Conspiracy Theories: General

[American Patriot]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear,_u...inty_and_doubt

The FUD Factor.

Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt.

Argument NUMBER ONE for a conspiracy theory ALWAYS uses this FUD factor.

FUD techniques may be crude and simple, as in claiming "I read a paper by a Harvard professor that shows you are wrong regarding subject XXX", but the paper does not exist. (Were the paper to exist then it would not be FUD but valid criticism.) Alternatively FUD may be very subtle, employing an indirect approach. Someone who employs FUD cannot generally back up their claims (i.e. "I don't recall which professor or which year the paper is from"). To dispel FUD, the easiest way is to ask for details and then provide well researched hard facts which disprove them. For instance, if it can be shown that no Harvard professor ever has written a paper on subject XXX, then the FUD is dispelled.

I invite discussion.

[Toad]

...the easiest way is to ask for details and then provide well researched hard facts which disprove them.

I use this on my 11 year old every day.

Toad
Master FUD-Buster

[American Patriot]

Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.

Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation


^ ^{a b} Donath, Judith S. (1999). "Identity and deception in the virtual community". in Smith, Marc A.; Kollock, Peter. Communities in Cyberspace (illustrated, reprint ed.). Routledge. pp. 29–59. ISBN 9780415191401. http://books.google.com/?id=210IkjyN8gEC. Retrieved 2009-03-24.

[Toad]

I think Peterle, the difference between a true conspiracy theorist and a true troll is very well defined.

Someone who truly believes in that "conspiracy" theory - it' isn't conspiracy to them. They buy into it, it's a very real possibility and theory to them. They may want to create a greater awareness and reaction, but because they believe in it.

A true troll though doesn't at all. They play into the (honest)theory in cynicisim, hyping it to ridicule and mock it, in varying degrees of subtlety. (or not) A short term troll's cynicisim is obvious in it's ridicule. A master troll however is damaging in their subtlety. They push the theory and theorists beyond honest questioning to turf they never would have naturally gone to. Poke and prod skillfully into crazy land. What started as unusual but interesting theory and questioning gets sudden attention for the trolls push to not-rational questions.

It takes just one nut-job in a group to ruin the reputation of the otherwise honest group. The stealth troll.


But I'm sure Mr. Donaldson was not referring to me. My posted articles and comments from the last couple years stand on their own. And FUD-busting is entirely applicable to pre-teens. When you're busting some BS story concocted on the fly, you're busting FUD. Disect it, screen the details, bust it with facts.

[American Patriot]

No, I'm not referring to anyone here

I'm attempting to educate. I'm working on a few chapters on a book I might actually publish abuot this subject. These are just some tiny tidbits I'm pointing to.

The fact is a vast amount of my experience as an admin and moderator came from Anomalies and while I most certainly have run my share of sites and forums, not to mention email lists and the like, BBSes (dialup) and other forums of communication and there is where the Conspiracy Theorists of the last decade cut their teeth.