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Hacked Emails Reveal Russian Astroturfing Program
gotfork writes "Quoting The Guardian: 'A pro-Kremlin group runs a network of internet trolls, seeks to buy flattering coverage of Vladimir Putin and hatches plans to discredit opposition activists and media, according to private emails allegedly hacked by a group calling itself the Russian arm of Anonymous.' While a similar program has operated in China for a long time, and some commentators have suggested that a similar program exists in Russia, this is the first confirmation."
All those action hero images of Putin weren't real?
My faith in mankind is ruined.
In Soviet Russia internet trolls YOU!
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
... bonchski is astroturfed by YOU!
I am disgusted to discover that a politician would hire people to say nice things about them and bad things about their opponents. This must stop at once.
This could never happen in the USA.
I am disgusted to discover that a politician would hire people to say nice things about them and bad things about their opponents. This must stop at once.
Indeed. In fact, I've got a lovely bridge to sell to anyone who thinks that something similar isn't already happening in the US, or really, in just about any Internet-savvy nation.
"What in the name of Fats Waller is that?"
"A four-foot prune."
This poor news coverage by _SLASHDOT_ is clearly aimed at making the Russian People's leader look bad to this _AMERICAN_ audience. As a Russian _MAN_ aged _32_, I can conclusively state that Mr. Putin has been a blessing to my country. I look forward to his continuing to lead us throught _2012_ and in the future.
Signed,
_MyLongNickName_
See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
Yeah... good thing Slashdot is completey squeaky clean of it :D
Well, worse than Israel, that's for sure. Israel has legitimate security concerns, most of which, by the way, stem from Russian geo-political policies rather than from any of their own doing. It was Russia that goaded Egypt into wars with Israel. It was Russia that built both of Iran's nuclear reactors. It was Russia that supplied Syria with tanks that almost over-ran Israel. I don't recall Israel supplying half of Russia's neighbors with weapons to attack Israel, so I am pretty sure Israel has a higher moral ground in this one.
Any guest worker system is indistinguishable from indentured servitude.
PR stunt #37: assume the position opposite of the one you promote and make sure you sound extremely stupid when you defend it.
Any guest worker system is indistinguishable from indentured servitude.
A country recently named a 2012 Top Cock-Blocker of Middle Eastern Democracy, is seeking a Public Relations Specialist to communicate to its internal, external, and exiled audiences. The position will be responsible for connecting with our 141,750,000+ domestic "employees", introducing new employees and interns to our country's unique culture, expanding its social networking reach, maintaining the corporate website, event planning, cultivating community relationships, responding to media inquiries, writing and disseminating press releases, coaching our subsidiaries on their individual PR needs, crushing dissent, and mentoring an intern. The ideal candidate is self-directed and self-motivated, resourceful, tactful, and enjoys kicking puppies. You must be a persuasive writer and speaker. Your success will be measured by your creativity and your ability to ruin the lives of dissenters and their extended families with little to no supervision. A college degree plus five years or more experience in a corporate PR or Spanish Inquisitional environment is required. Please submit a brief writing sample with your resume and your soul to PR@Putin.com. Salary commensurate with experience.
GeekDad, TED speaker, Wipeout loser, author of Brain Trust
Of course he should have been elected, at least once he made it past the primary. We're pretty much stuck electing Democrats until the Republicans marginalize the ignorant religious conservatives who have taken over their party. Being racist, superstitious, and still believing in trickle-down economics at this late date completely disqualifies them for office.
To those who read Russian interwebs since '90 the rise of government astroturfing should have been obvious starting about '00. There was a marked change in tone and verbage of forum comments on different online forums. Such posters are called "brigades" and thought to be FSB operatives.
Russia and China also have super pacs.
Inheritance is the sincerest form of nepotism.
No, he's implying that he input values into blanks on a boilerplate response.
Repetition does not transform a lie into the truth. - FDR
sry, i forgot the sarcasm tag.
I don't recall Israel supplying half of Russia's neighbors with weapons to attack Israel
Did you mean to write "weapons to attack Russia"?
If so, then you might find it interesting that Israel has supplied Georgian army with UAVs, NVDs, AA systems, and many other things - all the stuff used during the war in South Ossetia, which, may I remind, was started by a Georgian attack on the area of responsibility of Russian UN peacekeeping force, and specifically on said peacekeeping force (10 people KIA from hostile fire - artillery and tanks shelled peacekeepers' barracks).
... the last 50-60 years of western anti-soviet propaganda, its only fair.
I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
Umm. You are posting as an AC. I have over 900 posts over more than 10 years on this site. You can't possibly be arguing that I am astroturfing. Well, you can possibly be arguing that. Just not credibly.
Someone compared Israel to Russia's propaganda. I pointed out that comparison was laughable. But let me see. So first you tried a deflection. When that didn't work, you went for the ad hominem. When I reminded you that you were off the topic, you decided to go with projection. Do you have a list that you follow? Or do these float around in your ahead and you reach for whichever one make your more giddy?
No matter. My point stands. Russia is using the old Soviet tactics. Blaming Israel is one of many old Soviet tactics (because Israel gets people emotional and unable to evaluate the situation rationally). The main way of staying in power during a crisis of confidence is to manufacture a new crises. Just as blaming the Jews was an old Russian tactic, blaming Israel works beautifully. It's just statistically convenient -- smaller population means pissing off the least people while the crises unfolds.
Oh, and just so we are clear, the difference between astroturf and grass roots is that it's not astroturfing if no one pays you for it. If my own opinion happens to agree with that of what you'd call "Israeli propaganda", it's still not astroturfing. It just means that I buy their story. Ie, it's still grass roots. Whereas, the opinions that Russia bought to have trolled around are astroturf.
I am awaiting with anticipation to see what's on the list after the projection.
Any guest worker system is indistinguishable from indentured servitude.
Sounds pretty much exactly the same as the USA to me. Replace Syria with, oh I dunno... Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Korea, Same shit, different media spin. If you think you lot living over there in the US are currently living in a *legitimate* democracy, you're fucking kidding yourselves. Obama (new bush) = same as the old bush, pretty much. Just has charisma.
I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
Lol. "Sabotage" comes from French, not Russian.
A "sabot" is a shoe (in French), and the association comes from when Dutch workers would place their shows in machinery that was threatening to replace them (eg. these were the French-speaking equivalent of the English Luddites). Hence, "Sabot-age". The Russians have many cool words, but sabotage does not originate with them, Comrade Slashdotter.
The difference between the US and this is that in Russia this is paid for with enormous amounts of taxpayer money (hired drummers alone at a pro-Puting meeting cost something like $800K), and people are threatened with pink slips at work unless they go to pro-government meetings. When you live hand to mouth and don't have any savings, the prospect of getting fired over some BS meeting is pretty scary. And when the election time rolls around, they stuff the ballot boxes, and then if that proves insufficient, simply rewrite final counts when no one is looking. That country is truly ruled by a bunch of crooks and thieves. Can't wait to see the Russian people to hang them on the "teeth" of the Kremlin wall. They did this a hundred years ago, they can do it again. Russia just can't catch a fucking break.
From my perspective, there is no problem at all on the part of bloggers and activists receiving money, since the validity of a point of view does not suddenly change just because its expression is paid for.
However, as a Russian, I do object to paying Russian taxpayers' money for that. I'm not concerned about American money since I don't pay taxes in the USA.