Something Interesting Alexa Showed Me Regarding Recent Trolling Activity

[I Am Not A Mod]

Hi everyone.

One of the things I have noticed lately is that, at least from where I sit, trolling activity has increased greatly recently. Many relatively new accounts, or older accounts with previously little or no activity, suddenly coming on and posting negative comments about President Reagan, saying they are lifelong Republicans but no more, and a bunch of other things that could be legitimately held beliefs on their part but when taken in aggregate make it clear that there is quite a bit of trolling action going on.

I found the following to be quite illuminating. Alexa.com is a website which tracks web usage for those who voluntarily use their software (a browser toolbar extension). They accumulate the data and compile it into useful reports, such as traffic reports. They also report on related topics-- "People who visit this page also visit".

So, what sites do "People who visit" Free Republic also visit?

• The Hollow Planet:

  "Progressive-left activist news and essays with an extensive link page to all things counter cultural and activist."

• Co-op America:

  "Contains information on boycott campaigns, sweatshop activism, public service, barter and LETSystems to regenerate local economies in the service of local needs."

• CIVICUS - Worldwide Alliance for Citizen Participation:

  ""Promoting a worldwide community of informed, inspired, committed citizens who are actively engaged in confronting the challenges facing humanity." In English, Español, Français."

• Emc:

  " People who visit this page also visit:

  • Clarity Web-Portal for Issue Resolution and Social Action. clarity.aurdev.com - Site info 
    
    
  • A SEED Europe www.aseed.net - Site info 
    
    
  • Mobilization for Global Justice www.a16.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Resist Corporate Rule tao.ca/~resist - Site info 
    
    
  • Co-op America www.coopamerica.org - Site info 
    
    
  • International Action Center www.iacenter.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Free Republic www.freerepublic.com - Site info 
    
    
  • Do Something www.dosomething.org - Site info 
    
    
  • CIVICUS - Worldwide Alliance for Citizen Participation www.civicus.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Essential.Org www.essential.org - Site info 
    
    

  "

• OpenWords.Com:

  " People who visit this page also visit:

  • Celebrate Capitalism www.celebratecapitalism.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Latino Education Network Service palante.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Industrial Workers of the World www.iww.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Save The Good Friday Agreement Coal members.tripod.com/SavetheGFA - Site info 
    
    
  • A Call To Charms calltocharms.faithweb.com - Site info 
    
    
  • Photo of Fritz Weidner www.pivot.net/~weidner/fcw150x150-1.jpg - Site info 
    
    
  • [maine Greens Update] Fritz Weidner lists.psouth.net/pipermail/mainegreens/2002-June/000008... - Site info 
    
    
  • Woodstock Electronic Press ewoodstock.com - Site info 
    
    
  • Portalscripts.com www.portalscripts.com - Site info 
    
    
  • OurVoices www.ourvoices.org - Site info 
    
    

  "

• League of the NewJust:

  "Concerned about growing environmental harm, the increasing power of transnational corporations and other matters which affect the quality of life on Earth. "The chains of capitalism and the quest for profit obscures the path leading to true happiness and self-actualisation. In ignorant denial, capitalists fail to acknowledge the inherent unsustainability of their system as well as its intrinsic wrongdoing, crime against, not only humanity, but against a larger purpose, against mother Gaia and the great interrelated systems of the Universe."

• Government Is Not God Political Action Committee:

  "GING-PAC raises support for socially conservative legislation and candidates" [Hey! A conservative one! Who would have thought?]

• Focus on the Family:

  "Offers practical help for your marriage and child-rearing. Recent magazine articles, letters from Dr. James Dobson, news, and RealAudio broadcasts." [Score another for the good guys]

• Do Something:

  "Encourages young people to create their own vision for making a difference in their community and provides them with the resources and support needed."

• Billboard Liberation Front:

  ""Improving" outdoor advertising since 1977."

• Facing the Future presents Creative Action:

  "We are often overwhelmed by global problems - hungry childgren, rainforest destruction, over population and global warming. Creative Action helps you get involved in solving critical global issues."

• A SEED Europe:

  "Action for Solidarity, Equality, Environment and Development, a global organization linking youth groups and individuals. Information on campaigns, action reports, news, agenda and publications for ordering or download."

• Mobilization for Global Justice:

  " People who visit this page also visit:

  • The Hollow Planet members.primary.net/~gmarshal - Site info 
    
    
  • Resist Corporate Rule tao.ca/~resist - Site info 
    
    
  • Direct Action Youth www.geocities.com/djh_uk/day.html - Site info 
    
    
  • Facing the Future presents Creative Action www.creativeaction.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Co-op America www.coopamerica.org - Site info 
    
    
  • CIVICUS - Worldwide Alliance for Citizen Participation www.civicus.org - Site info 
    
    
  • A SEED Europe www.aseed.net - Site info 
    
    
  • Clarity Web-Portal for Issue Resolution and Social Action. clarity.aurdev.com - Site info 
    
    
  • 50 Years Is Enough www.50years.org - Site info 
    
    
  • Indymedia.org www.indymedia.org - Site info 
    
    

  See more Related Links...

  ---

  People who are interested in this site also bought:

  "

• Clarity Web-Portal for Issue Resolution and Social Action.:

  "Details solutions and everyday actions we can take to confront the many issues we face: environmental, social, governmental, and economic. Provides links, essays, articles, and other resources to that end. Takes on a systemic/holistic view of the world and the issues we are facing."

• Drudgereport.com: Hi Matt. Keep up the good work.

• Win Without War:

  "Coalition of national organizations offering a mainstream voice advocating alternatives to preemptive war against Iraq. Current actions, member organizations, alternatives to war, press room, and resources."

• Pax Christi USA:

  "Christian non-violence organization. Includes press releases and information on memberships."

• Newsmax.com Keep up the good work, Carl.

• International ANSWER:

  "Activist group against war and racism, formed in response to the rush to war following the September 11 attacks. Background reading, fact sheets, campaigns, petitions, action alerts, and resources for activism."

• Worldnetdaily.com

  Somehow, I doubt all those people from the left-leaning sites on this list are just lurking and browsing here.

  Just some food for thought.

[proxy_user]

Mr X rejects modern society. He sees popular culture as corrupt and decadent. Instead of watching television and eating at McDonalds, Mr. X reads classic literature and grows his own organic food. Instead of sending his children to public school, he teaches them at home so they will learn proper values.

Mr X is:

1. A conservative
2. A radical leftist
3. A nut

[FreedomPoster]

10-4 on that. There is no RealMedia video or audio stream I need to see/hear enough to make me load that crap on a system.

I use Zoomplayer for most A/V stuff just because I don't trust M$ and Media Player. You should check it out.

[Catspaw]

More trolls:


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1028540/posts?page=191#191

[rabidralph]

There was also a lot of trolling over the holiday weekend, so a lot of these visitors were probably on Thanksgiving break.

[RandallFlagg]

Wha? Am I the only one arguing politics on metallica.com while I'm here?!?!

[halley]

This doesn't really mean what you think it does. I run a fairly large internet business and spend half my waking hours analyzing and studying this kind of stuff, and I've been in the Alexa offices to discuss business opportunities. Although Alexa can and does track click behavior, the information you refer to is the result of their "editorial process", where they look for "similar" sites. When I check Alexa for one of our sites, they have a competitor's site listed that went out of business almost two years ago.

[BlackRazor]

At least the new thread and post stats here will make it easier to identify sleepers.

When I click on your link, it looks like it's giving the stats for myself. How would one get stats for someone else? Thanks!

[Devil_Anse]

PING PING PING!

Others have noticed lots of trolls lately too! This thread is not about the exact same problem we noticed, but it's very close.

[Flyer]

How would one get stats for someone else? Thanks!

Duh! I hadn't thought about that. Never mind. . .

[BlackRazor]

I hadn't thought about that. Never mind. . .

Well that's kind of silly! If they're tracking that info, I don't see why they couldn't make it public.

[Flyer]

If they're tracking that info, I don't see why they couldn't make it public.

Well, I have done my quota of requests to John Robinson this month (getting FReep in the dictionary). It's your turn.

[bicycle thug]

Two comment; the Alexa toolbar is spyware that Ad aware removes. I fail to see how anyone in their right mind would let someone track something as private as surfing habits. It should be remove like Gator, Lop.Com, Xupiter,etc.

The other thing is, not everybody likes Reagan. I don't put my lifelong distaste for the man and why I feel him vastly overrated and why I feel others are using him name to feather their own pillows out of respect for the feelings of his family and admirers in the difficult time of his very tragic illness I wouldn't wish on anybody.

But I will mention it one time here merely to make a point we have a right to our opinions, and just because it may differ with yours that doesn't make one a 'troll.'

I may give credit where credit is due, but I reserve the human right to not like another human if I so chose, and you should think about that. Have a nice day

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Many relatively new accounts, or older accounts with previously little or no activity, suddenly coming on and posting negative comments about President Reagan, saying they are lifelong Republicans but no more, and a bunch of other things that could be legitimately held beliefs on their part but when taken in aggregate make it clear that there is quite a bit of trolling action going on.

Thank you for confirming my recent suspicions, along these lines. I, too, have noticed this, as well.

[Arrowhead1952]

I visit DU every day, often more than once.

Hope you keep several bars of soap and plenty of disinfectant handy. That site smells worse than a landfill.

[bvw]

Okay, fine, you noticed it *now*. But it also *has been*, back *then*. *Then* being, I've seen that pattern of strange "also visited" sites over the past year of so I've looked at Alexis.

IOW, it's not a NEW thang.

[FrogMom]

Others have pointed out the know-thy-enemy business.

I would also point out that I'm taking an on-line history class through the local CC. One section of the mid-term required that I write up a half a page on each of 12 topics/people on a given list. When done, I counted 10 of the 12 that were on socialists and/or socialist programs. I visited lots of "their" web-sites gathering the info.

We also have to post to a discussion area of the school's web-site. I posted a question asking why there were so many socialists on the list. No one replied.

To be fair, I have to say that when we have a choice of whom to review, I always pick solid conservative people/programs. My half page on Joe McCarthy received a "You continue to do excellent work" from the instructor.

[bicycle thug]

I just noticed you linked INDYmedia to here. That is not wanted by Jim Robinson. You should have the link severed out of respect for this site's owner.

It is interestingly enough the only site you mentioned I've been to, and I can understand Jim's feelings. I don't like it either.

[Devil_Anse]

Plus Jim said that in the http logs he has seen a lot of newbie traffic coming from sites of which he was not really familiar but now he sees a lot of them here.

If you don't mind my asking, where does Jim say that? I am very curious b/c I and some others have also noticed some new posters--and we suspect that most of them are the same person. These are not legitimate new posters; they are clearly disruptors.

So far, our list includes the following names, most of which have not been reported to the mods, that I know of, (b/c we're not yet sure what we could definitely tell the mods about these posters, whom we believe are pretty much all the same person.)

bbaby091

nashvilleguy

hicksmokey

Mystery2000

pris

afk

bravehearted1 (not sure)

SweeTY2004

banglanta

katia

BeBeATLsFINEST

Tony08540

KKRN

Stenson63

Hagitay

gigi6

Furhouse

cbfromgf

alwayshavesomethingtosay

Rick Shelton

sparkl

ANYONE ON THE ABOVE LIST WHO CLAIMS TO ACTUALLY BE A LEGITIMATE POSTER, FEEL FREE TO EXPLAIN THAT TO THE MODS. IT IS MY OPINION--OPINION--THAT THE NAMES ON THE ABOVE LIST ARE DISRUPTOR NAMES, OR ARE THE MULTIPLE NAMES OF ONE DISRUPTOR.

I haven't seen attacks on Reagan, but here's what I have seen:

A thread will be posted about some regional incident--a crime of some sort. Example: a little boy allegedly pushed down stairs by mother's boyfriend, or a teenage girl who kills two people while drag-racing, even the kidnapping and probable murder of the N.D. student, Dru Sjodin, and the threads about the murder of the Ass't. U.S. Attorney Mr. Luna.

All of a sudden, a brand-new poster will appear. This person will invariably launch a semi-literate, mostly lowercase, attack, on someone who has expressed a strong opinion on the horrors described in the article.

Sometimes the newbie will later be joined by one or two or even three other brand-new posters. In this scenario, they will then proceed to talk to each other, filling the thread with stupid crap which the disruptor obviously regards as a really great comedy act.

The most common theme this disruptor will impart is "who are you to judge?" This person always spells "judgmental" as "judgemental". Sometimes the disruptor manages to get in the lib-nut buzzword "hate", and if the critter is having a really good day, it will get in something about "you call yourself a Christian, but you are so mean", or something like that. A standard (yawwwwn) theme of jaded left-wingers.

The other hallmark of this disruptor is that it will usually claim to KNOW one of the persons mentioned in the posted regional news story. For this reason, the disruptor is called by some of us "the obligatory insider".

A legitimate poster, hellinahandcart, has started a ping list about this. That way, those of us who happen to regularly read such regional threads can be quickly shown threads on which this same disruptor has appeared. I'm sure hellinahandcart would put you on the ping list if you requested it.

I haven't reached any hard-and-fast conclusions about why this idiot is doing all this; just thought people here should know about it.

[syriacus]

suddenly coming on and posting negative comments about President Reagan, saying they are lifelong Republicans but no more, *

This sounds like the folks who have been calling into C-Span the past year and posing as former Republicans.

The Democrats will be losing more Baby-boomers than they will be gaining.

The Democrats need to attract new voters to their party, because older ('lifelong') voters aren't shifting to the left. Older ('lifelong') voters are shifting to the right.

Wisdom comes with age, unless you are a Democratic politician.

[DoctorMichael]

WHAT! No Yahoo 'Financial' Chatrooms????????

Being the capitalist pig that I am, I go over there too, to keep an eye on my investments.

......Oops, sorry.......My contributions to the fascist right-wing corporate interests that prey on the innocent of the world and pollute the environment.