How to undermine RI w/out breaking any rules?

[semper occultus]

am I going mad or did barracuda have a post on here that disappeared ?

[Searcher08]

am I going mad or did barracuda have a post on here that disappeared ?

There wasnt one when I was writing my reply - perhaps earlier then??

[barracuda]

am I going mad or did barracuda have a post on here that disappeared ?

I did, but I took it to private message, as it was somewhat a private messag-y sort of thingy.

[stefano]

Noting the MO and throwing it out there for others to consider who may not have already? yes.

I hadn't considered that it (I'm sure a lot of members have noticed what you're talking about) might be purposeful and malicious, and on refelction I don't think it is. For starters I haven't noticed any instances of:

4) Find the wedge issues in the community and then exploit them.

5) Harass key individuals who by their erudition and insight are natural leaders on the board so as to drive them out.

Although I stay out of the least interesting threads so maybe it happens there.

As for what to do - I ended up resorting to the 'foe' function about a week ago and that helps. I don't think it's seemly to go telling people 'hey, you're too thick to post here, why don't you go away'; surely it's a good thing for RI to attract a diverse group of members. If someone really annoys you, you can just stop reading their posts. I thought it might make threads unintelligible (sort of 'gappy') but it doesn't, and it makes them a lot shorter sometimes. Give it a try.

[Asta]

bph, how about the forum member who deletes his post when the meaning of his comment is questioned? Might that qualify for your list?

[Laodicean]

[elfismiles]

At the risk of linking to sites not allowed I will simply say that the premise of this post reminds me of one i've read titled:

"How to completely nullify a forum community’s potency and suck its Chi dry like an empty juice box."

Yes, I think the theme of tag-team (sometimes sock-puppeted) shenanigans has been broached around here a couple times over the years. Seems a SOP against boards.

[Canadian_watcher]

At the risk of linking to sites not allowed I will simply say that the premise of this post reminds me of one i've read titled:

"How to completely nullify a forum community’s potency and suck its Chi dry like an empty juice box."

Yes, I think the theme of tag-team (sometimes sock-puppeted) shenanigans has been broached around here a couple times over the years. Seems a SOP against boards.

yes, I'm quite positive it has happened here.

I'm not sure who bph is referring too, sometimes it can only be experienced an intended victim or two which is why it is so effective.

BPH, I took to directly calling out anyone who was doing it to me, which helped (although it took a long, long, long time to do so)

[OP ED]

OP ED has been undermining without breaking any rules for like six years now.

its fairly easy actually.

[wintler2]

Oh BPH, you thrill seeker you
Thanks for the effort on those rules, they cover most things, but i'd like to propose:
an amendment to #2

2) Post prolifically, preferrably by starting lots of new threads so General discussion constantly churns over.

"...Post lots of new threads particularly on topics where there are existing threads with significant bodies of knowledge and participation, so every new relevant story will get its own thread."

And a rule #8:
"Make frequent vague references to all powerful elites who control everything and against whom we are mere insects with no chance of effecting positive change."


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There is no reason this thread should be locked any more than any other, particularly if we keep it a no-names meta discussion. If those who want to shut it down achieve their goal, its cool, that will be informative, and we can add that info to a new thread.

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..I don't think it's seemly to go telling people 'hey, you're too thick to post here, why don't you go away'; surely it's a good thing for RI to attract a diverse group of members.

a. strawman, noone is suggesting telling anyone that.

b. so the 'rigorous' in RI is merely decorative, a catchy brand, and there should be no negative feedback for mega-posting/spamming nonsense?

[82_28]

Oh, I dunno. Here's a thought. Use your own damned "firewall" to your brain and let people be. I hear so much goddamned shit each and every day in all facets and I simply think you live and let live. It's really fucking simple. Make friends, not enemies.

[82_28]

OK. It's the intermission between regulation and OT right now, so I feel I can expound a bit, because this game is TENSE!

Anyhoo. Just don't fucking think you're fucking right all the time, that's the key. If anyone is "undermining" RI it is the originator of the thread and some Aussie person with a bird. Seriously, lay off with your grumpiness. It really isn't that hard. To me 8bit speculates. Nordic expresses anger and also speculates. 82_28 speculates and uses a lot of profanity. Don't think this under-talk doesn't get noticed and also isn't hurtful and insulting.

Do you people really believe that this place isn't made up of varying personalities? You wanna "undermine" this joint? Then why not engender and encourage infighting? I think that could do the trick. Which is happening here, with this thread. And this is fully known by the originator with a ghost trying to get out of a shower as their avatar.

Drop it. Seriously. Who died and left any of you in charge? Just get the fuck along. Christ Almighty.

[82_28]

How to undermine RI w/out breaking any rules? Simple.

1) Join, preferrably a team of 2 or 3 so as to be able to reinforce each other or create ersatz exchanges.

So off base and totally fucking hurtful as a heartfelt member here.

2) Post prolifically, preferrably by starting lots of new threads so General discussion constantly churns over.

Uh, OK. You have 2888 posts or whatever it is yourself.

3) Write gibberish, pretentious, self contradictory posts that are quite literally unintelligible.

Precisely what you do. Can you not see this?

4) Find the wedge issues in the community and then exploit them.

Precisely what you do by actually, creating a new "wedge"!

5) Harass key individuals who by their erudition and insight are natural leaders on the board so as to drive them out.

No human is erudite, but insight is always welcome in all facets of life being lived as a human. No member is allowed to be harassed here.

6) All the while cultivating a persona of being the good RI citizen innocently seeking the truth with fellow travelers.

Super duper cool of you. Utterly arrogant and insulting. Amazing actually.

7) When criticism arises take cover by pretending to be aggreived and appealing to people's compassion and natural tendency to protect an underdog. (Oh yah, you're an underdog)

Total and absolute projection. Absurd to the T. Quit fucking whining know it all.

You could follow this formula for years without any interference. It's net effect is to dumb down the conversation, drive away more thoughtful members and prevent more thoughtful members from joining or speaking.

Get the fuck up off your pity party and join the party. Jesus fucking effin Christ.

How to tell the difference?

The difference is because, me as myself, a guy named Jeremy who goes by 82_28 on RI is fucking offended by you even starting this thread. Man oh man, am I pissed the more I think about it. Just lay the fuck off. Way to ruin a perfectly good thing. Unbelievable, the arrogance and selfishness of people. People's hang-ups that force them to destroy shit never ceases to amaze me.

[justdrew]

brainpanhandler, I don't think that's going on currently. it's been around, but let's not overstate the power such efforts have, we're a naturally immunized group to some extent. Anyway, I've certainly harbored doubts about things and usernames, and the ease of sock-puppetry is annoying, but i think that ease also makes it hard to know with any certainty when it's going on. if one senses a negative current, setting up a counter current, rather than head on confrontation with something that may or may not even be, is probably, in my estimation, a better course of action. it's certainly easy to take the bullet points in the OP wrong and feel (unintentionally) insulted.

[wintler2]

.. setting up a counter current, rather than head on confrontation with something that may or may not even be, is probably, in my estimation, a better course of action.

Are you sure you're not letting yourself be intimidated by tantrums?

it's certainly easy to take the bullet points in the OP wrong and feel (unintentionally) insulted.

So we shouldn't talk about it because somebody might take offence? i don't agree, particularly when taking offence is so often just a rationalisation for aggression (e.g. "YOU looking at ME, FAG?!?!?"). And i think its worth noting that the only posters on this thread hyperventilating and directing abuse are those trying to shut it down.