill Lynch $187,959
Microsoft Corp $182,019
Ernst & Young $171,025
Latham & Watkins $165,763
Bear Stearns $155,790
News Corp $153,750

John McCain's

Merrill Lynch $230,310
Citigroup Inc $219,551
Blank Rome LLP $189,226
Greenberg Traurig LLP $157,487
AT&T Inc $153,005
Goldman Sachs $139,520
Morgan Stanley $136,651
JPMorgan Chase & Co $129,400
Credit Suisse Group $110,725
Lehman Brothers $96,050
UBS AG $93,815
US Government $91,551
Bank of New York Mellon $87,500
IDT Corp $83,150
Blackstone Group $82,600
Bear Stearns $79,900
Wachovia Corp $76,725
MGM Mirage $76,050
Univision Communications $75,700
PricewaterhouseCoopers $71,050



Do you see a pattern here? Before you go spouting off about who's going to change what, know who the # they're working for. This isn't paranoia or hatred speaking, but common sense. How can you create such drastic change as opposed to someone else when you're taking orders from the same people? The answer is, you can't. You won't.


As much as I'd like a black president, or even a woman to crush the rest of the existing old fashioned mentality (ies) and remaining quos, I refuse to support them based specifically on that reason alone. All three of these people are going to # us all over in a very short space of time. And maybe not maliciously, but they will tend to the needs of their bosses before they give bread crumbs to any of us. They're not going to make our lives harder on a personal level, but they aren't going to stop the rape over of the American people that has been happening since 1913 (The Federal Reserve Act), in which some of the top campaign contributors had actually taken part in even back then.


The only people brave enough to openly stand against big business have been pushed aside, like some zany sideshow. My greatest respects go out to those people. Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel, and Ron Paul.


Next time behind you get behind a "cause." Make sure that cause isn't going to potentially tear your country apart, subsequently affecting you and your family's livelihood.


To me this is serious... If you're not interested, don't let it worry you. Keep recognizing everything for it's face value and rallying in defense of a person who will make sure our country is auctioned off to the highest bidder.


"We Can!"

Get real.

reply to post by grover


My first ATS friend (clasping my hands together, blushing, and batting my eyelashes...)!! Ya gotta love Monty Python...

I'm hoping that all of the "dyed-in-the-wool" ATS members who participate in a constructive manner (no matter how far-out the subject matter) have similar sentiments and are kind enough to post a response...that way, I'll know who to trust (narrows eyes, looks around suspiciously)...

Thank you, Grover...and thanks for the "heads up" post on Obama clinching the nomination, too!

reply to post by DeadFlagBlues


Thank you for the post...I didn't "spout off about who's going to change what"....and, do you mean I've gotten behind the "cause" of recognizing BS and propaganda when I see it?

Care to illucidate, please?

One more thing, DeadFlagBlues: When I open my mouth, the truth comes out...bullets are the way of cowards and tyrants.

[edit on 3-6-2008 by ezziboo]

[edit on 3-6-2008 by ezziboo]

reply to post by ezziboo


That was more general than personal. I have a tendency of coming off fairly ferocious, but I assure you it's nothing too personal.

What's scary is that as the election draws closer, this will only get worse. The election process in America has become more of a farce than any Monty Python skit could have been. But sadly, there's no humor there, only bleakness. The forums just reflect the overall insanity of politics in general.

And about Clinton as VP, which has been tooted about. Would you pick her, knowing that your heart stopping for any reason would give her what she wants more than a face lift?

I used to rodeo some, and I swear, I would trust a doped up bull with a cinch rope on his testicles more than most any modern day politician.

Originally posted by ezziboo
reply to post by DeadFlagBlues

 

One more thing, DeadFlagBlues: When I open my mouth, the truth comes out...bullets are the way of cowards and tyrants.

[edit on 3-6-2008 by ezziboo]

[edit on 3-6-2008 by ezziboo]

Reality is perceptual for all of us, isn't it?

reply to post by DeadFlagBlues


DeadFlag, I think everyone (almost everyone) on ATS appreciates and respects the opinions of others (unless the opinion-giver is being paid to do so)...I understood what you were getting at in your post, and it just so happens that I agree with you. My eyes are wide open...

This is important: anyone attempting to make themselves understood stands to have their message muddied when going off on a tangent...I can tell you're smarter than that...ya gotta tighten up, kiddo!

reply to post by DeadFlagBlues


Reality is subjective, and, more accurately, relative to the observer. Paging Albert Einstein, Michio Kaku, and Richard Feynman...we got a Code Blue over here!!!

reply to post by ezziboo


There's no tangent.

All relevant as far as I can see. Especially when discussing politics, usually things end up this way. The origin of your "eye rolling" being some wild paid conspiracy or from a laymen. Very, very relative.

And again.. Nothing personal, I just have no tact.

Originally posted by ezziboo
reply to post by DeadFlagBlues

 

Reality is subjective, and, more accurately, relative to the observer. Paging Albert Einstein, Michio Kaku, and Richard Feynman...we got a Code Blue over here!!!

Thank you for the intricate echo. Appreciated.