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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#237651: Apr 6th 2018 at 4:29:50 AM

[up][up] Ramidel, I agree with all of those points.

Regarding Russian trolls, we have never explicitly identified any TVT accounts as being part of a trollfarm, but we have banned a few for openly shilling for Russia. During and around the election, we had a number of accounts coming on with names like "TrumpIsGreat" and nakedly trolIing, to the point where we installed a passive block on all new accounts with "trump" in the handle. I also remember a few years back when we got some poor fool telling everyone how great North Korea is, who couldn't more obviously have been a shill if he'd tried.

It does seem fairly rare though, compared to the overall incidence on the Internet, and I think it's probably accurate to say that we're too small to be worth that much attention.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#237652: Apr 6th 2018 at 4:32:25 AM

[up] One of the perks of being a relatively small fish, I suppose.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#237653: Apr 6th 2018 at 4:57:21 AM

Forums, in general, are not ideal for the Kremlin's bots. Those use Twitter, Facebook and similar platforms that actively shove data in your face, or they use actual news sites or aggregators combined with clickbaity titles, not to mention article comments. They don't want a conversation with you. They want to make a lot of meaningless noise and clog your bullshit filters. And any activity they do on a forum can be quickly countered with facts.

Forum trolls are generally in it for the lulz/tears/grief/chatpornnote /whatever name they use for their internet amusement.

BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#237654: Apr 6th 2018 at 4:58:43 AM

the resistance should in turn target specific Trump donors by boycotting and starving their businesses, and then go after military recruiters on campus.
Wait, What?? Why are you targeting the military now? We're not Trump's stormtroopers.
at least Cambridge Analytica's influence will be gone in the next election. That should sway things in the Democrats' favor a little.
Depends - have Republicans started building their next disinformation machine to replace it? CA was started years before the election, so I'm a little worried that we won't discover CA 2.0 until, say, 2021.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#237655: Apr 6th 2018 at 5:00:33 AM

No, but we have discovered the tactics and methods and developed antibodies. It's unlikely that they'll come up with an entirely new wave of disinformation tactics by 2020.

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#237656: Apr 6th 2018 at 5:09:33 AM

[up] And if we understand Cambridge Analytica, we also understand more about how that Russians were using Facebook, since they were pretty similar.

edited 6th Apr '18 5:11:49 AM by megaeliz

nightwyrm_zero Since: Apr, 2010
#237657: Apr 6th 2018 at 6:39:00 AM

We're TV Tropes. We don't need bots to ruin people's lives. tongue

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#237658: Apr 6th 2018 at 6:48:25 AM

[up] There's a forum signature to be had there.

edited 6th Apr '18 6:48:33 AM by sgamer82

MorningStar1337 The Encounter that ended the Dogma from 🤔 Since: Nov, 2012
The Encounter that ended the Dogma
#237659: Apr 6th 2018 at 6:57:14 AM

[up] I shall claim that signature as my own tongue

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#237660: Apr 6th 2018 at 6:58:30 AM

Alternatively, your sig could be "Not a bot!", echoing Trump's "Not a puppet!"

Disgusted, but not surprised
MorningStar1337 The Encounter that ended the Dogma from 🤔 Since: Nov, 2012
The Encounter that ended the Dogma
#237661: Apr 6th 2018 at 6:59:29 AM

[up] Sounds more appropriate for below the avatar TBH.

Actually i wonder if the "relationship status" list can be updated.

edited 6th Apr '18 7:00:05 AM by MorningStar1337

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#237662: Apr 6th 2018 at 7:07:41 AM

If I wasn't already satisfied with my avatar caption, I'd consider using it myself. It'd be extra ironic given my choice of avatar.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#237663: Apr 6th 2018 at 7:09:55 AM

The only bots we really have to "worry" about are the spam ones trying to get us to buy "supplements".tongue

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Medinoc from France (Before Recorded History)
#237664: Apr 6th 2018 at 7:11:35 AM

If I weren't already satisfied with my current avatar, I'd switch to Howard T. Ackerman and take the caption.

Hm, it appears that while watching The Shape of Water, I mistook Nigel Bennett for J. K. Simmons

edited 6th Apr '18 7:13:52 AM by Medinoc

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#237665: Apr 6th 2018 at 7:13:02 AM

This is actually hilarious!

'Concerned' Evangelicals Plan To Meet With Trump As Sex Scandals Swirl

As allegations continue to swirl about the president and a payout to a porn star to cover up a sexual encounter, evangelical leaders are organizing a sit-down with President Trump in June, four sources with knowledge of the planned meeting tell NPR.

"We're very concerned" about the allegations, said a leader of a faith-based ministry. The leader is involved in hosting the gathering, which organizers are aiming to take place June 19 at Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. The source said the combination of the Stormy Daniels sex-scandal allegations and Trump's continued reputation for divisive rhetoric could suppress evangelical turnout in the November 2018 elections.

"It is a concern of ours that 2018 could be very detrimental to some of the other issues that we hold dear," like religious liberty and restricting abortion rights, the source noted. The source, like the others with knowledge of the event, spoke to NPR on the condition of anonymity so as to not jeopardize the meeting.

Trump has denied Daniels' allegations. Speaking with reporters on Air Force One on Thursday, he also denied knowing about the payment his attorney, Michael Cohen, made to Daniels days before the 2016 presidential election. She alleges she was paid $130,000 not to talk about the alleged affair.

Sources say organizers are working to firm up planning for the day-long event with the White House before sending invitations to hundreds of conservative Christian pastors and political leaders in the coming days.

Asked for comment Thursday, a White House spokesman declined.

Trump has been invited to take questions from the evangelical leaders for roughly 90 minutes during the meeting. It's not clear whether the allegations from Daniels — or another woman who alleges she had an affair with Trump, former Playboy model Karen Mc Dougal — are likely to come up while the president is on stage in a more open session.

But a source said the president is likely to be asked about the women during private discussions in at least a "sidebar conversation."

The ministry leader said Trump's tone and personal life remain a concern for many evangelicals.

"There's things that are like fingernails on the chalkboard to people of faith. That's not who we are; that's not a 'fruit of the Spirit'; that's not leading with humility," the source said, referencing a passage in the New Testament book of Galatians that describes the character traits Christians exhibit.

The meeting is part of an effort to rally and reassure conservative voters, especially white evangelicals who fueled Trump's run to the White House, ahead of this year's midterms. But it also could raise questions about the ethics of holding such events, organized through the White House, at Trump's hotel just a few blocks from the White House.

That prospect did not seem to concern the evangelical leaders involved with booking the event.

"That doesn't even cross our mind," said one person with knowledge of the planning, adding that the hotel was chosen because "this is probably the best deal in D.C."

https://www.npr.org/2018/04/06/599972396/concerned-evangelicals-plan-to-meet-with-trump-as-sex-scandals-swirl

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#237666: Apr 6th 2018 at 7:14:44 AM

[up] Oh, now they're concerned. They knew what they voted into power.

Disgusted, but not surprised
RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#237667: Apr 6th 2018 at 7:22:32 AM

Eh, I doubt anything will come of it. They'll fall in line as long as Trump doesn't ban churches.

It's been fun.
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#237668: Apr 6th 2018 at 7:24:02 AM

This is the best part:

While Trump has been asked to headline this year's event, participants also plan to spend several hours discussing priorities and strategy for the midterms, which could include inserting reminders in church bulletins to head to the polls on Election Day.

Another source with knowledge of the plans for the event tells NPR that the gathering will encourage pastors and other leaders to frame voting as a Christian's "civic duty," rather than urging churchgoers to support a particular political party.

That said, white evangelicals overwhelmingly favor Republican candidates at the polls. Whatever their misgivings, 81 percent of self-identified white evangelicals voted for Trump in the November 2016 election. Recent polls suggest a majority still back Trump despite the Daniels allegations, though his popularity with the group took a dip after the news initially broke.

The source with knowledge of plans for the June meeting told NPR that organizers have worried that some evangelicals might avoid the event because of the Daniels controversy.

"For some evangelical leaders," the source said, "it's a liability."

But others, including Penny Nance of Concerned Women for America, expressed optimism that the president will weather the Daniels storm.

"I just honestly don't hear hand-wringing over the issue," Nance said. "They're not surprised; they made that decision a long time ago. This president is not Rick Santorum or Mike Huckabee; he doesn't pretend to be a Bible-banging evangelical."

Ralph Reed, chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, also said it's "highly dubious" that the allegations will substantially erode the president's support or suppress midterm turnout.

Reed said that he will attend the meeting with the president if the planning moves forward. Given how organized and energized Democrats are this year, he said it's important for evangelical leaders to rally their base.

"If these folks don't turn out in record numbers in 2018," Reed said, "it's gonna be a long night for Republicans."

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#237669: Apr 6th 2018 at 7:24:08 AM

or God forbid tax churches

[up][up]

edited 6th Apr '18 7:24:24 AM by Ultimatum

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
thatindiantroper Since: Feb, 2015
#237670: Apr 6th 2018 at 7:28:14 AM

“They'll fall in line as long as Trump doesn't ban churches.“

Part of me hopes he tries to do just that because they ticked him off.

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#237671: Apr 6th 2018 at 7:32:20 AM

Still, the fact that they are even nervous enough to even consider it gives me great pleasure.

(Page-topper wonderful)

edited 6th Apr '18 7:35:13 AM by megaeliz

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#237672: Apr 6th 2018 at 7:36:44 AM

"I was totally comfortable with voting for Donald Trump when he was abusing women, ogling beauty pageant contestants, and making raunchy comments about his daughter, but dating a porn star... that's too much."

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
AngelusNox Warder of the damned from The guard of the gates of oblivion Since: Dec, 2014 Relationship Status: Married to the job
Warder of the damned
#237673: Apr 6th 2018 at 7:41:51 AM

TV Tropes OTC forums are one of the few I can safely follow without being worried of it descending to 4chan or facebook tier of shitstorm.

Granted, moderation is key and TVT Forums are small enough to have a very effective one.

Inter arma enim silent leges
Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#237674: Apr 6th 2018 at 7:43:10 AM

"I was totally comfortable with voting for Donald Trump when he was abusing women, ogling beauty pageant contestants, and making raunchy comments about his daughter, but dating a porn star... that's too much."

That definitely sounds like something I'd hear out of American politics.

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#237675: Apr 6th 2018 at 7:45:23 AM

@Fighteer: If they believe that women are property anyway, that statement is perfectly consistent with their views.


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