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COINTELPRO Techniques for Dilution, Misdirection and Control of an Internet Forum

George Washington's picture




 

We have repeatedly addressed the topic of disruption of logical debate on the Internet.

An anonymous writer posted an important new report on disruption at Pastebin.  It is in the style of a leaked law enforcement memo, although we cannot vouch for its authenticity as a document produced by a whistleblower.  However, we have seen these techniques repeatedly used to disrupt Internet debate, and so - even if only copying the style of a real memo - it contains valuable information which all web user should know.

COINTELPRO Techniques for dilution, misdirection and control of a internet forum.

There are several techniques for the control and manipulation of a internet forum no matter what, or who is on it. We will go over each technique and demonstrate that only a minimal number of operatives can be used to eventually and effectively gain a control of a 'uncontrolled 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.' The second requirement is that several fake accounts exist, which can be called upon, to ensure that this technique is not exposed to the public. To trigger a 'forum slide' and 'flush' the critical post out of public view it is simply a matter of logging into each account both real and fake and then 'replying' to prepositined postings with a simple 1 or 2 line comment. This brings the unrelated postings to the top of the forum list, and the critical posting 'slides' down the front page, and quickly out of public view. Although it is difficult or impossible to censor the posting it is now lost in a sea of unrelated and unuseful postings. By this means it becomes effective to keep the readers of the forum reading unrelated and non-issue items.

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. Once this is done then under alternative fake accounts a very strong position in your favour is slowly introduced over the life of the posting. It is IMPERATIVE that both sides are initially presented, so the uninformed reader cannot determine which side is the truth. As postings and replies are made the stronger 'evidence' or disinformation in your favour is slowly 'seeded in.' Thus the uninformed reader will most like develop the same position as you, and if their position is against you their opposition to your posting will be most likely dropped. However in some cases where the forum members are highly educated and can counter your disinformation with real facts and linked postings, you can then 'abort' the consensus cracking by initiating a 'forum slide.'

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. If the intensity of gradual dilution is intense enough, the readers will effectively stop researching and simply slip into a 'gossip mode.' In this state they can be more easily misdirected away from facts towards uninformed conjecture and opinion. The less informed they are the more effective and easy it becomes to control the entire group in the direction that you would desire the group to go in. It must be stressed that a proper assessment of the psychological capabilities and levels of education is first determined of the group to determine at what level to 'drive in the wedge.' By being too far off topic too quickly it may trigger censorship by a forum moderator.

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. In this technique in a light and positive environment a 'show you mine so me yours' posting is initiated. From the number of replies and the answers that are provided much statistical information can be gathered. An example is to post your 'favourite weapon' and then encourage other members of the forum to showcase what they have. In this matter it can be determined by reverse proration what percentage of the forum community owns a firearm, and or a illegal weapon. This same method can be used by posing as one of the form members and posting your favourite 'technique of operation.' From the replies various methods that the group utilizes can be studied and effective methods developed to stop them from their activities.

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. From this the most violent in the group can be effectively singled out for reverse IP location and possibly local enforcement tracking. To accomplish this only requires posting a link to a video depicting a local police officer massively abusing his power against a very innocent individual. Statistically of the million or so police officers in America there is always one or two being caught abusing there powers and the taping of the activity can be then used for intelligence gathering purposes - without the requirement to 'stage' a fake abuse video. This method is extremely effective, and the more so the more abusive the video can be made to look. Sometimes it is useful to 'lead' the forum by replying to your own posting with your own statement of violent intent, and that you 'do not care what the authorities think!!' inflammation. By doing this and showing no fear it may be more effective in getting the more silent and self-disciplined violent intent members of the forum to slip and post their real intentions. This can be used later in a court of law during prosecution.

Technique #6 - 'GAINING FULL CONTROL'

It is important to also be harvesting and continually maneuvering for a forum moderator position. Once this position is obtained, the forum can then be effectively and quietly controlled by deleting unfavourable postings - and one can eventually steer the forum into complete failure and lack of interest by the general public. This is the 'ultimate victory' as the forum is no longer participated with by the general public and no longer useful in maintaining their freedoms. Depending on the level of control you can obtain, you can deliberately steer a forum into defeat by censoring postings, deleting memberships, flooding, and or accidentally taking the forum offline. By this method the forum can be quickly killed. However it is not always in the interest to kill a forum as it can be converted into a 'honey pot' gathering center to collect and misdirect newcomers and from this point be completely used for your control for your agenda purposes.

CONCLUSION

Remember these techniques are only effective if the forum participants DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THEM. Once they are aware of these techniques the operation can completely fail, and the forum can become uncontrolled. At this point other avenues must be considered such as initiating a false legal precidence to simply have the forum shut down and taken offline. This is not desirable as it then leaves the enforcement agencies unable to track the percentage of those in the population who always resist attempts for control against them. Many other techniques can be utilized and developed by the individual and as you develop further techniques of infiltration and control it is imperative to share then with HQ.

 

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Mon, 10/29/2012 - 06:31 | 2927156 lakecity55
lakecity55's picture

Also a great way for a department to raise more tax$$.

"My gawd, Cecil, u caught 400 hadjis last year! You need more funds!"

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 01:19 | 2926972 mkhs
mkhs's picture

Where is technique 7, suggest bombing target and supply explosives?

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 01:30 | 2926987 a growing concern
a growing concern's picture

Also, be sure to give the dupe a ridiculous sounding quasi-Muslim name.

Sun, 10/28/2012 - 23:36 | 2926829 treasurefish
treasurefish's picture

What, exactly, is the point in controlling stupid internet forums?  

 

Remember:  Arguing on the internet is like winning the Special Olympics - you are still retarded even if you win.

 

The parasitic US Government spends how much doing this?  Bunch of retards.

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 16:25 | 2928820 Urban Redneck
Urban Redneck's picture

I think that from the perspective of the State- Self Censorship is more desirable than Control of internet forums. Why even bother with the comments at at HuffPo or Faux News?

At the end of the day the only sensible option is to keep both your eyes and your mind open.

Back in the good old days of the days (Cold War), before the convenient mass adoption of internet tubes, and when there distinct geographic silos for the FBI and CIA, the State was already spending an ungodly amount on DISINFORMATION. Who knows how much it is now? At least back then there were four career officers who had all the answers.

Now that the establishment has dusted off the Espionage Act, it is actually more important to keep your eyes and your mind open. With the clampdown on traditional "leaks" old-school methods might be reintroduced, and intentional misinformation from the inside can lead to questioning authority, which in turn lead to official responses providing key details not previously disclosed. Unfortunately it's not a game, and from the outside one almost inveitably misses the forest for a tree.

Defame, Distort, Dilute vs. finding the needle in the haystack...

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 14:48 | 2928573 Zero Govt
Zero Govt's picture

TreasureFish,  "Arguing on the internet is like winning the Special Olympics - you are still retarded even if you win."

How to make friends in the blogsphere, winning comment!!

Not sure how you "win" anything, there's no declared podium for Bronze, Silver and Gold.

I've learnt truckloads blogging from others, more than i did in 10 years of State and private education quite frankly,... it's a 'reverse-retard' effect if your minds open to others views/angles and experience on issues 

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 11:00 | 2927829 mess nonster
mess nonster's picture

"Remember: Arguing on the internet is like winning the Special Olympics - you are still retarded even if you win."

Hahahah! This article describes the ZH community to an absolute "T".

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 14:55 | 2928588 Zero Govt
Zero Govt's picture

and you joined us ....hopefully only very briefly ...bye bye

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 02:46 | 2927058 cynicalskeptic
cynicalskeptic's picture

MOPE = management of perspective economics - why even the Fed was hiring people to post on social media forums   Great piece on 'Myths about the Federal Resserve' on Huff Post...... got their money's worth on that one.

 

Corporations have been diligent on rtrying to control their image - look at all the pro-bank postings coming from BOA, Citi and JPM Ip's a few years back (they finally got better at hiding their tracks).  Government is late to the game.

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 08:40 | 2927347 CloseToTheEdge
Mon, 10/29/2012 - 12:40 | 2928159 lasvegaspersona
lasvegaspersona's picture

close

is this your idea of humor? Your interjecting an off topic comment to divert the forum from paying attention to efforts to divert?...or something like that??

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 01:03 | 2926959 strannick
strannick's picture

George Washington figures anyone who disagrees with his progressivist blather is ''practicing COINTELPRO'' and must be hyperlinked to death with results from his google searches. Yawn.

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 12:08 | 2928042 NotApplicable
NotApplicable's picture

LOL

I was thinking that bringing up this very subject itself all but guarantees that ALL of his future posts will devolve along these lines.

In other words, he failed to see that this article is technique number zero, being the meme that spreads all others in a self-fulfilling prophecy. (Watch, he'll reference it constantly in the future to deflect criticism.)

But yeah, I'm a troll for constantly pointing out he is an incoherent statist who despite journaling nothing but corruption from the halls of power insists upon supporting the apparatus that empowers the criminals, wholly ignoring his treasonous ways in support of the Coup of '13.

I'd say if there's any trolls in these threads, it's George. At least my message is consistent with my ideology, and not some childish wishful-thinking about how the world would be a better place is only I held the gun.

At best, you're the least of the assembled evils. You're still evil though.

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 01:37 | 2926992 Bohm Squad
Bohm Squad's picture

+1 for practicing techniques 1, 3 and probably 4.

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 10:26 | 2927706 Pseudo Anonym
Pseudo Anonym's picture

all one needs to do is post a few joo facts and the thread is done.  no other technique is needed.

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 17:10 | 2928936 Pseudo Anonym
Pseudo Anonym's picture

yeah, either that or that jews are running central banks, destroying humanity, killing innocent civilians, are behind 9/11, provoke wars, manipulate congress, etc.

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 13:59 | 2928397 john39
john39's picture

that whole anti-semitism thing sure provides a nice cover for a luciferian religion doesn't it.

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 02:29 | 2927030 CompassionateFascist
CompassionateFascist's picture

This "document" is just sufficiently illiterate to be have been written by an actual ZOG apparatchik. Needless to say, such dastardly techniques are frequently applied at ZH. The Tylers need to tighten up their moderation. And by the way, GW is a commiefaggot. 

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 11:02 | 2927841 mess nonster
mess nonster's picture

No-one recognizes sarcasm/facetiousness if you don't tag it.

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 14:31 | 2928515 SafelyGraze
SafelyGraze's picture

not true.

many people recognize sarcasm/facetiousness even if you don't tag it

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 16:47 | 2928906 UGrev
UGrev's picture

Fuck you?

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 06:49 | 2927167 JoBob
JoBob's picture

Agree with the "sufficiently illiterate" part, but you could have stopped with that.

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 08:11 | 2927263 Precious
Precious's picture

Enjoy life.  Play spoof the spoofers.

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 16:35 | 2928854 SafelyGraze
SafelyGraze's picture

did anybody see last night's episode of Real Wives of Dancing With the Stars? It was Awesome! 

(mess nonster: am waiting for you to reply "I was being sarcastic" to my reply below .. so I can reply "I was being sarcastic" to your reply)

(precious: apologies for hijacking your reply)

 

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 16:52 | 2928925 Enslavethechild...
EnslavethechildrenforBen's picture

I could still use some help getting the wrinkles out of this http://occupymonopoly.blogspot.com/2012/10/monopoly-occupy-version.html 

Mon, 10/29/2012 - 19:14 | 2929379 SafelyGraze
SafelyGraze's picture

"Sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist."

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!