Guide to Trolling Tactics

[No Self]

I noticed last night that there's a need for more education regarding trolls and their tactics.

Trolls generally function from central forums where leaders assign them narratives to push, and a place to boast of their exploits. Members of the zombie army then go on the hunt, armed with foolproof tactics. Here are some of the tactics I have observed:

Blitzkrieg of BS
A sudden barrage of misinformation and shaming tactics. A false narrative - one that is unfortunately legitimised when attempts are made to argue against it - repeatedly asserts known fallacies and ignores established facts. Lies are repeated until they become the truth. A tone of aggressive overconfidence overpowers the naivety of anyone open-mindedly engaging in debate.

Free speech Trojan horse
The cause of free speech is used to shame attempts at forum moderation or ignoring the troll. This foot-in-the-door approach disables all opposition, enabling a bombardment of misinformation, propaganda or harassment to overwhelm individuals attempting to argue in good faith.

Anti-mainstream Trojan horse
Trolls present online snake-pits of disinformation as equivalent or superior to authoritative information sources. They will shame any fact-checking efforts as an exercise in conformity to the vast conspiracy of mainstream media and authorities controlling the masses. The fact that mainstream and government publications are indeed flawed becomes a foot-in-the-door to create a false equivalency to propaganda networks.

Projection of brainwashing and disingenuous participation
By accusing you of doing what they are doing - closed off from good-faith discussion and attempting to use psychological manipulation and clever keywords like 'gaslighting' as a distraction - an air of uncertainty causes disorientation. Again, defensive structures are blown open by feigned victimhood.

Appealing to guilt and fear
Emotive language and dramatisation appeals to a sense of shame in being an enabler of mainstream horrors. Any and all controversies involving the troll's 'team' are unspoken, presenting a faux black-and-white picture in which the troll is a defender of righteousness. A 'false dilemma' pretends that there are only two possible choices and eliminates all nuance. The slightest doubt or fear becomes an opening to overwhelm all defenses.

Manipulation of replies
Any responses can be misquoted or distorted to put the troll in a position of power and the victim in a defensive position. 'Whataboutism' deflects attention by changing the topic. Any loss of composure can be used to proclaim victory. 

Final thoughts
I previously provided a practical demonstration here. This is not an exhaustive list as it's based on personal observation. Nor is this a claim that centre-left positions on all issues are infallible - indeed, the numerous flaws in leftist rhetoric give dangerous leverage to the alternative facts cult. The theme is of them using a 'foot in the door' to exhaust defenses. Many trolls are so sophisticated that I suspect some formal education is being utilised behind the scenes.

I observe that the most uneducated people are easily indoctrinated by the above methods, which is reflected in Trump's enormous popularity amongst the poorly educated. The most egregious behaviour of the far-right (or any other similarly disingenuous group) relies on a vast army of simpleton enablers. Social media is the new battleground; one that unfortunately sets up mischievous teenage boys to become a globally powerful political militia, so let's all be conscious of the fact that war is being waged against truth, and will continue to be for many years to come.

[lmfao]

Good post, very accurate. Here's how you can troll back the far righters

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STOP COUNTING VOTES IT'S FRAUD NOOOOO PLEASE STOP 

[Thewritersunion]

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[Roy]

From spending a regrettable amount of time on various online forums, I can say that the situation is much more stark than we're willing to accept. It's not that trolls have inherent malicious intent and then come up with all these sorts of tactics and schemes to meet their ends, that's giving them way too much credit. No the reality is much darker than that sadly, the encompassing majority of people who end up spreading misinformation, disruption, confrontation, and chaos are doing it because they actually believe in the content of it and are convinced that its truth, because it supports their worldview/survival agenda act. That's why it's so easy for them and why they are so resistant and unlikely to change their behavior despite every indication from social feedback they should do so, it's actually a way of life, and to preserve that life (identity). Any moderately self aware person wouldn't be able to keep up such an act, its extremely exhausting and doing it consistently and with such rigor is reserved to only clinical narcissists and psychopaths which make up a small portion of society.

We call them trolls because it's easier to dismiss the behavior as mischievous teenage play than accept the reality that people really do believe what they say, lest the stupidity and insanity of it dampen our spirit. Of course belief is delusion, as you know.

I don't even think its particularly a right wing problem as its consistent everywhere you look, it just sticks out more to be rediculed coming from their side of the isle because their value systems are much more obviously selfish.

A sad note I might add that I've realized recently as well is that selfishness and desire to feel righteous permeates much more people than you would think. Bad faith approaches/intent whether happening consciously or not happen way too often even from the people you might expect it least. It's very subtle too, you really have to be careful about spotting people's agendas, and of course you cant point at it too rashly as they will hide it, it's a tricky game of cat and mouse. The ego is a mastermind after all, and a master of the mind.

Just think about how many times you've seen someone say "I never thought about it that way" or "I was wrong, you've changed my mind." The rarity of it being able to be counted on just your fingers should tell you just how dire the situation is.

Edited November 7, 2020 by Roy

[lmfao]

@Roy There are these permutations of doomer thinking and conspiracy thinking that are common now. It goes together a little a bit with this "post-truth politics/world" we're in. People are so distrusting of journalism and facts that any all attempts to assert something are seen as pointless. It's a gross error. And in the absence of facts, where both sides are seen as equal, people resort to emotional hysteria, picking a side to shit on the other. 

I kind of hate that a particular kind of conspiracy thinking has become more mainstream. I preferred it when conspiracy thinking was limited to YouTube videos about 9/11, not how it is now. Where normies have hijacked it and it's become nothing but a political tool and applied to literally everything. 

Edited November 7, 2020 by lmfao

[No Self]

8 hours ago, Roy said:

We call them trolls because it's easier to dismiss the behavior as mischievous teenage play than accept the reality that people really do believe what they say, lest the stupidity and insanity of it dampen our spirit. Of course belief is delusion, as you know.

80+ years ago, average young men were assigned the 'heroic' task of fighting for their country. They had traditional marriages to dependent women, children and employment from a young age making them indispensable. They felt respected and had a sense of purpose. Their home societies were united.

Take all this away, reduce virile young men to a disposable commodity, and a lower aspect of humanity arises: tribalism. It is the same force behind historical phenomena such as batshit-crazy Christianity (witch-burning, Crusades), or global tribes like ISIS. Did those violent mobs really believe in their Gods? Sure, but the much bigger motivating factor was a sense of belonging and a sense of adventure, which seems to be a basic need.

I've focused on the the young-male demographic here as they are the ones who seem to cause trouble to this forum, but of course there are separate psychological syndromes that lead to some of the Karens and the Boomers and others going down a similar path...

1 hour ago, lmfao said:

I kind of hate that a particular kind of conspiracy thinking has become more mainstream. I preferred it when conspiracy thinking was limited to YouTube videos about 9/11, not how it is now. Where normies have hijacked it and it's become nothing but a political tool and applied to literally everything. 

Anyone would be somewhat open to the 9/11 conspiracy. But eventually it became an endless bombardment. 

The modern conspiracist movement is still in its infancy as we now have the first Qanon members of Congress. Trump supporters will now be the subversive resistance movement. Best to not be involved in their drama by knowing their level of consciousness, motivations and tactics.

[Michael569]

23 hours ago, No Self said:

Free speech Trojan horse
The cause of free speech is used to shame attempts at forum moderation or ignoring the troll. This foot-in-the-door approach disables all opposition, enabling a bombardment of misinformation, propaganda or harassment to overwhelm individuals attempting to argue in good faith.

I've seen a lot of this in the election thread

[No Self]

25 minutes ago, Michael569 said:

I've seen a lot of this in the election thread

Yes, a shame because we do want to have a diversity of opinions. Echo chambers are inherently dangerous. But fake news is not a legitimate opposing viewpoint.