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Bloomberg is covering a report from the Institute for the Future (IFTF) on an attempt to describe the phenomenon of state-sponsored trolling from a qualitative and quantitative standpoint. While partially conflating trolling with astroturfing in the body of the report, the IFTF defines online trolling as deliberately targeting an individual for "hate" and harassment. Since it is only occasionally possible to attribute the attacks, the IFTF's aim with the report is to empower individuals, researchers, and policy makers to spot the phenomenon in the wild and at least attempt to combat it.
The report itself is entitled, State-Sponsored Trolling: How Governments Are Deploying Disinformation as Part of Broader Digital Harassment Campaigns (warning for PDF)
Ed: How accurate does the report appear to be and are the suggested countermeasures harmful or helpful or both?
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Thursday July 26 2018, @07:11PM (2 children)
0 to Godwinned in 60 seconds! Here we go!
Flamebait: Hitler was a great leader who freed Germany from the unfair treaty provisions imposed after defeat in WWI, and reined in the Jewish bankers. Wish we could have him back.
Troll: Why do you love Hitler and hate America?
To be effective flamebait, it should have a truthful veneer. The fact is, the things Hitler did arguably had such effects. But the means he chose to go about it were very evil. If he'd merely imprisoned those bankers and financiers within Germany's reach who had been unethical and caused economic ruin thereby, regardless of their ethnicity or religion, that'd be one thing. Instead, as is well known to all but the Holocaust deniers, he singled out the Jews, whether bankers or not, blamed them for basically everything (all too easy to do since there's been centuries of resentment and prejudice against Jews), and tried to murder them all, not bothering with any niceties like morals, facts, or principles.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Thursday July 26 2018, @07:39PM (1 child)
That's a great explanation, all of it, thanks. I fully agree.
Regarding troll example- you've made me realize I have many trolls in my life, sadly including my dear old dad. Sigh.
As I've stated elsewhere, ianal, but sometimes have to play one, and your troll example question reminds me of "objection your honor, question assumes facts which are not in evidence."
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 26 2018, @07:53PM
As I've posted elsewhere in this discussion, effective trolling is about pushing the right buttons. If you feel offended and obligated to defend your honor to some rando associating you with Hitler and questioning your loyalty to the soil under your feet, you seem pretty easy to troll. Let me try it :>
Last night, I fucked your mom while wearing a swastika cape. Also I'm Mexican!!!11