Internet Troll Operation Uncovered in St. Petersburg [Russia]

The St. Petersburg Times Issue #1778 (37) ^ | Wednesday, September 18, 2013 | Sergey Chernov

[WhiskeyX]

Local reporters have infiltrated a covert organization that hired young people as “Internet operators” near St. Petersburg and discovered that the employees are being paid to write pro-Kremlin postings and comments on the Internet, smearing opposition leader Alexei Navalny and U.S. politics and culture.

[....]

According to Lvova, each commenter was to write no less than 100 comments a day, while people in the other room were to write four postings a day, which then went to the other employees whose job was to post them on social networks as widely as possible.

Employees at the company, located at 131 Lakhtinsky Prospekt, were paid 1,180 rubles ($36.50) for a full 8-hour day and received a free lunch, Lvova wrote.

[facedown]

Kinda like the White House, huh?

[OrangeHoof]

I had to check to see if that was Russia or America. Both have a St. Petersburg and both countries are run by socialists who will hire people to create a groundswell that really doesn’t exist.

[Dan(9698)]

Paid out of White House slush fund.

[Vigilanteman]

White House trolls get paid better.

[GOPJ]

Democrat war rooms have been doing this since the Clintons. Maybe the Times can talk to George Stephanopoulos or FOX could talk to Joe Trippi...

[Buckeye McFrog]

I thought this was about an Organizing for Action chapter in Florida.

[Constitution Day]

I wonder how many are posting here?

[Uncle Miltie]

We have many dozens here.

[Drew68]

Employees at the company, located at 131 Lakhtinsky Prospekt, were paid 1,180 rubles ($36.50) for a full 8-hour day and received a free lunch, Lvova wrote.

What can I say? Guilty as charged. It's hard to turn down boiled potatoes and cabbage.

[The_Victor]

[Drew68]

We have many dozens here.

Yes. Imagine that. People on Free Republic posting in opposition to the Obama-backed coup.

[FreeAtlanta]

I have seen some of their “work” in article comments. Usually, if you ask them how much they are getting paid, they finally stop their silly posts, and probably move to another article or change user names.

[FreeAtlanta]

Probably closer to being one and them same than you know.

[Uncle Miltie]

I’m speaking of the Putin B*tt Boy Brigade, who, without so much as a caveat, back Putin to the hilt.

You’ve seen them. Puti is the second coming.

[Navy Patriot]

Internet Troll Operation Uncovered in St. Petersburg

Uh oh, the Socialist DemoRat MSM machine is finished now.

[RichInOC]

I have this mental image of Vlad smiling really big and asking "...Проблема?"

[Mariner]

"Kinda like the White House, huh?"

except this was published in a major nation paper in Russia.

You think the WaPo or NYT would publish something like that on Obama?

[GOPJ]

I wonder how many are posting here?

Slightly off topic - - but years ago I heard of a sting operation where every person involved was undercover. Something like four or five organizations and not ONE real perp. Luckily one of the police officers had been around enough to recognize several people from different groups. Not saying that applies here - but I'm pretty sure we've had some paid professionals from time to time.

[Mariner]

Interestingly I have been challenged on this forum several times with folks accusing me of being a paid operative, communist, traitor etc.

After over 15yrs here you kinda get used to it.

But I also tend to think those who undertake the most aggressive personal attacks are those who are, in fact, the paid operatives.