How to Spot a Russian Bot on Social Media

[RKP5637]

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/spot-russian-bot-social-media/

Spotting Russian bots or paid-for shills is no easy task. It is, however, becoming increasingly important as accusations of nation-states meddling in other’s affairs continue to swirl. Can you spot them? Here’s what you need to know.

>>> https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/spot-russian-bot-social-media/

[zipplewrath]

1. Tolerance of Shills

I've always been surprised that DU doesn't object to shills participation. Unless they get the attention of the MIRT, shills are considered "acceptable" here.

[Act_of_Reparation]

2. Easy

Here's one:

https://twitter.com/b0ris_baden0v

[Celerity]

11. How is that a Russian shill or bot?

It has had 4 tweets in total since Trump was elected, none political, and before that it seems to do promotion for music.

[demmiblue]

3. This part:

Spotting paid-shills is more difficult as the onus is on the account maintaining the appearance of a regular social media user. Posts promoting a certain topic or shaping the online conversation might come among regular mundane discussion points to not create suspicion.

Some common tactics include:

Changing the narrative of a hot topic toward something that promotes the agenda of whoever paid for the shill

Consistently attacking something that wasn’t part of the initial conversation (sometimes called “whataboutism,” where a shill argues using terms such as “but what about when X did Y”)

Another spotting tactic is the human cycle. Regular people have to sleep, eat, drink, and so on. If a single account is managing to post on a single agenda continuously for 24-hour periods, something is likely afoot.

But “really good” shills work hard. Instead of merely attacking and contradicting opinion and attempting to shape the discussion, they’ll slowly befriend and infiltrate a group before setting to work.

[PDittie]

4. It is not 'liberal'

nor is it 'progressive', and I would go so far as to say 'undemocratic', to summarily dismiss the views of others by claiming that they are not actual people, or that their views are based on Russian propaganda.

It is in fact garden variety ad hominem. Let's dispense with this McCarthyist nonsense, please.

[Doremus]

8. Ask HRC if she thinks it's McCarthyist nonsense. n/t

[PDittie]

9. I'm not interested in her reply.

Perhaps you could ask, however, and post her response here for those that are.

[Andy823]

12. If they push

Last edited Mon Feb 18, 2019, 08:36 PM - Edit history (1)

Russian propaganda they shouldn't be here, the rules state that. If they trash Democrats, they shouldn't be here the rules say that. If they are simply here to stirring things up and causing divisions they shouldn't be here, the rules again. Bots, trolls or just plain trouble makers should be called out, period.

Those who want to break the rules can always go over to JPR where trashing Democrats, encouraging people to vote for trump, and spreading Russian propaganda is welcome.

[Andy823]

5. K&R nt

[Beringia]

6. I saw on a Washington Post article I think

where the woman said, "say something bad about Putin", to show he was a Russian bot, and there was no reply. Good way to find one I think.

[RKP5637]

7. Interesting. n/t

[PDittie]

10. Hardly.

I would ignore that ignorant question also.

[Beringia]

15. So you wouldn't lift a finger to help sort out the bots from the nots

I see.

[tanyev]

13. One thing I've noticed on a lot of FB pages of conservative friends,

or friends of friends, is a fairly casual warning like “If you get a friend request from me, ignore it, it’s spam”. What has happened to cause them to even issue such a warning and why do they act like it’s no big deal? Is this one of the strategies a bot or shill would use? Set up a duplicate page for someone with identifiable rightward leanings and use that as a way in to all their friends and friends of friends?

[RKP5637]

14. No idea. I don't use Facebook at all. n/t

[janmichael3]

16. they drink coffee from a glass & smoke filterless cigs. nt

[RKP5637]

17. ...

[janmichael3]

18. Guess where I stole that from? Partly?

Give up? The spy who came in from the cold...and living in Poland.