How to Win Friends and Influence Forum Members

[Michael Hogan]

How to Win Friends and Influence Forum Members

1) Lace your posts heavily with sarcasm, especially when referring to another member. They may get angry, but that's okay. Maybe if you're lucky, they will stoop to your level.

2) Develop the fine art of being insulting. Try to make other posters feel inadequate. You can insult their sources (always a good idea), insult their profession or their grammar. Think of new and novel and humorous ways of insulting. People will admire you for your creativity.

3) Tell others how smart you are. Emphasize your education, your experiences, your annual income and anything else you want to, even if it isn't relevant. After all, you know that people reading your words aren't as bright as you are. You have to help them understand.

4) Avoid providing documentation for your claims. This will drive them crazy. They will waste valuable time trying to find your "sources" in order to refute you. If you feel you must cite a source, choose one that has been widely discredited. They will waste time using their sources to repudiate your sources.

5) Learn and perfect the "Straw Man" method and the "Ad Hominem" attack. In fact, learn how to use as many fallacious arguments as you can. One can never tell when the perfect situation will arise. In fact, here's a list with descriptions. Master all of these. It might take some time, but it will be worth it. http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic...s.html#they_say

6) Take every opportunity to put your spin on what the other person said. If you must quote them, be sure to do it out of context. But the best approach is to take their words and kind of twist them around a little. You know, just enough so that their point is lost. This is particularly effective when they ask you a question.

7) Make sure to get in the last word. It's almost always right to do so. People will think you have backbone. They will know you are a force to be reckoned with. Maybe you can wear them down. After all, most people don't like to trifle past a certain point. Its up to you to find their limits and exceed them. Stamina and bull-doggedness often trump wisdom and insight.

8) If someone does happen to post something logical and/or convincing, respond immediately with an unrelated trivial comment, or a bit of weak humor. This will get your name ahead of theirs and who knows? Maybe some readers will miss what the other person wrote. Probably not, but you never know. In lieu of responding intelligently, this often works wonders.

9) Look for every opportunity to label the other person. Call them a CTer, or a Lone Nutter, or an Inside-Jobber, or a devotee of the Garrison cult. Make up your own labels. This will imply that they can't think for themselves. This one is almost guaranteed to piss them off, an added bonus.

10) Post as many links as you can. After all, even if you haven't mastered the skills of critical thinking and your writing, spelling, and grammatical skills leave a little to be desired...you can still fool people. Hey, this is the internet. People will be impressed by your Googling skills. Don't worry too much about the integrity of your links. Most people will never read them, and even if they do...so what?

11) Call them Mr or Ms (i.e. Mr Smith, Ms Jones). This will confer a false signal of respect. You can call them stupid or idiotic as long as you use their last name. Who can prove you're not being respectful? They may suspect you are being sarcastic. See #1.

12) In the rare cases where you feel it necessary to apologize or admit an error, do it quickly and move on. Don't do it with a sense of humility, rather with an air of indignation. Be sure and qualify your apology or error, you don't want folks to think you are a pushover when your silliness is challenged. And never be reluctant to point out the other person's typos or misspellings. People will know you're intelligent for noticing.

13) Never be afraid to learn new ways to win friends and influence Forum members. Watch the assholes that come in here. Imitate them. Learn from them. Employ the same tactics they do, just be sure and use bigger words.

[J. Raymond Carroll]

How to Win Friends and Influence Forum Members

Never be afraid to learn new ways to win friends and influence Forum members. Watch the assholes that come in here. Imitate them. Learn from them. Employ the same tactics they do, just be sure and use bigger words.

The purpose of this forum is to facilitate inquiry into the assassination of JFK. If Mr. Hogan wants to win friends, he should go to eharmony.com

[Michael Hogan]

J. Ray Carroll wrote:

"The purpose of this forum is to facilitate inquiry into the assassination of JFK. If Mr. Hogan wants to win friends, he should go to eharmony.com"

Very impressive. He managed to incorporate #1, #2, #4, #5, #6, #8, #11 in just two sentences.

Perhaps offering unsolicited advice to others should have been #13.

Tell us Mr. Carroll, did you find eharmony.com productive? Are you still a member?

Edited June 26, 2006 by Michael Hogan

[Mike Rago]

I just have to bump this thread. Mostly for my own flaws.

[Len Colby]

How to Win Friends and Influence Forum Members

1) Lace your posts heavily with sarcasm, especially when referring to another member. They may get angry, but that's okay. Maybe if you're lucky, they will stoop to your level.

2) Develop the fine art of being insulting. Try to make other posters feel inadequate. You can insult their sources (always a good idea), insult their profession or their grammar. Think of new and novel and humorous ways of insulting. People will admire you for your creativity.

3) Tell others how smart you are. Emphasize your education, your experiences, your annual income and anything else you want to, even if it isn't relevant. After all, you know that people reading your words aren't as bright as you are. You have to help them understand.

4) Avoid providing documentation for your claims. This will drive them crazy. They will waste valuable time trying to find your "sources" in order to refute you. If you feel you must cite a source, choose one that has been widely discredited. They will waste time using their sources to repudiate your sources.

5) Learn and perfect the "Straw Man" method and the "Ad Hominem" attack. In fact, learn how to use as many fallacious arguments as you can. One can never tell when the perfect situation will arise. In fact, here's a list with descriptions. Master all of these. It might take some time, but it will be worth it. http://www.don-linds...s.html#they_say

6) Take every opportunity to put your spin on what the other person said. If you must quote them, be sure to do it out of context. But the best approach is to take their words and kind of twist them around a little. You know, just enough so that their point is lost. This is particularly effective when they ask you a question.

7) Make sure to get in the last word. It's almost always right to do so. People will think you have backbone. They will know you are a force to be reckoned with. Maybe you can wear them down. After all, most people don't like to trifle past a certain point. Its up to you to find their limits and exceed them. Stamina and bull-doggedness often trump wisdom and insight.

8) If someone does happen to post something logical and/or convincing, respond immediately with an unrelated trivial comment, or a bit of weak humor. This will get your name ahead of theirs and who knows? Maybe some readers will miss what the other person wrote. Probably not, but you never know. In lieu of responding intelligently, this often works wonders.

9) Look for every opportunity to label the other person. Call them a CTer, or a Lone Nutter, or an Inside-Jobber, or a devotee of the Garrison cult. Make up your own labels. This will imply that they can't think for themselves. This one is almost guaranteed to piss them off, an added bonus.

10) Post as many links as you can. After all, even if you haven't mastered the skills of critical thinking and your writing, spelling, and grammatical skills leave a little to be desired...you can still fool people. Hey, this is the internet. People will be impressed by your Googling skills. Don't worry too much about the integrity of your links. Most people will never read them, and even if they do...so what?

11) Call them Mr or Ms (i.e. Mr Smith, Ms Jones). This will confer a false signal of respect. You can call them stupid or idiotic as long as you use their last name. Who can prove you're not being respectful? They may suspect you are being sarcastic. See #1.

12) In the rare cases where you feel it necessary to apologize or admit an error, do it quickly and move on. Don't do it with a sense of humility, rather with an air of indignation. Be sure and qualify your apology or error, you don't want folks to think you are a pushover when your silliness is challenged. And never be reluctant to point out the other person's typos or misspellings. People will know you're intelligent for noticing.

13) Never be afraid to learn new ways to win friends and influence Forum members. Watch the assholes that come in here. Imitate them. Learn from them. Employ the same tactics they do, just be sure and use bigger words.

Uuuh, the irony!!

[David Josephs]

You must have some FBI friends Michael...

If interested, I can post the rest...

DJ

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

2. Twenty-Five Rules of Disinformation

3. Eight Traits of the Disinformationalist

4. How to Spot a Spy (Cointelpro Agent)

5. Seventeen Techniques for Truth Suppression

______________________________________________________________________________________

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.

Now that we're aware.... and have given actions labels.... shaft from wheat should be very obvious

DJ

[Mike Rago]

Lets talk about disinformation. To be honest I was not aware of its formal definition until I just googled the term. Here is how disinformation is defined in Wikipedia

Disinformation is intentionally false or inaccurate information that is spread deliberately. For this reason, it is synonymous with and sometimes called black propaganda. It is an act of deception and false statements to convince someone of untruth. Disinformation should not be confused with misinformation, information that is unintentionally false.

Unlike traditional propaganda techniques designed to engage emotional support, disinformation is designed to manipulate the audience at the rational level by either discrediting conflicting information or supporting false conclusions.A common disinformation tactic is to mix some truth and observation with false conclusions and lies, or to reveal part of the truth while presenting it as the whole (a limited hangout).

Another technique of concealing facts, or censorship, is also used if the group can affect such control. When channels of information cannot be completely closed, they can be rendered useless by filling them with disinformation, effectively lowering their signal-to-noise ratio and discrediting the opposition by association with many easily disproved false claims.

http://en.wikipedia..../Disinformation

This is interesting stuff. ..

Black propaganda is false information and material that purports to be from a source on one side of a conflict, but is actually from the opposing side. It is typically used to vilify, embarrass or misrepresent the enemy.^[1] Black propaganda contrasts with grey propaganda, the source of which is not identified, and white propaganda, in which the real source is declared and usually more accurate information is given, albeit slanted, distorted and omissive. It is covert in nature in that its aims, identity, significance, and sources are hidden.

http://en.wikipedia....lack_propaganda

A limited hangout, or partial hangout, is a public relations or propaganda technique that involves the release of previously hidden information in order to prevent a greater exposure of more important details. It takes the form of deception, misdirection, or coverup often associated with intelligence agencies involving a release or "mea culpa" type of confession of only part of a set of previously hidden sensitive information, that establishes credibility for the one releasing the information who by the very act of confession appears to be "coming clean" and acting with integrity; but in actuality, by withholding key facts, is protecting a deeper operation and those who could be exposed if the whole truth came out. In effect, if an array of offenses or misdeeds is suspected, this confession admits to a lesser offense while covering up the greater ones.

http://en.wikipedia....Limited_hangout

Now I know what Political Scientists do. I bet John McAdams knows all about this stuff!

Edited November 22, 2012 by Mike Rago

[Pamela Brown]

Mike R. said: Now I know what Political Scientists do. I bet John McAdams knows all about this stuff!

Indeed, McAdams is a master at all these propaganda techniques. But you can't get him to acknowledge it. He calls it 'Assasination Logic'. :-0

[Len Colby]

You must have some FBI friends Michael...

If interested, I can post the rest...

DJ

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

2. Twenty-Five Rules of Disinformation

3. Eight Traits of the Disinformationalist

4. How to Spot a Spy (Cointelpro Agent)

5. Seventeen Techniques for Truth Suppression

______________________________________________________________________________________

David,

I nominate you for the Most Overworked Cliche Award! This has been posted here six times already. It appeared in the threads listed below. The ironic thing is that the people who post it normally stoop to such tactics quite frequently.

Len