The clampdown started
Last week the Huffington Post made it a requirement to have a verified Facebook to post comments. This change has effectively stopped me from posting on various news articles, essays and opinion pieces on the Huffington Post. I could theoretically get a verified Facebook account but the payoff of trolling ideologues is not greater than the effort of setting something up like that. This aggravation of setting up such a Facebook account will keep others from posting on the Huffington Post comment section as well.
If the end goal is to really close the walls of the echo chamber the Huffington Post has become, they will succeed. As an Internet business they should want as many page clicks as possible. Maybe not though; they could be going for the MSNBC niche market that favors direct propaganda. After talking to my colleagues and looking into what is actually posted for comments, it seems most people comment to fuel comment wars and chicanery aside from a few die hard true believers.
Free thought is a threat to some systems
This somewhat totalitarian method of control is indicative of the desperation of certain ideology. A system like the USSR could not succeed in the long-term with the existence of a large free state in competition with it. The same idea holds true for certain ideologies. If oppositional ideas, criticisms and trolls are weeded out the only thing left would be social preening between like-minded individuals. By switching to verified Facebook accounts, the actual commenter pool of the Huffington Post is going to be extremely small. This could be the intention because ivory tower people like to pretend opposition doesn’t exist or have no valid points. I guess it makes them feel comfortable to only hear the things they already believe in while they talk with their friends while sniffing wine. I guess as long as the conversation doesn’t rock the boat they don’t care that their ladies are getting drilled by the gardener in the guesthouse.
Justification for trolling
One might wonder what the purpose of trolling the Internet is. There are many. My favorite is exposing the lunacy of certain people’s ideology. Instead of disagreeing with their points, I merely agree and amplify their concepts to the absurd. Some people actually see what I’m doing but not many. You’d be surprised how many people favorite comments calling for the destruction of any political opposition to the prescribed ideology. Some of these same people favoring these cruel comments are surprisingly quick to label other people Nazis.
Tested methodologies
Another method of taking apart the ideological views of a group is to get one subgroup’s prerogative in conflict with another subgroup within the same ideological coalition. This has been demonstrated here. What do you do if you come across a bunch of Hillary Clinton 2016 fans? Tell them we need to change the Constitution so President Barack Obama can run again. That tends to get them to turn on each other real quick. Remember if you trolling hard, always remember which way is up, and don’t get stuck into limbo.
Historical examples
The Huffington Post article trolling which began in 2011 had ended last week. Allow me to show you some comments. I chose based on what caused the most rage and frustration, not wit or intellect. Here they are:
This really got the progressives riled up about sustainability.
This article could possibly been the cause for the Huffington Post comment policy change.
They got real upset when I pointed out their “Third Reich” tendencies with that one.
The cognitive dissonance reached 11 in that thread.
The “Rape Culture” activists lost their shit on that one.
When the equality card gets used against the hive mind, meltdown ensues.
The “Blame Bush” knee jerk reactions were big in that one.
Whenever I questioned the prerogative that the people need to be told what they need, some people lose their minds.
The change to verified Facebook accounts as a requirement to comment also indicates the internet trolls are actually making an impact on the delivery of the narrative pushed by the Huffington Post. By taking such drastic step, they are worried about something. This something is not merely a civil concern because the tattle tales over there are quick to snitch by flagging. It seems as this move is a shrewd move to remove cerebral commenter who is not in the hivemind. For the most part anyone that has a brain and has any political mindedness whatsoever would never get a verified Facebook account. It is always best to leave deniability on the table case you might need it. Remember the ultimate excuse for things you might say on the Internet is “just trollin brah”. Disclaimer: this method most likely will not work in criminal or civil court.
Read More: Winners Of The Commenting Contest
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