Caution: don't engage with trolls or provocateurs on social media. Their goal is to get you to quit activism in disgust and frustration.
If you are seeking truth or advocating justice on social media, you will definitely encounter trolls. They may be paid for their work, or looking to get paid. Some attack openly, others are sneaky. Here's how to recognize them.
Antagonistic trolls
Fake radical trolls
If you are seeking truth or advocating justice on social media, you will definitely encounter trolls. They may be paid for their work, or looking to get paid. Some attack openly, others are sneaky. Here's how to recognize them.
Antagonistic trolls
- high tweet/follower ratio [tfr], over 50 almost certainly a troll
- very low follower count, even zero!
- personal attack
- dirty language, even scatological self-reference
- whataboutism, whataboutery
- sea-lioning, non-sequitur, circular argument, logical fallacy
- oblique attacks on your integrity "curiously you seem to support x"
- demanding links for things that are intuitively obvious
- demanding links for things that can be found in 3 clicks
- feigning interest, but never reading your blog
- demanding proof, but not following up
- annoying self-hating handle (like @grumpyfart)
- generalized misanthropy - "all people are greedy," "all politicians are crooks"
- feigning ignorance - forcing you to re-explain simple concepts
- frequent use of "I'm curious" "curiously" and "I don't suppose"
Fake radical trolls
- high tweet/follower ratio [tfr], over 50 almost certainly a troll
- focus on divisions in the 99%
- attacking "whiteness" to secretly promote racism
- promoting reliance on money, law, celebrities, instead of mass unity
- obsession with corporate media coverage
- saying "I support your cause, but..." (if they really support, it's their cause)
- always criticizing 99% leadership or persistently negative
- claiming all the answers are in one document or candidate
- blaming government for everything
- backhanded stoking racism (white privilege, reparations, etc)
Agents-provocateur
Provocateurs, agents, police, antifa, blackbloc, etc. Usually undercover cops or parolees in plea-bargaining. After they break windows and set fires, the corporate media will trash the rebellion or protest as "violent." Don't even get near these people. You don't have the police password. You will be beaten and locked up.
Provocateurs, agents, police, antifa, blackbloc, etc. Usually undercover cops or parolees in plea-bargaining. After they break windows and set fires, the corporate media will trash the rebellion or protest as "violent." Don't even get near these people. You don't have the police password. You will be beaten and locked up.
- using the word riot" instead of "rebellion."
- praising vandalism
- praising looting
- revolutionary-sounding tweets
- focusing anger toward police
"Antifa" -- they try to look "revolutionary" -- to attract angry people for surveillance. Look for these symbols as well. Avoid contact.
(from google)
