Influence Operations on Gab, Part Two
The Methods and Goals of Internet Psywar
Now is a good time to direct you, dear reader, toward two key resources which establish how and why subversives seek to prevent we, the people from talking about IDEAS. IDEAS are power, and our ideas have tremendous reach, as can be seen in J.D. Vance's account on the platform stupidly renamed X. My pal Paul Suda refers to this as an immortal truth that The Enemy has always understood:
The most powerful propaganda is not powerful because it reaches the most people, but because it reaches POWERFUL people
Thus, they work to limit the spread of ideas either by manipulating forums, manipulating users, or simply making the user experience awful so that people go elsewhere. These methods go all the way back to WWII and the OSS Simple Sabotage manual, which lists tried and true techniques for disrupting organizations as codified by Marxist subversives in the 19th century, and likely dating to much earlier. Jump to page 18 for (11) General Interference with Organizations and Production.
Internet discussions have been disrupted professionally for decades; the next document details classic COINTELPRO Techniques for dilution, misdirection and control of a internet forum.
Technique #1 - 'FORUM SLIDING'
If a very sensitive posting of a critical nature has been posted on a forum - it can be quickly removed from public view by 'forum sliding.' In this technique a number of unrelated posts are quietly prepositioned on the forum and allowed to 'age.' Each of these misdirectional forum postings can then be called upon at will to trigger a 'forum slide.'
Technique #2 - 'CONSENSUS CRACKING'
A second highly effective technique (which you can see in operation all the time at www.abovetopsecret.com) is 'consensus cracking.' To develop a consensus crack, the following technique is used. Under the guise of a fake account a posting is made which looks legitimate and is towards the truth is made - but the critical point is that it has a VERY WEAK PREMISE without substantive proof to back the posting. [KD note: this is essentially the technique used to dismiss our ideas on tha TeeVee]
Technique #3 - 'TOPIC DILUTION'
Topic dilution is not only effective in forum sliding it is also very useful in keeping the forum readers on unrelated and non-productive issues. This is a critical and useful technique to cause a 'RESOURCE BURN.' By implementing continual and non-related postings that distract and disrupt (trolling ) the forum readers they are more effectively stopped from anything of any real productivity. [KD note: Hollow Earth, crackpot 9/11 conspiracies unrelated to the core conspiracy, etc.]
Technique #4 - 'INFORMATION COLLECTION'
Information collection is also a very effective method to determine the psychological level of the forum members, and to gather intelligence that can be used against them.
Technique #5 - 'ANGER TROLLING'
Statistically, there is always a percentage of the forum posters who are more inclined to violence. In order to determine who these individuals are, it is a requirement to present a image to the forum to deliberately incite a strong psychological reaction.
Technique #6 - 'GAINING FULL CONTROL'
It is important to also be harvesting and continually maneuvering for a forum moderator position.
Read the full article for further details as well as Twenty-Five Rules of Disinformation, Eight Traits of the Disinformationalist, How to Spot a Spy (Cointelpro Agent) and Seventeen Techniques for Truth Suppression.
From Eight Traits of the Disinformationalist:
1) Avoidance. They never actually discuss issues head-on or provide constructive input, generally avoiding citation of references or credentials. Rather, they merely imply this, that, and the other. Virtually everything about their presentation implies their authority and expert knowledge in the matter without any further justification for credibility.
2) Selectivity. They tend to pick and choose opponents carefully, either applying the hit-and-run approach against mere commentators supportive of opponents, or focusing heavier attacks on key opponents who are known to directly address issues. Should a commentator become argumentative with any success, the focus will shift to include the commentator as well.
3) Coincidental. They tend to surface suddenly and somewhat coincidentally with a new controversial topic with no clear prior record of participation in general discussions in the particular public arena involved.
4) Teamwork. They tend to operate in self-congratulatory and complementary packs or teams.
5) Anti-conspiratorial. They almost always have disdain for 'conspiracy theorists' and, usually, for those who in any way believe JFK was not killed by LHO. Ask yourself why, if they hold such disdain for conspiracy theorists, do they focus on defending a single topic discussed in a NG focusing on conspiracies?
6) Artificial Emotions. An odd kind of 'artificial' emotionalism and an unusually thick skin -- an ability to persevere and persist even in the face of overwhelming criticism and unacceptance. [Note: trve poasters also exhibit this trait]
7) Inconsistent. There is also a tendency to make mistakes which betray their true self/motives.
8) Time Constant. Recently discovered, with respect to News Groups, is the response time factor.
Again, why do they do this?
One way to neutralize a potential activist is to get them to be in a group that does all the wrong things. Why?
1) The message doesn't get out.
2) A lot of time is wasted
3) The activist is frustrated and discouraged
4) Nothing good is accomplished.
Veteran poasters recognize much of the above. Next time, we'll discuss the WHO.
KD