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posted by n1 on Friday July 11 2014, @11:05AM   Printer-friendly
from the it's-all-an-experiment dept.

On Tuesday, The Guardian posted an article about the US military pouring millions into researching how to become a Twitter-user-influencing, propaganda-spewing machine.

The program in question is known as Social Media in Strategic Communication (SMISC).

SMISC, which was announced in 2011, has been regarded as the means by which the US military can both detect and conduct propaganda campaigns via social media.

While DARPA's social media experiments well might have avoided breaking any law by using only publicly available data, some of its studies are sure to make people uncomfortable.

For example, some of the SMISC research has focused on the Occupy Wall Street protests and those in the Middle East, while other projects have analysed online memes and tweets from celebrities including Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga (described as "the most popular elite user on Twitter", according to The Guardian.

The manager of SMISC, Dr. Rand Waltzman, said in a post that understanding social media is just part of DARPA's "mission of preventing strategic surprise."

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Study: Children with Same-Sex Parents Happier and Healthier than those from Traditional Families 56 comments

WP reports that researchers from the University of Melbourne surveyed 315 same-sex parents with a total of 500 children. About 80 per cent of the children have female parents, while 18 percent have male parents. The children raised by same-sex partners scored an average of six percent higher than the general population on measures of general health and family cohesion. They were equivalent to those from the general population on measures of temperament and mood, behaviour, mental health and self-esteem.

Lead researcher Dr Simon Crouch said same-sex couples are more likely to share child-care and work responsibilities more equally than heterosexual parent families, based more on skills rather than gender roles. "This appears to be contributing to a more harmonious household and having a positive impact on child health," he said. "But about two-thirds of these children experience some form of stigma due to their parents' sexual orientation."

But Benjamin Siegel, professor of pediatrics at the Boston University School of Medicine, said there are limits with such research. He told Boston University Today last year that none of the studies has been a randomized, controlled trial and that all studies on same-sex parenting are small since there aren't as many same-sex parents.

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  • (Score: 2, Interesting) by Horse With Stripes on Friday July 11 2014, @11:38AM

    by Horse With Stripes (577) on Friday July 11 2014, @11:38AM (#67537)

    Just waiting for the day we see something like this in Twitter feeds:
    "6079 Smith W.! Yes, YOU! We're at war with Eurasia ..."

    • (Score: 2) by BsAtHome on Friday July 11 2014, @01:48PM

      by BsAtHome (889) on Friday July 11 2014, @01:48PM (#67572)

      We have never been at war with Eurasia. Eurasians are our friends and allies. We are at war with Eastasia and have always been. You have been reported for re-education.

  • (Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @12:16PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @12:16PM (#67545)

    This reminds me of the HBGary scandals, & sockpuppeteer masters that infest forums: A real "do not as I do, but do as I say" type lunacy. I wish our leaders would realize the MORE they use underhanded tactics, the less we respect them. When you get pulled into using the low tactics and down to the low ground of your own opponents, YOU become them (just as bad).

    * I just KNOW that this type of madness & lunacy NEVER ends up good is all! Imo, they have a "fight fire with fire" mentality, but don't understand what I just said above (since it always comes out in the wash, & NEVER "clean" either).

    (Makes me sad, disgusted, & just disappointed in general...)

    APK

    P.S.=> It is also WHY I have submitted an idea to "The Mighty Buzzard" (a staff member + dev here for this forums) who submitted it to your improvements queue http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2790&threshold=-1&commentsort=0&mode=improvedthreaded&cid=66024 [soylentnews.org]

    Simply just TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHO DOWNMODDED POSTS!

    (Which helps the moderation staff here too, by allowing users to see just who issues rampant and invalid unjusitifiable downmods to "hide" posts that don't fit THEIR "personal agendas" etc., by allowing users to police themselves along with the moderation staff)

    It works, & I've seen it do so online, for DECADES (since 1997 really) on UBB forums all over the web!

    As to WHY was it never implemented in "slashcode"?

    I will TELL you why I suspect it is so - see, when you write a program, a BIT OF YOU goes into that code ("your ghost IS in the machine" so-to-speak) - they are the BIGGEST ABUSERS OF IT THEMSELVES, despite their "Freedom of Speech" mantra - since "when the truncheon is used in lieu of conversation" ala Alan Moore & V for Vendetta, you have a problem, folks...)

    So, they're "projecting it" right there in that fact, allowing unidentifiable downmods AND sockpuppets as well (plus downmod, logout so your state saving cookie's unaffected, & troll by ac after, etc.)

    That, in & of itself, SPEAKS WORLDS of the slashdot people, whom we ALL KNOW (which is why many of us are here in the 1st place, to build a better 'slashdot', or @ least I am) that SLASHDOT IS INFESTED WITH SOCKPUPPETEERING DOWNMOD CARPET-BOMBING TROLLS, bigtime!

    So, that "all said & aside", why'd I submit that feature request? It works, & I'd like to help see that sockpuppeteerng lunacy stop, & that feature will be a BIG HELP + also a BIG DRAW (/.'ers will come here, mark my words, by the droves because of it) for more users!

    Just to be able to FAIRLY confront a bogus troll downmodder for such unjustifiable downmods will work for THAT too (& nobody can tell me THAT doesn't happen @ /. - when I've caught more than just a few of those, including an advertiser raymorris (Clickbank & Vertis employee, redirectors for advertisers) doing those kinds of tactics & worse)... apk

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by janrinok on Friday July 11 2014, @01:40PM

      by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday July 11 2014, @01:40PM (#67570) Journal

      I think that your argument regarding justification for knowing who might have down-modded a post is a bit weak. If something was down-modded, why does it matter who did it? And you are making the assumption that simply because you can't see who down moderated a comment then nobody else can find that information.

      But a downside to making such information readily available is that it promotes battles between two posters with different views who simply constantly down-mod each other. Our philosophy here is that down-modding should be done far less frequently than up-modding. If you have mod points, use them to indicate the value of the post's content - not the fact that you don't like the user, or have a different point of view. We all have differing points of view. That should promote a healthy discussion rather than a mod war.

      Finally, please don't shout. It doesn't help you make your case, and even at my age, I can still see the print on the screen without having to ask for block capitals everywhere. :)

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @01:52PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @01:52PM (#67573)

        Your argument's weak. You reveal you're no better than slashdot with it. Go on. Sock puppet downmod me as you know you're going to. Thank you for being transparently obvious.

        • (Score: 3, Insightful) by janrinok on Friday July 11 2014, @01:57PM

          by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday July 11 2014, @01:57PM (#67574) Journal

          Er, try this link: http://soylentnews.org/authors.pl [soylentnews.org]. Have a good one!

        • (Score: 3, Insightful) by LaminatorX on Friday July 11 2014, @02:20PM

          by LaminatorX (14) <laminatorxNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Friday July 11 2014, @02:20PM (#67587)

          /. doesn't need to sock, their admins have unlimited mod points. That has been undone here at SN, Staff participates in the moderation system same as anybody else. I suppose there could be socks here, but with the more generous mod-point allotment and more flexible post & mod rules, there wouldn't be much reason to do so.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @02:36PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @02:36PM (#67592)

            So why not allow being able to id up modders and down modders then? What are the mods here so afraid of then by allowing it? Ask yourself that. There are socks here. The mods do it themselves is the answer, it is so obvious. If it weren't, then, why fight it?

            • (Score: 3, Insightful) by LaminatorX on Friday July 11 2014, @03:02PM

              by LaminatorX (14) <laminatorxNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Friday July 11 2014, @03:02PM (#67609)

              Letting users see who down-modded them would only lead to ugly vendettas and flamewars. I've looked over the moderation on your posts from yesterday. While several of them were from the same user, I don't think any of them were inappropriate. You were being rambling and antagonistic, much like now.

              If moderation abuse were to become a problem, meta-moderation could be turned on. In this case though, I'd say the system worked just fine.

              • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:14PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:14PM (#67615)

                "When the DOWNMOD truncheon is used in lieu of conversation" it allows "little tin god" dictators like yourself to hide the fact you use sockpuppets, that you can't really control from others as well, so you can DICTATE what fits your personal agenda, not really "freedom of speech" which disappears when the downmod truncheon is allowed at all. You are SO resistive of allowing us as users to spot patterns of sock puppet abuse it literally SCREAMS you do it yourself. You are fooling nobody, but yourself. Period.

                • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @08:05PM

                  by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @08:05PM (#67794)

                  Of conversation in another downmod? Keep proving his point. No wonder you don't allow others to see who issues downmods (or upmods too).

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:19PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:19PM (#67621)

                How do YOU propose to stop sockpuppets (you can't) that you obviously use, yourself? http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67595 [soylentnews.org]

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:40PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:40PM (#67639)

                For revealing yourself and single handedly driving off everyone here little tin god dictator that you are that's been exposed in sock puppetry using his truncheon the minus moderation http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67615 [soylentnews.org]

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @07:10PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @07:10PM (#67768)

                "I've looked over the moderation on your posts from yesterday. While several of them were from the same user, I don't think any of them were inappropriate" - by LaminatorX (14) on Friday July 11, @11:02AM (#67609)

                Answer the question. Look who you are replying to: Anonymous Coward. WTF do you mean there, Laminator X? Cat got your tongue here too now?? Parent post is by an ac. Do you mean APK (whom you have allowed bad moderation to here as he was complaining about and I looked it over, he is on topic here and yet modded off topic http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2813&cid=66810 [soylentnews.org] and he says he complained to your staff here of it and yet nothing ws done: Explain that. I can. You are full of shit!)

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @02:39PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @02:39PM (#67594)

            LaminatorX to the rescue when janrinok fails to answer a simple question here http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67576 [soylentnews.org]

            • (Score: 3, Interesting) by LaminatorX on Friday July 11 2014, @03:07PM

              by LaminatorX (14) <laminatorxNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Friday July 11 2014, @03:07PM (#67612)

              If someone is going to make unfounded accusations and harass my Editors, you're damn right I'll step in. If you have anything else to say about this, feel free to email editors@soylentnews.org or hop on IRC. Kindly stop dragging down the signal to noise ratio of the discussion thread.

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:10PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:10PM (#67613)

                Is that the best you've got? Weak. "When the DOWNMOD truncheon is used in lieu of conversation", allowing downmods at all is the truncheon, and sockpuppets you can't control allows you to do "Freedom of Speech" alright. The freedom for you to hide what doesn't fit YOUR personal agenda is more like it. Who are you trying to fool here? Us? You're only fooling yourself.

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:05PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:05PM (#67663)

                Harassment? More like you avoiding the truth and trying to fool others when all you are fooling is yourself (inclusive of your sock puppet janrinok) http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67613 [soylentnews.org] and avoiding telling us exactly how you would control sock puppets, which you can't, nor would you want to since you project you use them yourself. Flamewars? You should be glad to get even those after this exposure of your own low modus operandi pal. At least they would give you views. You've ruined that for yourself resisting the only thing that reveals patterns of sock puppet self upmod abuse, and downmod abuse (the truncheon YOU OBVIOUSLY USE in lieu of conversation that you cannot logically defeat, seeing as you are reduced to illogical off topic ad hominem attacks here now, tipping your hand and showing us your tell on that note also here http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67656 [soylentnews.org] it is unbelievable how unintelligent and transparent YOU are, little tin god dictator)

          • (Score: 2) by frojack on Friday July 11 2014, @05:45PM

            by frojack (1554) on Friday July 11 2014, @05:45PM (#67725) Journal

            /. doesn't need to sock, their admins have unlimited mod points. That has been undone here at SN, Staff participates in the moderation system same as anybody else.

            There is still something odd about the mod system though.
            When I get mod notifications I'll often see sequences like

            A user has modded your xyz post +1 - it is now 2.
            A user has modded your xyz post +1 - it is now 3.
            A user has modded your xyz post +1 - it is now 3.
                                ?what happened to the intervening down mod notification?

            Occasionally you will see a post go from +3 to troll 0, with no notifications at all.

            --
            No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @05:49PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @05:49PM (#67729)

              From the article submitter here whom they downmodded here, and won't allow him to post anymore, and wont undo a rotten downmod for him here either http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67676 [soylentnews.org]

            • (Score: 2) by LaminatorX on Friday July 11 2014, @05:58PM

              by LaminatorX (14) <laminatorxNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Friday July 11 2014, @05:58PM (#67735)

              I would not be surprised at all for there to be glitches in the notifications, slash is a twitchy beast. Please submit a bug report next time you encounter such behavior. The dev team takes such things seriously.

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @10:26PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @10:26PM (#67874)

                You are full of crap. We all know it. Why do you bother try to cover up your bullshit for?

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @10:28PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @10:28PM (#67875)

                This proves it even more http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67768 [soylentnews.org]

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @08:14PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @08:14PM (#67806)

              > When I get mod notifications I'll often see sequences like...

              Does anyone get individual mod notices? I've only ever got them batched up in a single once-daily message. Sometimes they are out of order, but all of the notifications in that single message always total up correctly. I just assumed that they are stored in one of perl's associative arrays and the code that generates the daily message doesn't bother to sort them.

              • (Score: 2) by chromas on Friday July 11 2014, @09:41PM

                by chromas (34) Subscriber Badge on Friday July 11 2014, @09:41PM (#67855) Journal

                It goes both ways for me but that was true on /. as well.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @01:59PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @01:59PM (#67576)

        How do you propose to stop sockpuppets then? You don't. You're defending their use by not allowing us to see who issues downmods of opponents and upmods their true accounts as the sockpuppet master. No, you're full of bull buddy.

        • (Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @02:18PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @02:18PM (#67586)

          janrinok doesn't want the ability to spot a down modder or an up modder (good idea too). It'd give away his game he uses himself by revealing patterns of abuse by sockpuppeteers. Apk alluded to it in his post (moderators are the biggest abusers of it or forums owners too) http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67545 [soylentnews.org]

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:47PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:47PM (#67689)

            The TRUNCHEON BEING USED IN LIEU OF CONVERSATION (which mod or sockpuppet issued it to hide it? Oh, that's right - we can't see that, they won't allow it, since they abuse it themselves).

        • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday July 11 2014, @02:21PM

          by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday July 11 2014, @02:21PM (#67588) Journal

          1. I don't support sockpuppets.

          2. We have a staff who can, if necessary, control them.

          3. Our policy is not to censor, but to allow all the freedom of speech that everyone expects.

          Enjoy your time on the site.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @02:44PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @02:44PM (#67595)

            No, no - HOW do you propose to actually CONTROL sockpuppets? Good luck with that (minus patterns of upmod/downmod recognition by allowing others to see such patterns by allowing us to see who issues them). I can make sock puppets galore too, using different emails and isp accounts (or those that allow ip addy changes or quick lease/release cycles) - so again, how are YOU going to control that? You CAN'T. So don't b.s. us here and defend sock puppets giving away that you use them yourself obviously since you resist allowing others to see who up modded themselves (the patterns would show here and force sock puppeteers to maintain many sock puppets putting pressure and work on them to do so), or down mod their opponents with (again a pattern would reveal itself). You are so easy to see through by resisting adding that easy to do feature, it is not funny, sock puppeteer.

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:20PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:20PM (#67669)

              They can't, you know it, I know it (everyone does): It's exposed Laminator X and his sock puppet janrinok, so badly, Laminator X is reduced to illogical ad hominem attacks off topic here http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67656 [soylentnews.org] and he resists answering HOW he could control sock puppets too, because it is his "little tin god sockpuppet dictator 'support network' illusion his sock puppets provide him" so he can continue up modding himself and his alterego sock puppets as well as downmod his opponents he cannot logically defeat validly (see link above, says it all, and shows how much of a "projectionist" your host little TIN GOD here, really is, revealing himself as online sock puppet using trash, by resisting the 1 thing that exposes sock puppetry in patterns of abuse anyone would notice).

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @02:56PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @02:56PM (#67605)

            "When the DOWNMOD truncheon is used in lieu of conversation..." Alan Moore & V as APK stated. Allowing minus modding alone is that truncheon. Don't even try to snow us man. That's elementary in and of itself. Your weak "arguments" are academic against it. You are defending what you use yourself: Sock Puppets.

    • (Score: 2) by GlennC on Friday July 11 2014, @02:48PM

      by GlennC (3656) on Friday July 11 2014, @02:48PM (#67599)

      Since I've never had mod points here, at least as of the time of this posting, I wouldn't mind having it be known should I mod a post down. I'd even be willing to respond to a reasonable request from a site administrator asking why I gave a comment a particular moderation.

      Of course, this is all hypothetical right now.

      --
      Sorry folks...the world is bigger and more varied than you want it to be. Deal with it.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:43PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:43PM (#67641)

        For total bullshit transparent reasons: As Apk stated "When the downmod truncheon is used in lieu of conversation" you don't get freedom of speech. You get little tin god's like the moderators here who resist allowing knowing who is up modding themselves with sockpuppets/fake accounts, AND who issues downmods to those that don't "fit their personal agenda" (that is ANYTHING BUT "Freedom of Speech" & them resisting knowing who upmods or downmods CLEARLY SHOWS THEY ARE NO BETTER THAN SLASHDOT). You can always count on the sociopath little tin god types to do the WRONG thing, and they are, here (just like slashdot).

      • (Score: 2) by janrinok on Friday July 11 2014, @03:44PM

        by janrinok (52) Subscriber Badge on Friday July 11 2014, @03:44PM (#67643) Journal

        Have you selected the option to moderate?

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:47PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:47PM (#67646)

          This is JUST for you (& your alter-ego Laminator X who resist allowing knowledge of upmod or downmod, since you use it yourself (not yourselves, you are his sock puppet, that much IS obvious). You can't control sock puppets and you know it. Nor do you intend to as it allows you to upmod yourselves between sock puppet accounts so you can downmod those who post things that do not fit your personal agenda http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&threshold=0&commentsort=0&mode=improvedthreaded&pid=67599#67641 [soylentnews.org] Yes, your kind can always be counted on to do the wrong thing and expose yourselves. Good job. You've just exposed your modus operandi and reasons for resisting the ability for others to see who upmodded or downmodded them. Is your favorite color transparent? I see RIGHT through you. So does everyone else.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:52PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:52PM (#67651)

          How exactly do you propose to control sock puppets (you can't, and you obviously use them yourself) http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67595 [soylentnews.org]

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:24PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:24PM (#67670)

          THEY wouldn't mind seeing who issues downmods - you sure do: WHY, is quite obvious based on little tin god's reaction alone http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67656 [soylentnews.org]

        • (Score: 2) by GlennC on Friday July 11 2014, @06:58PM

          by GlennC (3656) on Friday July 11 2014, @06:58PM (#67764)

          I had to check my settings, but I left it at the default, which is "Willing to Moderate."

          I'm not worried about whether or not I can moderate, or if anyone can see how anyone else moderated.

          Frankly, I'd be very concerned about those who put a lot of stock on how their comments are received.

          I mean, it's not as if we're doing anything earth-shattering here....are we?

          --
          Sorry folks...the world is bigger and more varied than you want it to be. Deal with it.
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @08:18PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @08:18PM (#67808)

            Like your "moderation" staff assholes here: Check this out - They resist what you yourself don't mind, in being able to tell who issued up or down mods. Why? It would give away the "moderation staff's" own modus operandi using sock puppets (which apk's post alluded to) themselves by letting others be able to see their detractors/naysayers, fairly, like courts of law even do.

            They can't have that here.

            It would upset the little tin god Laminator X's apple cart full of utter sockpuppeteering bullshit on his part.

            As far as fairness in moderation here?

            See this post http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2813&cid=66810 [soylentnews.org]

            Tell us if it was off topic or not!

            Answer = it is not, and apk the article submitter here today wrote that, and it is on topic, no questions asked. He asked them to review it, as I have yourself, and he complained how nothing was done there and apk is on topic right from that posts' outset yet rated off topic with examples of female illogic all thru his replies.

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @12:31AM

              by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @12:31AM (#67913)

              Like your "moderation" staff assholes here: Check this out - They resist what you yourself don't mind, in being able to tell who issued up or down mods. Why? It would give away the "moderation staff's" own modus operandi using sock puppets (which apk's post alluded to) themselves by letting others be able to see their detractors/naysayers, fairly, like courts of law even do.

              The SN comments section isn't always like a court of law with rules of evidence, etc. Sometimes it can be more like an angry mob of cannibals. Right now, APK, you are looking mighty crispy and crunchy to this hungry mob.

              It would upset the little tin god Laminator X's apple cart full of utter sockpuppeteering bullshit on his part.

              APK, just stop for a moment. Take a deep breath. Take another one. Feel better now?

              OK, you have made this accusation multiple times that everyone who disagrees with you is a sockpuppet of LaminatorX. It should be pretty obvious to any reasonable person that this is not true. Repeating it constantly does not, somehow, make it more true. In fact, repeating it constantly just shows you to be a strident, hyper-emotional, unhinged, neurotic git.

              Tell us if it was off topic or not!

              OK. It's off topic. There. I said it. Happy? The topic is supposed to be about DARPA's funding of research into using social media for propaganda purposes. Whether or not you should be allowed to get a window into who is downmodding you is neither here nor there with respect to the topic at hand.

              ...yet rated off topic with examples of female illogic all thru his replies.

              Frankly, adding a touch of misogyny makes you look like the hysterical one in this conversation. Just sayin'.

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @05:09PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @05:09PM (#68162)

                Trolling by ac trying to defend himself, failing badly. How can apk's post be off topic http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2813&cid=66810 [soylentnews.org] when it directly notes the topic at its outset on a theory of collisions of male vs female thinking HERE dumbass with supporting evidences thereof? He wrote the mods as instructed to get it changed and your bullshit falls apart again on that post alone. You fail again, Laminator X (and you know it).

            • (Score: 2) by GlennC on Monday July 14 2014, @02:55PM

              by GlennC (3656) on Monday July 14 2014, @02:55PM (#68930)

              I wouldn't say it was Offtopic.

              Ranty and narcissistic, maybe, but like your post, it's tangental to the topic.

              My main question is why you're so concerned about what a bunch of pseudonymous wankers (myself included) think about what you have to say?

              --
              Sorry folks...the world is bigger and more varied than you want it to be. Deal with it.
      • (Score: 3, Interesting) by LaminatorX on Friday July 11 2014, @03:46PM

        by LaminatorX (14) <laminatorxNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Friday July 11 2014, @03:46PM (#67645)

        The noise above is actually a pretty good illustration of why moderation identities are not public. If everyone were a reasonable adult it wouldn't be an issue, but we share the internet with people who seem to think that going off on paranoid screeds is an appropriate response to criticism.

        Right now, Janrinok and I are the targets of his invective. That's fine, taking crap is part of our job. However, if he knew who had downmodded his posts, those users would no doubt have their efforts to improve discussion threads rewarded with misplaced opprobrium, and perhaps ongoing harassment. That should be avoided.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:49PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:49PM (#67648)

          A reasonable adult wouldn't even allow the down moderation that is your truncheon used in lieu of conversation. Keep talking adding to the signal to noise ratio little tin god dictator. You resist seeing upmod and downmod insights to who issued them since you use that downmod truncheon via your sock puppets like janrinok. Keep projecting. You are so transparent it is not even funny.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:53PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:53PM (#67652)

          How exactly do you propose to control sock puppets (you can't, and you obviously use them yourself) http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67595 [soylentnews.org]

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:56PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @03:56PM (#67656)

          Your using illogical off topic ad hominem attacks and avoiding questions put to you constantly: How exactly do you propose to control sock puppets (you can't, and you obviously use them yourself) http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67595 [soylentnews.org] We SEE you/You have revealed yourself, sock puppeteer. You have single handedly annihilated your own site resisting the single thing that would reveal sock puppet use via patterns (screaming that you use sock puppets yourself, obviously. Why else resist it? It works on UBB boards, but "no, can't have that here" and WHY is quite obvious. You abuse "the downmod truncheon in lieu of conversation" yourself, massively).

        • (Score: 2) by TK on Friday July 11 2014, @04:27PM

          by TK (2760) on Friday July 11 2014, @04:27PM (#67673)

          I don't think I'm the only one who finds it ironic that a group of anonymous cowards (or, more likely, just one person) are deriding the admins for keeping moderation anonymous.

          If that change were made, the only thing I see changing is that the people who regularly downmod trolls (ACs and other) would have their comments spammed and downmodded on a regular basis. Although I suppose we would all know the downmodders' identities, that doesn't do anything about the spam and personal insults which would clutter the comments.

          --
          The fleas have smaller fleas, upon their backs to bite them, and those fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:37PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:37PM (#67676)

            They disallowed MY ability to post AS APK now (I am also the story submitter). Tell me also WHY this is downmodded off topic http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2813&cid=66810 [soylentnews.org] when it IS ON THE TOPIC, totally (sockpuppets is why & HOW it was done). I sent an email yesterday, zero was done. I have a screenshot of it also after that period.

            It was -1 off topic, AFTER 3 DAYS of being upmodded to +2 INTERESTING no less, only after "Mojo Chan" showed up there insulting me also!

            (I complained per mail as instructed & got no result on that much either... so much for your "Moderation Staff" here, which resist the ability being shown as to WHO DONWMODS YOU, or who upmods also (sockpuppets are massively useful for that, what I suggested would stall that nearly immediately, revealing patterns of abuse & making sock puppeteers have to WORK A LOT HARDER TO maintaining their sockpuppetry illusion accounts also & more of them as well).

            No, it's PRETTY OBVIOUS your moderation staff abuses it themselves, or why do they avoid THIS SINGLE QUESTION to no end? See here http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67595 [soylentnews.org]

            APK

            P.S.=> Of course, I also "find it ironic" that YOU "defend them so vigorously" but then again I don't - that's the sock puppeteers defense network in action (you sockpuppet) which fools no one, but yourselv(es). Why not tell us HOW you would control sock puppets then in that link above? YOU CAN'T nor do you intend to... you're not fooling anyone, but yourselves.... apk

            • (Score: 2) by TK on Friday July 11 2014, @06:01PM

              by TK (2760) on Friday July 11 2014, @06:01PM (#67738)

              It's my lunch break, so I guess I may as well feed the trolls.

              WHY this is downmodded off topic

              Because a rambling diatribe about your mother does not a good post make. At best it could be modded +1 funny, if you had only kept the first sentence.

              why do they avoid THIS SINGLE QUESTION to no end? See here http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67595 [soylentnews.org]

              You posted the exact same thing five times in a comment thread on a story that was published this morning, and NCommander hasn't implemented your feature request yet? That lazy bastard!
              No one is responding to you for the same reason no one responds to the Navy Seals copypasta. There's no point. You can write a cohesive group of paragraphs that explains the benefits of the proposed method, and the drawbacks of the current method, submit it as a feature request, talk about it in the IRC, and generally go about this in the right way. Or, you can keep posting the same thing over and over and being ignored, right up until you get banned for spamming, even if it's only a mildly inconvenient game of whack-a-mole for you.

              You also keep using "you" and "your", and describing my "vigorous defense" of the mods. You are reading way too far into this. Believe it or not, every registered user is not out to get you. Except for Ethanol Fueled, that guy is nuts.

              P.S. Thank you for providing ample examples of how a discussion can be cluttered by pointless spam posts.

              --
              The fleas have smaller fleas, upon their backs to bite them, and those fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum
              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @08:08PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @08:08PM (#67798)

                See subject. Apk's post was on topic right from the opening using female family members proved his point on female illogic.

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @08:17PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @08:17PM (#67807)

              Dude, you are having a breakdown.
              Get away from the computer for the rest of the day.
              Come back tomorrow when you've been able to put a little mental distance between yourself and today's events.

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @05:16PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @05:16PM (#68165)

                Don't give advice until you answer this question how you'd control sock puppets (which you condone and obviously use) http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67595 [soylentnews.org] and answer HOW this http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2813&cid=66810 [soylentnews.org] is still modded off topic still when it clearly isn't from the outset with examples of female illogic vs male logic colliding as a theory of why the article may be right. You're clearly Laminator X running from fair questions and trolling by anonymous coward posts now. How lame. You've single handedly destroyed yourself and your site buddy. No questions asked.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:45PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:45PM (#67685)

            User just told the mods here they wouldn't mind seeing who issues downmods (or upmods too) http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67599 [soylentnews.org] . Why do the moderators resist? They abuse it themselves obviously.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @05:09PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @05:09PM (#67701)

        On the article submitters post since they can't validly dispute him and used illogical off topic attacks on him instead here (laminator X did) http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67656 [soylentnews.org] (see Laminator X's post prior to that, it's chock full of illogical off topic ad hominem attacks). Little tin god dictators on forums boards can ALWAYS BE COUNTED ON TO DO THE WRONG THING, and they have (downmodding the article submitter himself's points on ALLOWING what you yourself do not mind - the ability to see who upmodded or downmodded you). WHY? They abuse it as apk alluded to and you youself seem quite aware of yourself.

    • (Score: 1) by TheB on Friday July 11 2014, @04:37PM

      by TheB (1538) on Friday July 11 2014, @04:37PM (#67677)

      I don't like the moderation system here at all.
      Logged in daily. A month went by without receiving any mod points. Now I don't bother logging on at all.

      If Soylent gains enough attention it will be just like all the other sites.
      Those with something to gain, will know how to game the system, and legitimate users won't have a voice.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @05:11PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @05:11PM (#67702)

        On the article submitters post since they can't validly dispute him and used illogical off topic attacks on him instead here (laminator X did) http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67656 [soylentnews.org] (see Laminator X's post prior to that, it's chock full of illogical off topic ad hominem attacks). Little tin god dictators on forums boards can ALWAYS BE COUNTED ON TO DO THE WRONG THING, and they have (downmodding the article submitter himself's points on ALLOWING what you yourself do not mind - the ability to see who upmodded or downmodded you). WHY? They abuse it as apk alluded to and you youself seem quite aware of yourself.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @05:13PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @05:13PM (#67705)

        At work (it doesn't, per their own rules) http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67676 [soylentnews.org]

      • (Score: 2) by tibman on Friday July 11 2014, @05:17PM

        by tibman (134) Subscriber Badge on Friday July 11 2014, @05:17PM (#67709)

        The mod points here are really random. I have noticed though that when they do rarely appear it is right after i made a comment. Lurkers probably don't get any.

        --
        SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @08:21PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @08:21PM (#67812)

          hi tim

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:41PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:41PM (#67680)

      This reminds me of the HBGary scandals, & sockpuppeteer masters that infest forums: A real "do not as I do, but do as I say" type lunacy.

      I'm fairly certain that most objective readers will be able to easily discern which direction the "lunacy" is coming from in this discussion.

      (Makes me sad, disgusted, & just disappointed in general...)

      If you are so "sad, disgusted, & just disappointed" then why are you still reading and posting to SN? Wouldn't you rather go somewhere else more to your liking? How about you start your own blog where you can moderate the site precisely the way you want to?

      I will TELL you why I suspect it is so...

      Your paranoid suspicions mean little to me.

      (which is why many of us are here in the 1st place, to build a better 'slashdot', or @ least I am)

      Somehow, I don't feel that your "contributions" are making this site all that much better. Just my opinion, of course.

      /.'ers will come here, mark my words, by the droves because of it

      Some of us don't actually see that as an improvement. Again, this is just my opinion.

      Just to be able to FAIRLY confront a bogus troll downmodder for such unjustifiable downmods...

      I, for one, would hate to see the moderation system turn into "duel of the downmodders". Again, this is just my opinion. In fact, I'm beginning to think the best way to handle this would be that everyone posts as AC. This just might cut down on the clash of personalities that too often occurs on /. and SN. Of course, YMMV.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:49PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @04:49PM (#67692)

        You convince us of apk's truthful statements all the more.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @05:04PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @05:04PM (#67698)

        Registered users say they don't mind seeing who does upmods or downmods http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67599 [soylentnews.org] mr. ac troll complete with snide remarks and illogical ad hominem attacks, so why do you? Logged out and trolling by ac now are we, Mr. Laminator X? Yes, obviously.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @05:06PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @05:06PM (#67700)

      In lieu of your valid conversation points apk. Little tin gods that abuse moderation can always be counted on to do the wrong thing and they have (Laminator X).

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @05:55PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @05:55PM (#68184)

      Has your moderation staff gone insane, or on vacation? Take your pick, either way, it does not look good.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @12:46PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @12:46PM (#67556)

    Doesn't it?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @07:45PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @07:45PM (#67783)

      it seems that usa miltary don't like rapid propagation of ideas,
      and that thoughts is made as fast as... the speed of thought ?

      I suppose what they really don't like is people thinking thoughts not approved by the military, you know so called "misinformation" ;-)

  • (Score: 2) by frojack on Friday July 11 2014, @05:37PM

    by frojack (1554) on Friday July 11 2014, @05:37PM (#67721) Journal

    I suggest a new rule, that AC's may not reply to ACs.

    There is nothing more futile, and difficult to follow than ACs arguing with each other.

    Maybe it is just one AC, trolling us all, like a ventriloquist simulating an argument among his dolls.

    --
    No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @05:52PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @05:52PM (#67730)

      It's showing itself to be no better than slashdot here if a user asks for help like he's told to and doens't get it (article submitter here today on this article no less) http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67676 [soylentnews.org]

      • (Score: 2) by elf on Friday July 11 2014, @06:14PM

        by elf (64) on Friday July 11 2014, @06:14PM (#67746)

        Then why don't you leave? For the majority of the time things work just fine here, if the site isn't for you then there is nothing making you stay. If you want to chat idea's about improving things then why not head to the IRC channel, venting in a post isn't really the right place to do it.
         

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @07:27PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @07:27PM (#67772)

          Elf = an obvious sock puppet (whose? Laminator X the main douchebag's or what?). Of course they work fine for you, as his sock puppet. See here what the main douche is resisting which users here don't mind seeing http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67599 [soylentnews.org] why does the main douche here resist seeing who upmods or downmods others? It's done by sock puppets, like you obviously, elf!

          • (Score: 2) by aristarchus on Friday July 11 2014, @08:05PM

            by aristarchus (2645) on Friday July 11 2014, @08:05PM (#67795) Journal

            I will truncheon you with the bright light of Freedom! Little known fact: all of Soylent News is actually one person using many sockpuppets, and you. Now surely you see why the down-modders cannot be revealed! Then the gig would be up, and the cat would be out of the bag! The fat lady would have sung, and the chickens come home to roost. But if you must know, I modded you down, which usually I do not do to AC's, but in your case it was just too ironic.

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @05:51PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @05:51PM (#68182)

              Mods resisting the ability to confront a downmodder screams of sock puppet use on the part of the staff and users here by not allowing us to see who upmods or downmods us. Even registered users are telling you they don't mind that feature being put in as apk noted it http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&cid=67599 [soylentnews.org] so why resist it? We know why, I just said it, and it's so obvious! They won't answer how they would control sock puppets here either http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2836&threshold=0&commentsort=0&mode=improvedthreaded&pid=67588#67595 [soylentnews.org] since the only way to do it is to allow us to see patterns of downmod and upmod by particular accounts (and sock puppets are abused for that to no end on slashdot, so don't you think we know which end is up here too? Yes, we do. You're no better than /. here at all and are unwilling to change since it benefits you somehow, as in propogating an agenda of yours and using the downmod truncheon in lieu of conversation. Your mod staff still says apk's post is off topic here, how so? See here http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?sid=2813&cid=66810 [soylentnews.org] Tell us if it was off topic or not!Answer = it is not, and apk the article submitter here today wrote that, and it is on topic, no questions asked. He asked them to review it, as I have yourself, and he complained how nothing was done there and apk is on topic right from that posts' outset yet rated off topic with examples of female illogic all thru his replies.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @06:45PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 11 2014, @06:45PM (#67762)

      I suggest a new rule, that AC's may not reply to ACs.

      Actually, I have no problem with ACs responding to ACs. Even if, as you suggest, it were one AC simulating an argument as if they were a ventriloquist I don't have so much problem with that as long as the discussion is interesting and informative. Who cares who is responding to whom, if lively debate is happening? The one problem I see with ACs is the troll who posts something incendiary which derails a good discussion. I am just not sure how to fix that problem, except perhaps completely eliminating ACs and requiring everyone who submits a comment to include their real name, address, and a (recent) picture. Even then, I am sure that the system would be easily gamed, I'm afraid.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @05:45PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 12 2014, @05:45PM (#68177)

        Attempting to confuse the issue? Old troll trick. It's not working, idiot. Either that, or you have poor reading comprehension. Take your pick.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 13 2014, @12:02AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 13 2014, @12:02AM (#68292)

      Trying to confuse the issue? Old troll tactic. Learn to read then. It's easy to do. Except for a 10 below plantlife IQ bearing sock puppet like yourself.