Sock-Puppetting and the Current Affairs Forum

EmmetSpiceland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430668#Comment_118430668

Condescending? I’m merely stating facts here. This is a thread about sock puppeting, something that was “committed” by a, known, SF booster using 10 separate accounts. 10!

This is not a thread for a party political broadcast for SF, please save that for the “appropriate” forum.

EmmetSpiceland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430623#Comment_118430623

Apologies for the misrepresentation, F. I misunderstood your meaning in your post.

Fionn1952

As someone who has been accused (repeatedly) of being a Shinnerbot any f*cking time I've ever made a comment with a remotely Nationalist leaning, or posts critical of the current government, despite having significantly more posts critical of them than positive towards them, I have to say on it seems more deflectionary than a legitimate concern the VAST majority of times that the accusation comes out. The same applies to the, 'FG HQ' nonsense that is thrown out there, albeit not quite so often.

One thing is for sure, the pile on that landed in on Francie here today was f*cking classless.....and not at all surprising that a handful of the usual suspects landed in.

Francie, we've had plenty of disagreements, but I'm glad to see you vindicated by Beasty and the mods.

As for the primary subject of the thread, I'm delighted to see someone sockpuppeting like that banned, particularly when it is of such a scale......but I somewhat agree with Francie on threadbans killing opposing voices on some threads. As much as I've almost never agreed with Downcow on anything, and as much as he or she definitely crossed the line on occasion (on this or precious accounts), I feel like some threads are lessened by missing that perspective.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430697#Comment_118430697

To best of my knowledge,the thing that tipped it over was a caracture of an anti-sf account....

with the rather charming.name of scumfein??

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118428733#Comment_118428733

You included people working for corporations in your list? Surely they can (and do) provide the 'good for business ' views you crave?

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430709#Comment_118430709

There should be threadbans for certain behaviour, permanent threadbans for robust comment in a robust environment is destroying the place as something worthwhile.

Ha Long Bay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430834#Comment_118430834

As you brought my thread ban into the thread do you think I should have been thread banned from the SF thread?

This is what got me banned.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430864#Comment_118430864

Not permanently, no.

Ha Long Bay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430879#Comment_118430879

Should I have got banned at all? I know my ban was overturned.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430894#Comment_118430894

If you are deliberately trolling people then yes...for a period.

Ha Long Bay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430915#Comment_118430915

Trolling people? I used your two posts to show what a hypocritic poster you are and got thread banned for it.

Good luck and thanks again to the great work of the mods for exposing the SF boards.ie 10.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430951#Comment_118430951

😀 Saying somebody not on the thread was 'strange' was a personal dig? I think you need to research what a 'personal' dig is Ha.

P.S. If I have a personal dig at somebody who is posting (and I have had) then I deserve to be considered for sanction too. But not permabanned.

AndrewJRenko

I guess Paddy C will be along soon to doxx us all with the help of his Israeli friends anyhoo.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118429061#Comment_118429061

You have that right.

When they advertise for their online supporters, they do not suggest that they will be paid. The shinnerbot in this case was likely under the belief that he was supporting the cause. We will never know the extent of his collaboration with Sinn Fein - was he a member of the infamous Facebook group? Was he signed up for email updates?

https://thisinterestsme.com/shinnerbots/

"In 2015, the party launched it’s “digital rising” campaign. The campaign’s purpose was simple. Sinn Fein supporters would sign up and then spread the party’s message across their platforms.

In December, 2020, reports surfaced about the existence of a secret Facebook group of 16,000 Sinn Fein supporters."

"As you can see, it’s not all paranoia. There are enough facts out there for people to justify their suspicions.

It is also worth noting that we live in an age where online manipulation is a powerful tool.

Especially if you are a political entity.

Therefore, we should be careful about fobbing off people’s concerns about this kind of stuff as “paranoia”."

Given what has happened with this particular sock-puppetting account, there is more than enough reason for boards to be wary in future of SF pile-ons, whether that is on a particular issue, or directed towards a particular poster.

atticu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118428841#Comment_118428841

I had a look into this, and it turns out that you are correct.

If a poster posts a claim that you don't believe, and you respond with: I don't believe you. You will get an on thread warning at least.

If you reply with: That is an awful amount of stutter that you posted. or: It does not matter how much you polish a turd it is still a turd. Then, no action will be taken.

So, yes, it seems that it is very much the contents of a post, or you could say semantics. As I was informed ny a Moderator, disagreeing with a poster in a conceding manner is not agains the rules. Although, if you just disagree in a respectful manner you will get reprimanded.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118432393#Comment_118432393

Identical calls for online activism have been made by other parties.

There is zero evidence of SF paying people to have multiple anonymous accounts to promote the party.

We should be just as suspicious of pile-ons from parties that have endorsed/suggested anonymous accounts to promote their party.

General wariness is required from mods therefore.

CrookedJack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118432609#Comment_118432609

Not equally suspicious, no, as we've just discovered a pro-SF collection of sock-puppets. So we have definitive proof of "Shinnerbot" activity, paid or unpaid. It's there, inescapable, it's the subject of this thread. There is no equivalent evidence of sock-puppeting activity from other political entities. So we should be more suspicious of pro-SF pile-ons, obviously. It would be disingenuous to say otherwise. Suspiciously so.

Beasty

No discussion of threadbans. That is not what this thread is for.

Fionn1952

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118432393#Comment_118432393

Specifically

Given what has happened with this particular sock-puppetting account, there is more than enough reason for boards to be wary in future of SF pile-ons, whether that is on a particular issue, or directed towards a particular poster.

Doesn't sound like bad advice on the surface, and I'll certainly be keeping a closer eye out for it myself. My concern would be that it becomes even more of a deflectionary tactic; a few posters with an already existing tendency to wail, 'Shinnerbot' at any disagreement with them could completely derail any conversation.

God forbid, two people happen to disagree with them....the accusations of sock puppetting will be rampant to go along with the Shinnerbot ones.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118432792#Comment_118432792

The leader of one of the government parties has called for anonymous accounts to promote the party, that is evidence that there are no scruples about doing it.

But as Fionn says, this is already being used to pile-on by a cohort - witness what happened to me yesterday.

General wariness should be the message here, I was happy to be investigated.

CrookedJack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118432963#Comment_118432963

As there is no evidence of non-SF sock-puppeting i think its more reasonable to be suspicious of pro-SF posts, especially ones that are made by multiple accounts by the same user. I think trying to turn that into a "be suspicious of everyone" motif is disingenuous. Especially in a thread where you've managed to make yourself above criticism.

I would also point out to yourself (and Beasty as the gatekeeper) that repeatedly referring to a "Pile-on" from posters in this thread is not defending yourself and is hardly fair when said posters are prohibited from answering directly.

edit: might've slipped into mod directing there. Withdrawn.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118433110#Comment_118433110

How do you know there is no evidence of 'non SF sock puppets' have all the sock puppet accounts been pro SF ones...can you evidence this?

I am not defending myself here, as there is no need. I am merely pointing to what happened yesterday. If you wish to say it didn't happen, fire away and good luck with that.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118433143#Comment_118433143

There is no evidence of non-SF sock puppets on these boards. I have looked and I can't find any.

If there is evidence, if I am wrong, produce it. If you can't produce it, stop wittering on about it as you have nothing to stand on.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118432876#Comment_118432876

That problem hasn't been created by other posters, it has been created by a sock-puppetting Shinnerbot by the name of McMurphy.

Now, if someone wants to advance the conspiracy theory that McMurphy was really a FG-bot, and spent nine months operating multiple accounts criticising FG and Leo, while lavishing praise on SF, before deliberately slipping up, all as a reason to throw mud at SF-supporting posters, please go ahead.

Fionn1952

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118433110#Comment_118433110

As one of the posters who commented on the pile on happening (though without discussing anything specific about it, just pointing out that it was in poor taste), I don't believe I went against any mod warning on thread in doing so.

If you find my distaste towards what happened yesterday so egregious and feel I've misread the mod warning, you can report my second most recent post before this and we can get a mod to give a definitive yes or no and put it to bed?

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118432609#Comment_118432609

No, identical calls for online activism have not been made by other parties.

There was a poster, ironically McMurphy, who used to produce an old picture of FG hacks with computers as back-up for this claim. Do you think he was right?

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118433850#Comment_118433850

You went through over 10k posts many of which just state a poster was banned? Okie doke.

A poster had sock puppet accounts, that is all we know, we also know many many different types of posters have sock puppet accounts.

General wariness is the order of the day therefore. But as I said earlier, it doesn't particularly bother me if they are only giving opinions.

I take opinions as they come and answer them. As we have also seen, pile-ons happen and come from all quarters.

Fionn1952

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118433879#Comment_118433879

I've agreed with you on the sock puppeting accounts held by that poster, I've agreed that increased vigilance would be beneficial, and stated I'll be doing so myself.

What the bejaysus does this have to do with FG bots, Blanch?!

My point stands; I've been accused of being a Shinnerbot on more than one occasion myself.....from our interactions on here, I'm sure you'll agree it is patently nonsense.

Letting threads devolve into accusations of, 'Shinnerbot' or, 'Sock Puppets' any time a handful of posters disagree with you, well that's just going to shut down any discussion.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118433931#Comment_118433931

We don't have any evidence of political sock-puppetting except in one instance - the McMurphy one.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118433891#Comment_118433891

Correct, FG called specifically for 'anonymous' posters to promote the party. SF openly called for supporters to be active online - nothing wrong with that IMO