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Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

Public Inquiry >>

Human Rights in Ireland
Indymedia Ireland is a volunteer-run non-commercial open publishing website for local and international news, opinion & analysis, press releases and events. Its main objective is to enable the public to participate in reporting and analysis of the news and other important events and aspects of our daily lives and thereby give a voice to people.

offsite link Julian Assange is finally free ! Tue Jun 25, 2024 21:11 | indy

offsite link Stand With Palestine: Workplace Day of Action on Naksa Day Thu May 30, 2024 21:55 | indy

offsite link It is Chemtrails Month and Time to Visit this Topic Thu May 30, 2024 00:01 | indy

offsite link Hamburg 14.05. "Rote" Flora Reoccupied By Internationalists Wed May 15, 2024 15:49 | Internationalist left

offsite link Eddie Hobbs Breaks the Silence Exposing the Hidden Agenda Behind the WHO Treaty Sat May 11, 2024 22:41 | indy

Human Rights in Ireland >>

Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link Labour Has Just Betrayed a Generation of Young People Sun Jul 28, 2024 09:00 | Richard Eldred
By dropping the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, the Education Secretary has declared war on the culture of free speech on campus. The fight-back starts here, says Claire Fox in the Telegraph.
The post Labour Has Just Betrayed a Generation of Young People appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link The Extreme Weather We?re Experiencing Is Not Man Made, According to the IPCC Sun Jul 28, 2024 07:00 | Mark Ellse
Day-to-day weather, with all its extremes, is "just weather", according to the IPCC. With their authority onside, we can shrug off the BBC's melodramatic climate reports and misinformation, says Mark Ellse.
The post The Extreme Weather We?re Experiencing Is Not Man Made, According to the IPCC appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link News Round-Up Sun Jul 28, 2024 01:17 | Richard Eldred
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Green MP Proposes Sweeping Reforms to House of Commons in Maiden Speech Sat Jul 27, 2024 19:00 | Sean Walsh
The sweeping House of Commons reforms proposed by Green MP Ellie Chowns are evidence that the Mrs Dutt-Pauker types have moved from Peter Simple's columns into public life. We're in for a bumpy ride, says Sean Walsh.
The post Green MP Proposes Sweeping Reforms to House of Commons in Maiden Speech appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Heat Pump Refuseniks Risk £2,000 Surge in Gas Bills Sat Jul 27, 2024 17:00 | Richard Eldred
With heat pump numbers forecast to rise, the energy watchdog Ofgem has predicted that bills for those who continue using gas boilers will surge.
The post Heat Pump Refuseniks Risk £2,000 Surge in Gas Bills appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Lockdown Skeptics >>

Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Netanyahu soon to appear before the US Congress? It will be decisive for the suc... Thu Jul 04, 2024 04:44 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N°93 Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:49 | en

offsite link Will Israel succeed in attacking Lebanon and pushing the United States to nuke I... Fri Jun 28, 2024 14:40 | en

offsite link Will Netanyahu launch tactical nuclear bombs (sic) against Hezbollah, with US su... Thu Jun 27, 2024 12:09 | en

offsite link Will Israel provoke a cataclysm?, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Jun 25, 2024 06:59 | en

Voltaire Network >>

Troll Alert

category international | anti-war / imperialism | other press author Friday May 20, 2005 12:17author by Pol Report this post to the editors

'Trolls' are wind-up merchants. I've noticed plenty posting on this site.

Below is a link to a site explaining just what Trolls are. I've noticed Trolls winding people up on this site, especially when it comes to mocking those killed in war or humiliated in some way. Obviously this causes a lot of anger and distracts from what are otherwise interesting and informative discussions.

http://members.aol.com/intwg/trolls.htm

Hopefully the advice on this site will help people cut through the crap that Trolls ply them with. Remember, don't take the bait!

author by Alpublication date Tue May 24, 2005 00:43author address author phone Report this post to the editors

thanks for clearing that up Joe.

1,
I didnt take offence to the post I just wanted clarification.

author by Joepublication date Mon May 23, 2005 22:01author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Al I was saying I reckon you and DD although often annoying are not in fact trolls.

author by 1 of Indymedia Ireland Editorial Group - Indymedia Irelandpublication date Mon May 23, 2005 20:27author address author phone Report this post to the editors

The editorial guidelines for the site are linked in the left column. Comments that break the guidelines may be removed. If you have a problem with the guidelines or a removal, you may contact the admins through the form or by email (address given in editorial guidelines document) and argue your case.

author by Me againpublication date Mon May 23, 2005 20:22author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Thanks for taking the time.
The whole troll thingie...... do you give it the time of day........ I mod and admin on several sites , and on most of those sites , zulu day is not an option..... Having set out just where I stand ...... The fact is thaT MY READERS DO NOT BELIEVE , Bush and all That he SAYS......

author by jsrpublication date Mon May 23, 2005 20:09author address author phone Report this post to the editors

I think trolls are one of the high point of this site, the sheer insanity of the posts they type is funny and they usually only manage to provoke people who take themselves too seriously. That said when they insult the deaths of others (as they often do ) I feel they deserve contempt, but not a response.

Al you ARE a drama queen,

"But some of those putting forward a more right wing view like Al or even Devil Dog are quite genuine IMHO" - but some of those whats???????????? "

Nobody else would use so much question marks!

author by Polpublication date Mon May 23, 2005 19:59author address author phone Report this post to the editors

I don't give a toss what people say. The point of being on the look out for trolls is because they just piss people off. A good argument is going to have people who canny agree on the colour o' shite trying to convince one another, but trolls never put forward any other argument other than one designed only to annoy and offend. There are plenty of examples around this site. The latest Galloway thread had some postings by people who just wrote in to mock those humiliated in Abu Ghraib... now that's the work of a troll.
As for your posts being removed, I didn't remove them. I've had a few of my own taken down in the past. It's just the editorial team doing a bit of pruning. I wasn't happy with it but the umpire's decision is final.

author by Polpublication date Mon May 23, 2005 19:04author address author phone Report this post to the editors

You wouldn't need to pay someone to troll. Some cop on his tea break would do enough shit-stirring on his own initiative. Or even just some plonker who wants to raise hackles for a 'laugh'.

author by Alpublication date Mon May 23, 2005 18:58author address author phone Report this post to the editors

"But some of those putting forward a more right wing view like Al or even Devil Dog are quite genuine IMHO" - but some of those whats???????????? Trolls, therefore Im a troll. maybe a nice one but still a troll. joe will be able to state what he meant, lets leave it to him.
BTW, I dont post just to cause an arguement, i post my opinions and debate them with others so i dont consider myself a troll.
As far as paid trolls are concerned, I dont know really. never thought about it. I doubt the Gardai is paying people to post here but I suppose some organisations are very well funded and have more than enough staff to cover all angles.

author by Polpublication date Mon May 23, 2005 18:54author address author phone Report this post to the editors

The idea of paid trolls isn't far fetched at all. Anyone who's read Jon Ronson's latest book will know that people have done odder, badder things to stay on top of the heap.

author by Badmanpublication date Mon May 23, 2005 18:52author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Joe said: "But some of those putting forward a more right wing view like Al or even Devil Dog are quite genuine IMHO."

Which clearly states that he thinks you are 'quite genuine' - quite as in entirely.

author by R. Isiblepublication date Mon May 23, 2005 18:52author address author phone Report this post to the editors

There are trolls BUT some like Al are genuine IMHO.

Personally I disagree with Joe. I think that your effect is the same as a troll. You say you're a garda but I don't believe it, you've never posted anything that is a convincing operational detail.

author by Alpublication date Mon May 23, 2005 18:49author address author phone Report this post to the editors

R,
I think I have a right to respond when someone states something specifically about me but Im hardly a drama queen. A few lines asking a question is all I posted. Not a big winded "Im so trodden on, they keep calling me names"

author by Alpublication date Mon May 23, 2005 18:47author address author phone Report this post to the editors

No sorry, if Im reading it right Joe is calling me a nice or better Troll but a troll still.

author by Badmanpublication date Mon May 23, 2005 18:41author address author phone Report this post to the editors

In fact somebody has explicitly said that they don't think you're a troll. On the other hand that obviously doesn't mean that there are no trolls. The person above who thinks that the idea of paid-trolls is far-fetched needs to get out more. There's a big bad world out there and it's not always nice.

What do you think the CIA/NSA/MOSSAD/SIS/MI5 do with their humungeous budgets? Wouldn't they be derelict in their duties if they didn't do their bit to disrupt what they perceive to be centres of opposition to their governments' interests?

author by R. Isiblepublication date Mon May 23, 2005 18:41author address author phone Report this post to the editors

in fact the exact opposite was said. You are allowed to express any opinion that does not violate our Editorial Guidelines. Stop being a drama queen.

author by Alpublication date Mon May 23, 2005 18:24author address author phone Report this post to the editors

im curious, why am I a troll? Why am I not allowed state my opinion like everyone else? My opinions arent always against the topic, sometimes a agree sometimes I dont. Is that not what the site is for? IM a member of several sites and an admin on one, does that make me a troll there as well?

author by Casperpublication date Sun May 22, 2005 21:49author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Quote: the most destructive one was a member of a far left party
Me: Care to name which party and which individual you are talking about. Some evidence would be useful too. I wouldn't like to think you were just trolling too.

author by eeekkkpublication date Sun May 22, 2005 21:21author address author phone Report this post to the editors

there are paid trolls here

when things are hot on any issue for ourgov or usgov or israelgov they pop up all over the place and start screeching

author by puzzledpublication date Sun May 22, 2005 21:09author address author phone Report this post to the editors

what does IMHO mean?

author by Tpublication date Sun May 22, 2005 11:36author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Well, yes both could be correct, since I said a reasonable percentage, which still leaves plenty of room for just ordinary folk.

author by Joepublication date Sun May 22, 2005 11:05author address author phone Report this post to the editors

some of them are just people with more right wing views who get a kick out of arguing with 'lefties'. There are certainly trolls active on the site (and not all by any means from the right - the most destructive one was a member of a far left party). But some of those putting forward a more right wing view like Al or even Devil Dog are quite genuine IMHO.

author by Tpublication date Sun May 22, 2005 09:22author address author phone Report this post to the editors

There is probably a resonable chance that a certain percentage of all the right-wing pro-war type trolls are actually people employed by one or more of the various intelligence agencies of the pro-war nations -they do not need to be named, and the idea is that their job is to scan websites and try and get their message across to as many sites and forums as possible. A team of a few dozen would probably suffice and would be well within the budgets of these organizations.

The purpose like all adverts in marketing is to saturate the place, and give the impression one opinion is more widespread than it really is. People use cues such as what others think, what the majority are saying and what the opinions of the various institutions which in reality would be the different newspapers, talk shows and TV channels are saying.

The beauty for the capitalists is that they own and run all these things and so can manipulate perceptions of what individuals think the general population is thinking. The Internet and all it's sites and forums are thus a bit of a challenge. However, since the capitalist have almost endless resources, it is cheap in terms of maintaining the facade or illusion to employ trolls to continue their work.

Alternative models of the troll 'funding' would be funding of right-wing groups or party, through front organisations and other such methods, so that these groups are sufficiently well funded to actually employ either part-time or full time trolls. The funding of right-wing parties and groups via 3rd parties by government has a long and well documeneted history.

About a year or so ago, there was a case of a whole series of pro-war letters appearing all across the US in many different newspapers, both regional and local. It gave the impression of fairly widespread support for the war. It turned out later, that in fact there were only just a few letters which were reused, again and again and they were traced to just one group, which naturally enough was a right wing outfit.

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