Can you spot the troll? Take the quiz!

[Qutzupalotl]

https://spotthetroll.org/

This is harder than you might think. Posted as a PSA.

[Sherman A1]

1. I believe

I have spotted one today.

[Qutzupalotl]

2. Good

If it was on DU, was it reported? They don’t always give themselves away (explicitly break the rules here), in my experience.

The quiz in the OP is about Twitter and Instagram. Sometimes there are signs, but I only scored a 4 out of 8. I thought I was savvy, having been here for 18 years, but I learned a lot today from the quiz.

[Piasladic]

3. Fun

6/8, but at least I learned something and enjoyed it.

[empedocles]

5. Give some samples?

[Piasladic]

7. I'd say try it yourself first,

but one thing I learned was that trolls can come in many flavors (seemingly liberal and annoyingly conservative), and some obnoxious people may not be trolls, just obnoxious.

Some more concrete things were the trolls seemed to lack any kind of personal information about themselves or where they live in their profiles. Also, they tend to be one topic fanatics and divisive.

[COL Mustard]

4. I Only Got 4/8

Guess I need to watch my friends!

[Warpy]

34. That's actually not too bad. Trolls, especially the offshore variety, have gotten subtle.

They're more interested in spreading doubt and disinformation.

Trolls here at DU are the domestic, old fashioned variety, narcissistic bullies who try to goad good members into breaking the rules, just like those middle school cretins we all knew so well.

[Cirque du So-What]

6. Missed one

You’re right; it’s not easy.

[stillcool]

8. seemed to get harder as it went along..

but fascinating. I don't do twitter or facebook, and I can clearly see what a good thing that is.

[ProfessorGAC]

36. Wow! I Thought The Opposite

Once I got the concepts, I got 3 of the last 4 correct.
But, I did read the summaries so I was getting what to look for, more & more.
Early on, I probably should have flipped a coin!
Couldn't do worse that 0 for 4!

[betsuni]

50. Same here.

Got the first two wrong, from there all the rest right once I got the hang of it.

[wryter2000]

9. That is really cool

I only got 5 out of 8.

[Still Sensible]

10. Got 6 of 8 correct...

Good exercise. Obviously it's a lot easier to identify the assholes that repost troll bullshit than the trolls themselves.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

11. 8/8. n/t

[Tribetime]

12. I didn't know wheatgrass to turn your gray hair back to its original color

And that guy number 8 was not a troll I Got 5 out of 8

[Piasladic]

13. That one got me too.

Thus, the reason for the obnoxious people are just obnoxious comment I posted earlier.

[Tribetime]

15. I just looked it up it might be true

I may have to try it😊

[Shrike47]

16. Not a troll, but nuts.

[mercuryblues]

54. I disagree with that one

Just because they are a real person, doesn't mean they aren't trolling.

[nolabear]

14. 5/8 but now I think I may be a troll.

[ProfessorGAC]

17. Got Only 3 of 8. (Edited: really 4)

Last edited Tue Sep 15, 2020, 06:13 PM - Edit history (1)

You're right. It's tough.
I think one would have to have those signs really ingrained to catch these. I was learning as I went, but still got the last one wrong.

I just remembered. I really got 4 right, because I got that professor from Rutgers right. I though an ID as specific as that one made it likely real. But, I hit the wrong button. I meant to hit "real" but sloppiness made me hit "troll". I got a " wrong", but I did spot that one correctly.

[whistler162]

18. Usually the person asking me

to spot the troll is the best bet! I see I am still batting 1000!

[GoCubsGo]

19. 7/8.

They got me in the end with the "Natural News" guy.

[chowder66]

23. The last one...Misinformation for profit should be considered trolling.

[GoCubsGo]

51. Yeah, that's how I was looking at it. nt

[niyad]

28. Was the natural news guy mercola?

[muriel_volestrangler]

47. Mike Adams - "Health Ranger" (nt)

[RazzleCat]

20. 7 out of 8

So, okay I guess. Was interesting to take. Seemed I already knew a lot of what they pointed out, but not as well as I thought I did, hence the 7 out of 8.

[ironflange]

21. 4/8, guess I'm more gullible than I thought

[Niagara]

22. I missed one.

For me, it's easier to spot them on social media than on DU.

[Different Drummer]

24. Didn't score very well, but learned a lot. N/T

[BlueWavePsych]

25. I got 4/8

Need practice.

[bronxiteforever]

26. Kick and recommend. Great post!

[Squinch]

27. That's excellent. I got 4/8 too. They fool us all!

[gordianot]

29. 8 out of 8.

There is one other category I am wary of when responding. You see the poster either putting motor cycles, cars or pets in their descriptions. Often they identify with edgy artwork and have no local connections. Their friends are not local if they list friends.

When challenged “Are you a troll? they frequently come back with “Are you drunk or on drugs”. By that time they cut it off.

I am always wary of comments “Liberals have guns too”. They really like to promote violence.

[Native]

30. Amy duped me.

[superpatriotman]

31. Only 4/8

I’m ashamed to call myself a troll slayer. At best I’m a troll whiffer.

[catbyte]

32. I couldn't get past the picture of the dead horse. It should've come with a warning label.

[likesmountains 52]

33. 8/8 here too!

[Qutzupalotl]

37. You and gordianot are some kind of wizards.

[likesmountains 52]

48. I was not sure on some of them, lucky I guess!

[yonder]

35. 4 out of 8 but I learned a thing or two.

[LuckyCharms]

38. 7 out of 8 correct. n/t

[PatSeg]

39. That was really interesting

Thanks for posting.

I usually look for profiles that have nothing personal in them and profile photos that look like stock photos. Real people tend to LOOK real on social media. Invariably there will be pets, hobbies, or children. It hadn't occurred to be that a troll might pretend to be a young, pretty woman.

[ancianita]

40. I notice that you can't take it more than once. I guess it connects to your actual computer?

You can't even copy-paste the link above. You have to reach it through Google, then put in your email address. Just sayin'.

[moonscape]

41. 6/8 - definitely not always easy! n/t

[Ms. Toad]

42. Got 7/8.

I only missed the last one.

It looked too slick and the removed posts looked to me like it was a troll pushing posts from other trolls.

[MontanaMama]

43. 5/8...but I learned a little something.

[Eliot Rosewater]

44. 7 out of 8 but I skipped thru one so I would have surely been 8/8

But that is what I do anyway.

I remember 2016...the endless bashing of Hillary, which is why we are here



And many of them were not trolls, just really ignorant and selfish people

[Nitram]

45. The way I check out users into look at their photographs. I've run into a lot of fake users who

post only 2 or 3 photos that don't seem to make any sense. Often there's a generic palm tree beach scene, or the same photograph repeated.

[muriel_volestrangler]

46. If we're all getting the same questions, then no. 8 is highly contentious

I recognise the name - Mike Adams. The messages shown are absolutely what he says.

Because he is a professional troll, and has been for years.

He lies for a living. He spreads dangerous misinformation, and endangers lives. That he does it using his real name doesn't stop him being a troll. You can Google him here on Google. Facebook has banned him.

They ought to title the site "can you spot the fake account".

[Qutzupalotl]

55. That is a good point.

He’s a real person and an actual troll. I saw “chemtrails” and assumed he was some kind of fake account spreading misinformation — but he’s a real live nut.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

49. Trolls have changed since the ought years.

They used to just enter conversations to be disruptive. Now they win the electoral college. Ironic since they live to misinform.

[groundloop]

52. Anyone who disagrees with me is a troll, because my opinion is always spot-on !!!!!!

[burrowowl]

53. Kick!

[AwakeAtLast]

56. I went to college with one of the real people!

That was an easy one!

[ehrnst]

57. It was harder than I thought. I thought I had a good eye. (nt)