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Was Billythrilly created by the US govt? (Psychological warfare not for the US)
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Two conflicting thoughts:
1) I'm not surprised, and so far as I know, privately-owned companies and other organizations have been doing this for a long damn time. We've seen it first-hand in some of our Bewares threads, and who HASN'T heard about bloggers getting paid to shill? Hell, on facebook, I get friend requests from people who are really just fronts for dating or porn sites.
2) Do we really have that much power? I mean, "influence internet conversations?" A ten-year-old can do that...we can all do that...but just repeating talking points or attempting to push a conversation a certain direction does little to nothing. To get people to sit up and pay attention, internet-wise, you have to say something worth saying. If these sock puppets are going to wax poetic and make fantastic, well-articulated posts, then I'm all for them. Fill the damn 'net up with them! But if they're going to do the internet equivalent of setting up an echo chamber, I doubt they'll get any further than those half-naked strangers who keep sending me "friend requests".
1) I'm not surprised, and so far as I know, privately-owned companies and other organizations have been doing this for a long damn time. We've seen it first-hand in some of our Bewares threads, and who HASN'T heard about bloggers getting paid to shill? Hell, on facebook, I get friend requests from people who are really just fronts for dating or porn sites.
2) Do we really have that much power? I mean, "influence internet conversations?" A ten-year-old can do that...we can all do that...but just repeating talking points or attempting to push a conversation a certain direction does little to nothing. To get people to sit up and pay attention, internet-wise, you have to say something worth saying. If these sock puppets are going to wax poetic and make fantastic, well-articulated posts, then I'm all for them. Fill the damn 'net up with them! But if they're going to do the internet equivalent of setting up an echo chamber, I doubt they'll get any further than those half-naked strangers who keep sending me "friend requests".
Monkey, I snipped quite a bit of your post and am about to take it out of context. But recent astroturfing/sock puppetry by corporations hasn't had much in the way of good writing or word choice or had much to say worth saying. So in some ways, I think the quoted bit is a quite likely result.
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Not sure if I have an opinion on this yet. But I wonder the possibility of intelligent people creating really well developed arguments that are intentional misleading in order to push a product or a political agenda.
I have heard of companies paying professionals to organize and develop their Wikipedia pages, and with some success. For me it doesn't seem that far off for them to find accomplished shills who can convince people that CompanySquare is right for them because it fits perfectly into NicheCircle.
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MOD NOTE:
A merger has occurred between two threads of same subject matter. Perhaps so the government can create one less sock puppet?
-- Williebee
A merger has occurred between two threads of same subject matter. Perhaps so the government can create one less sock puppet?
-- Williebee
billythrilly7th
Banned
One of my friend's dad has been in this business for years (I can't stand his dad, for the record). His company does it in DC to provide faux support for issues as if it came from citizens. And they've even done PR, basically, for one pretty darned ruthless nation in the Middle East.
He's a former RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co lawyer.
Very recently, y'all have probably noticed the comments postings that are so pro-nuclear after the articles on Japan (like the banana meme)? See above. Not all of them, of course, but yep, it's been going on for years now.
It's considered a form of lobbying if you're doing it to a political party or gov't office (so smarmy). I don't know what it's called other than 'sock puppet' when you do it to people
He's a former RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co lawyer.
Very recently, y'all have probably noticed the comments postings that are so pro-nuclear after the articles on Japan (like the banana meme)? See above. Not all of them, of course, but yep, it's been going on for years now.
It's considered a form of lobbying if you're doing it to a political party or gov't office (so smarmy). I don't know what it's called other than 'sock puppet' when you do it to people
Really?
You don't find the recent mid east democracy protest a little coincidental? What with the US government stance with "spreading" democracy world-wide.
The news reports do say the protesters were organized through social media.
Governments have fallen. Is there a man behind the curtain?
Anyway, I found the timing interesting.
Oooh, let me clarify. The banana meme is an example of the kind of thing this guy's company does for the nuclear industry. I'm not saying they did that actual meme; I'd have no idea which posts are them and which aren't.
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you think someone is orchestrating mass uprisings in the middle east?
not just someone, but the US?
really???
SOS to mods: please please please put up the original title. this new one is simply not funny or interesting and i'm ashamed to have my name associated with it.
BjornAbust
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billythrilly7th
Banned
When did BillyThrilly start? 2004. Right during the heyday of George Bush's relelection campaign.
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billythrilly7th
Banned
I will neither confirm nor deny that Billy Thrilly, the great messageboard, hall of fame poster, was created for the sole purpose of influencing thought by people who had less than honorable goals.
But I will confirm that Billy Thrilly, as of right now, is a fully independent poster and residing in NYC.
And answers to no one.
Thank you.
But I will confirm that Billy Thrilly, as of right now, is a fully independent poster and residing in NYC.
And answers to no one.
Thank you.
No. Because I can avoid their channel.
But I cannot avoid a remote-control sock puppet who tries to come into this forum community and mess with us.
On other matters, I suspect that every time a sock puppet gets banned, they will just keep fine-tuning their efforts to create the "perfect" sock-puppet who blends flawlessly and never trips the alarms of the mod-sniffers.