The question of Sockpuppets: To censor or not to censor

Sockpuppets aren't a new phenomenon here at a2k. For years, we've had newcomers post one time threads about the Ukraine and other former Soviet bloc countries. They were soon deleted even if they lacked the typical spam link.

Now, that Putin has been actively pushing his military agenda for months, we are now accepting this nonsense and more and more people are feeding the proverbial trolls. It's been speculated here that these sockpuppets are part of a The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) [AKA the institution formerly known as the KGB]. Of course, none of this can be proved, it just seems odd that since we never had a small (let alone sizable) active populace of a2k members from the Ukraine, Georgia, or the other former Soviet bloc countries that we'd get more then our fair share of Ukrainian, etc... propaganda.

They never come back to answer any challenges or just repost more nonsense. They tend to be filled with antisemitic and/or homophobic nonsense to intentionally rile up whomever will read and kneejerkishly react to their unsourced claims.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sockpuppet_(Internet)

To the people who are feeding the proverbial trolls? What do you expect when you sincerely reply to these threads? Someone to come back and have a debate with you? That your challenge will scare away other sockpuppet attempts? It seems to me that interactions of any kind only lead to further sockpuppet activity.

It seems to me that sockpuppetry of this kind is perhaps the most successful SEO campaign in the history of the internet. Am I right or wrong?

They're literally spouting out the same crap that was happening several years ago (regarding Jews/Jewish and US conspiracies in the Ukraine/etc...). Now that there is an active military campaign in that area.

Okay. Admittedly it's impossible to prove.

I'm just wondering why the moderator policy change? Also, no one responded to it back when it wasn't an active news story months ago. Why are people now trying to openly debate these new members who quite literally don't ever return to answer said challenges?

it just seems odd that since we never had a small (let alone sizable) active populace of a2k members from the Ukraine, Georgia, or the other former Soviet bloc countries that we'd get more then our fair share of Ukrainian, etc... propaganda.

It is sorta like the people who want spying to be done only on people who mean us harm. How do we know who does and does not mean us harm unless we do some spying?

How do we know who does and does not mean us harm unless we do some spying?

tsarstepan wrote:

it just seems odd that since we never had a small (let alone sizable) active populace of a2k members from the Ukraine, Georgia, or the other former Soviet bloc countries that we'd get more then our fair share of Ukrainian, etc... propaganda.

how do you know it is more than our fair share? is there more/less at other websites? (I have no idea)

This guy is pretty easy to identify once you've read a few of his posts. (His
attempts at American slang are often hilarious.) For a while I was tagging
his posts and then from time to time would take a look at that "forum".
Almost always, his posts were one-offs. He makes up a name - probably
has some utility program for it, registers, drops his load, and is never seen
again under that id.

I guess this constitutes a form of spam and is therefore reportable, but I've
long since stopped bothering.

Who knows, maybe some of his blurtings have spawned interesting discussions.

It is my assumption that many of these sock-puppet posts, specifically the
ones advancing the Russian agenda, are the work of one individual. After
you've read enough of these (admittedly a shameful waste of time) you get
a feel for his writing style.

It is my assumption that many of these sock-puppet posts, specifically the
ones advancing the Russian agenda, are the work of one individual. After
you've read enough of these (admittedly a shameful waste of time) you get
a feel for his writing style.

I'm just wondering why the moderator policy change?

... newcomers post one time threads about the Ukraine and other former Soviet bloc countries. They were soon deleted even if they lacked the typical spam link.

Still, any militant and unsourced disinformation shouldn't be tolerated.