Sock-Puppetting and the Current Affairs Forum

CrookedJack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118452763#Comment_118452763

Oh, I read the paper rather than the tweets, it's stated more baldly there.

Despite the largest group of abusive accounts being linked to SF support, I don't necessarily think it follows that SF supporters are more toxic than others. I think that would probably be overstating the case. This study seems weakest on discerning the motivations and affiliations of toxic tweeters, but much stronger on identifying the targets, for obvious reasons. I don't really think he can stand over his methodology for discerning the affiliation of a toxic tweeters.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118452844#Comment_118452844

Fair enough, it may be confirmation bias in what I am seeing in the data.

generic_throwaway

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118452844#Comment_118452844

I think it's fair to say that SF supporters may have more religious fervour (and will thus stoop lower), never having seen their party make a balls of things while in government. Their turn is coming though.

Fionn1952

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118452642#Comment_118452642

They'll never catch me and my fifteen accounts.....HQ pays me enough to hide 'em....

CrookedJack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118452874#Comment_118452874

That's a possibile interpretation. You might also say that Sinn Fein support has a younger demographic and so are more likely to be on social media.

Or simply that Sinn Fein have a larger support base so will have a higher proportion of toxic members. It's hard to know and the study doesn't really just us much data around supporters from which to draw conclusions.

Why would a larger support base have a higher proportion of toxic members?

CrookedJack

I misspoke, that's the opposite of what i meant. They would have a larger amount in a similar proportion.

markodaly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118437482#Comment_118437482

Yes, whatever about it, the credibility of 'that' poster is now shot. He spent years proclaiming that he voted for FG in 2011 and was never a SF voter.... only now to have it reveal that he had a separate pro-SF sock-puppet account from back in 2010. Hilarious to be honest.

Also, using GDPR to try and cover his tracks and then recently started a thread about GDPR (only when SF's hands got caught in the cookie jar) bemoaning how GDPR is really a waste of time... again, hilarious.

I never understood why he spent so much effort on this site on his pet hobby horses. Well, at least now we all know a little bit more as to the why.

Well done on the admin team and mods on this one by the way.

markodaly

So how can we stop this from happening again?

Maybe on the more contentious threads in CA, perhaps we can have some extra verification, that you are who you say you are, and not some SF bot with 10 accounts with an axe to grind or a cause to fight..?

Only verified posters are allowed to post in these threads, because even now, after all this, I have suspicions on a few posters that are currently active.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118454156#Comment_118454156

He? I'm pretty sure they once claimed to be female. I may be misremembering that.

Pussyhands

What rule did the user break in having so many accounts? As far as I know, having multiple accounts is permitted. i.e If you need to post on personal issues you now need to have a separate account.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118454215#Comment_118454215

they weren't using the second account to post in personal issues. they were using the second account to post on the same thread as the first. that is sock-puppetting and not allowed. They also made a big deal out of it only being a one-off mistake and that people accusing him of sock-puppeting were liars. further evidence was uncovered by me that showed it wasn't just a one-off.

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118454226#Comment_118454226

Where does it say that is not allowed? I checked the CA forum and no rule against it.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118454434#Comment_118454434

Do you think it is allowed? Do you think that @Beasty has sitebanned two users for something that is allowed?

Its a wonder theres a court case progressing in the state with the amount of great legal minds wandering in here just asking the hard questions

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118454463#Comment_118454463

On reddit you can openly have as many accounts as you like. You can easily switch accounts at the click of a button.

I still don't know what exactly the banned user did. I'm not a participant in that SF thread but I read the comments listed in the OP and it just says they had multiple sock puppet accounts. Were they using multiple accounts at the same time to spread a pro SF narrative? Were they using accounts pretending to be FF/FG, thus making their supporters look bad? Were they responding to their other accounts comments pretending to be a different person? Were they creating a new account each month and then closing the account at the end of the month?

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118454463#Comment_118454463

By the way, I'm still waiting for you to show me where it says it's not allowed? You don't really think users should be mind readers and guess what is and isn't allowed right? For example, in the politics forum the standard for posting is higher than in CA. This is laid out in the rules. Now imagine if that rule wasn't in the charter and users went into Politics and made a joke or two and got banned. Would you think that's fair if there was no way for the user to know it wasn't allowed?

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118455642#Comment_118455642

On reddit you can openly have as many accounts as you like. 

This isn't reddit

Were they using multiple accounts at the same time to spread a pro SF narrative?

Yes

Were they responding to their other accounts comments pretending to be a different person?

Yes

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118455676#Comment_118455676

I just found the Ts and Cs

6.2 Accounts and passwords

You cannot create more than one personal profile.

Grand.

Does mean anyone creating an account to post in PI is also breaking the terms and conditions. Ts and Cs should be updated to reflect this.

Chips Lovell

Site terms of use clearly state it you can only operate one account.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118455736#Comment_118455736

There is somewhere in the rules an agreement that you can post anonymously in Personal Issues (and a few other similar fora - Bereavement?), so think that's allowed. Not sure how it works with the new set-up though.

EmmetSpiceland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118454170#Comment_118454170

That happens a bit, it’s usually to make misogynistic “comments”. Similar to the guys who pretend to be married or have daughters. Sometimes even mixed race children, if they want to get a few racist digs in.

Then you’ve the lads with friends from every colour of the LGBTQI+ “spectrum”, who can be called upon to dismiss any issue surrounding the community. You know, the ones ‘who just want to get on with their lives’ etc.

EmmetSpiceland

Out of sheer curiosity, are there any “suspicious” new/dormant accounts popping up in any SF/FFG threads? Or have they all gone, relatively, quiet.

One would imagine that “The Operator” would want to lay low for a week, or 2, but I don’t think we’re dealing with a normal person and would be very surprised if they haven’t sprang a number of dormant accounts from their slumber already.

I know I, and others, have said this repeatedly but, for the good of the site, vigilance can’t be put solely on the mods and admins, the normal users of this site have to “muck in” and lend a hand here.

If we don’t don’t all work together on this it will just go back to threads being overrun by this puppet master and general, civil, discussion won’t stand a chance.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118455736#Comment_118455736

they would have to be updated for sure. I used to think the rule was you couldn’t use the same account at the same time as another.

is it still true that FB’s last sock puppetry was 10 years ago?

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118456072#Comment_118456072

Yeah theres one who claims he is

A conservative gay guy with a girlfriend, doesnt support trans rights, has a trans best friend and is androgynous 🤔

Shebean

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118451726#Comment_118451726

This was in response to the claim there was no evidence of non-SF sock puppets. There's as much evidence. There was a time you couldn't criticise a FG politician without being labelled homophobic, racist of misogynist. Never one single quote to back up those claims. The latest trend I see is claiming anyone critical of Varadkar and his leak is a supporter of Paddy Cosgrave. These are not normal commentator reactions IMO.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118452801#Comment_118452801

If you want to concentrate on shinner sock puppets, which I do believe exist, that's fine. Claiming we don't have any from other parties is baloney. All you have to do is look at the responses any critic of the government gets. Called a shinner being the most popular 😉

The trick is, denounce Sinn Fein, then associate any critic with SF. I couldn't care less if SF never get in, as long as FF/FG are out.

ohnonotgmail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118456437#Comment_118456437

If you have evidence of sock-puppetting present it to the mods. Nothing you have said there is evidence of sock-puppetting. all we know for sure is that the only examples we have conclusive proof for have been SF supporters.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118456437#Comment_118456437

I think what you mean by "evidence" and what everybody else means as evidence are different things.

Just fyi you are currently in a thread that is discussing the actual uncovering of actual sockpuppet troll accounts run by actual prominent SF aligned posters from this site with years of history of SF aligned posting.

That's evidence.

You having had people disagree with you in ways you didnt care for?

Not evidence.

In context you look incredibly foolish to try to equate the two as if we haven't all read this thread and indeed been on the end of this long con for years while trying to discuss politics on this site.

You and the other three or four who have followed in francies footsteps to act all confused and appalled and outraged at a dodgy scheme having been uncovered.

Beasty

Just to clarify, as posted above only one account is permitted. Posters can close one account and open another. In addition, and as already mentioned in this thread, it is possible to use a second account provided you get permission from the Office (Niamh) or one of the Admins. If you have good reason we may permit it, but that would not extend to allowing anyone to sock-puppet. Hence if a second account is permitted and you start posting in a thread the first account is already posting in that's likely to result in both accounts being site-banned. If it looks liken someone has set up a second account without permission to maybe post in a particular forum or thread without sock-puppeting that is likely to the dealt with via a PM to the poster advising them they are in breach of site rules and asking them which one they wish to use. They may also be advised to close one of them, but that option is not yet available to users on this platform so we may ask them to contact the office

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118456437#Comment_118456437

There is no evidence of any non-SF sock puppets.

All you are posting is evidence of posters you disagree with or dislike.