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Tumblr Takes Down 84 Russia-Linked Accounts (thehill.com)

On Friday, Tumblr said it has taken down 84 accounts used by Russia to spread disinformation ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The accounts were reportedly linked to the Russian troll farm known as the Internet Research Agency. The Hill reports: Special counsel Robert Mueller last month indicted 13 Russians and three Russian entities associated with the Internet Research Agency who are accused of orchestrating an elaborate plot to spread divisive messages to U.S. audiences on social media ahead of the election. The individuals face multiple charges, including identity theft and bank fraud. Tumblr said in a statement Friday that it provided information on the 84 Russia-linked accounts from its investigation to the Justice Department. Tumblr said the Russia-linked accounts were solely focused on spreading disinformation by posting "organic content." The company found no indication that the accounts purchased any advertisements. The platform says it will notify any users who interacted with the accounts and provide them with a list of usernames they engaged with. Tumblr also disclosed that it will keep a public record of usernames linked to the Internet Research Agency or other state-sponsored disinformation efforts for the sake of transparency.

118 comments

  1. And 400 Vulcans gave off a death rattle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Oh, wait.

    1. Re:And 400 Vulcans gave off a death rattle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      400 Republicans, you mean. Any spanking involved? With a copy of Trump Magazine on Trump's pants-down ass? What? Be too bad if something happended to who?

    2. Re: And 400 Vulcans gave off a death rattle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This proves that collusion by TrumPutin is real! Benghazi!!!

  2. 84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    really? 84? why is "84" even news worthy?

    1. Re:84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      And once again the DNC pouting they picked a shitty candidate. With their amazing idea of working with the RNC is barking like a dog.

      I told everyone as a life long Republican there is one man who could get me to vote for Hillary was Donald Trump. She talked me out of it with her policies, insults, and racist remarks. DT did the same thing but against her. He at least had a slight clue that you do not insult your possible voters.

    2. Re:84? by The+New+Guy+2.0 · · Score: 1

      It means they weren't just publishing one account, it's enough to play whack-a-mole

    3. Re:84? by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      The Western intelligence services fear 84 accounts?
      Some university level meme magic and traditionalism reminded America it was always great?

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    4. Re: 84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The 84 which tumblr found. That's 84 accounts going full time. A few here, a few there all mount up. $10,000 here, $100,000 there.

      From Wikipedia on the IRA (original Russian sources listed there if you want to read them):
      "Each commentator has a daily quota of 100 comments."
      "A blogger's quota is ten posts per shift, each post at least 750 characters. A commenter's norm is 126 comments and two posts per account. Each blogger is in charge of three accounts."

      It's not just western security services who are worried about what Putin is up to (just look at Ukraine and Syria). A lot of the world is annoyed at this bad neighbor shitting in their yard then pretending to be innocent.

    5. Re: 84? by AHuxley · · Score: 0

      Such staffing rates and methods would fail in real time AC.
      Lets look at rates given by another astroturfing campaign AC.
      Operation Earnest Voice
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
      "50 user "operator" licenses, 10 sockpuppets controllable by each user"
      Note the need for background, history and supporting details.
      The need for a special secure VPN. Thats the vital trick only a government/mil can offer.
      Private servers "based on the geographic area of operations" That needs other nations network support to not get caught.
      One site in another distant nation is not going to give the in country cover needed AC.
      Protection from virus, worm, or malicious software.
      Much more is needed than just ten posts per shift from a part of the world AC.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    6. Re:84? by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 0

      So 84 accounts out of 345 million registered? Nothing in other words.

      If they found 84, given that there are 345 million accounts, it's almost a certainty that there are others they missed.

      Did they miss 10? Did they miss 500? 1000?

      We don't know, but we have seen that a relatively small number of vocal shills can stir the pot and make trouble on a scale that's waaaaaay out of proportion to their numbers.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    7. Re:84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If they found 84, given that there are 345 million accounts, it's almost a certainty that there are others they missed.

      Did they miss 10? Did they miss 500? 1000?

      Anybody could be a Russian! We need a congressional investigation to haul people in front of a committee and ask them "Are you now, or have you ever been, a Russian troll?" And demand lists of other Russian trolls from people who have had sympathies to trolling in the past.

      We don't know, but we have seen that a relatively small number of vocal shills can stir the pot and make trouble on a scale that's waaaaaay out of proportion to their numbers.

      True, trolls materialize discontent from literally nothing. People are perfectly happy until trolls force them to be unhappy.

    8. Re: 84? by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      All of the crap, runs straight smack into the face of an infinitely think concrete wall, people will believe what they want to believe. The internet propaganda tends to fail apart from bringing together people who want to believe particular things. What happens is people get exposed to all sorts of stuff, big truths, little truths, big lies, little lies, stupendously massive lies and they select from what is on offer and choose to believe what they want to believe, based upon the whole range of lies/truths they were presented. The numbers the generate look impressive until you realise, yeah they were already there before this shit started, you are just filtering them out from the crowd and bringing them together and generating a whole bunch of empty noise.

      The same can not be said for generating and spreading new ideas, ideas work all together differently to stories. Ideas spread and take hold, stories well;
      if people want to believe a story they will
      if they don't want to believe a story they won't
      if they do believe and want to pretend they don't believe they will publicly pretend not to believe
      if they don't believe and want to pretend they do believe they will publicly pretend they do believe.

      People lie in all sorts of fashion, which is exactly why sociologists manage to come up with all sorts of nonsense (asking people questions and pretending they are telling the truth). So they lie about the outcomes, the lie about the results, they lie to get rich, and that is exactly what the contractors are doing lying about outcomes to generate more income, lying about succeeding, lying about failing, lying, lying, lying. Good luck in your search for the truth in the propaganda wars. Ideas change things, stories do not, stories entertain.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    9. Re:84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You seem to be assuming that influence is evenly distributed across 400 million accounts. You couldn't be more wrong.

    10. Re: 84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Chill out dude, he's already in Russia.

      Don't you see that's part of their plan, get you so riled up hating some imaginary 5th columnist you end up despising half your country? There will be another one along in a minute, saying how Trump is a traitor who deserves to hang.

      Tl;dr These guys aren't playing around. This is a professional operation using a century's experience of psychological warfare to fuck with your mind and your whole sense of what's right and what's wrong, what's real and what's fake.

    11. Re:84? by Uberbah · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yep, a few thousand bucks paying a few dozen 'vocal shills' to post generic political propaganda in broken english on the biggest SJW haven on the internet swung an election, but billions spent on all manner of actual professional campaigning and marketing and astroturfing was a total waste.

      Somebody pointed that out to Podesta on Meet the Press, iirc. Asked him how the Ruskies knew to target swing states, but the Hillary campaign did not. She just took for granted that she would win states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Iowa and didn't bother to campaign in them - that went to Trump. Hell, she nearly lost Minnesota as well.

      Russiagate is nothing more than a sad, sad attempt to excuse Hillary losing the most winnable election in history.

    12. Re:84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you are profoundly stupid.

    13. Re: 84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Sure. Cant be that the democRats are simply sorry losers and want to discredit Trumps presidency.

      Becauze Cultural Marxism and perpetual war is morally superior.

    14. Re: 84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Indeed. Without Hillary, the banksters, international corporations and the war industry will never be able to fulfill their potential!!!!

    15. Re: 84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      American n1ggers are isolating themselves in their PC echo chamber. Good.

    16. Re: 84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The way i see it your feminists there are doing a better job at playing pyschological warfare and weakening you than the Russians are.
      They are insulting your men daily and waging war with them to demoralize them, which is good for any external invader.
      They are turning your men into submissive hipster nu-male cucks with either twig arms or weird skinnyfat bodies, which is good for any external invader.
      Your balding bearded baby-faced men are nothing a woman would be attracted to, and coupled with your women now hating your men, that translates to no future due to no proliferation, which is good for any external invader.
      Also your feminists are crippling your coding businesses and companies much like the Gnome foundation had to beg for funding after wasting it on Women's Startup shit, which is also great for external invaders.
      Since the harmony between men and women has been disrupted in the west, you have become easy pickings.
      Maybe Feminism is also a Russian troll farm created to subvert you both financially and morally as much as possible. Well, enjoy it. Cuckoldry is a philosophy of being accepting to foreign powers invading your surroundings (your wife), and given it is the main philosophy of your male feminists and feminists in general now, it goes well in line with the wishes of Russians.

    17. Re: 84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I keep seeing people from the alt right use the term cultural Marxism, but unless you can point me to some academic research and definition of it, I'll just assume they put two unrelated words together to sound like they iz smartz.

    18. Re:84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep, a few thousand bucks paying a few dozen 'vocal shills' to post generic political propaganda in broken english on the biggest SJW haven on the internet swung an election, but billions spent on all manner of actual professional campaigning and marketing and astroturfing was a total waste.

      Somebody pointed that out to Podesta on Meet the Press, iirc. Asked him how the Ruskies knew to target swing states, but the Hillary campaign did not. She just took for granted that she would win states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Iowa and didn't bother to campaign in them - that went to Trump. Hell, she nearly lost Minnesota as well.

      Russiagate is nothing more than a sad, sad attempt to excuse Hillary losing the most winnable election in history.

      I don't buy that.

      Because Obama spent the day before the election in Michigan - so the Democrats did know Hillary was in trouble in those states.

      President Obama didn’t set foot in Michigan in the final months of his reelection campaign in 2012. But he started there one day before the 2016 election, telling voters that Hillary Clinton is the candidate best equipped to further the nation’s economic recovery. ...

      Throwing Obama into Michigan at the last second like that is evidence of "Oh fucking SHIT!!!" at the highest levels of the Democratic Party.

      I can't find it now, but I do recall an article published shortly after the election (Politico, maybe?) that stated Hillary didn't go to those Rust Belt states because every time she campaigned there, her numbers actually got worse.

      Yes, she was that bad of a candidate.

      And the upper levels of the Democratic Party knew it.

      That also explains what looked like crazy overconfidence from Trump's campaign...

    19. Re:84? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2, Interesting

      This is like asking how Trump's Twitter account can have any influence or power at all when it's just one single account out of 330 million active users.

      These accounts are just entry points for fake news, memes and propaganda. What matters is not how many there are, but how far their messages spread and the influence they had. The number of accounts tells you nothing.

      That's why social media is such a powerful tool. That's why Russia uses it. That's why western governments use it too - don't forget that the original leak about this stuff was from GCHQ. If you think it has no effect you are just opening yourself and your country up to manipulation by anyone who understands it.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    20. Re:84? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Because the left _Must_ push the russia narrative. it's all they have.

      Apart from

      - Sexual assault claims / treatment of women
      - Tax records
      - Treatment of immigrants
      - Cops murdering black people
      - Gun control and NRA campaign donations
      - Transgender ban in the military
      - Adultery and illegal campaign contributions to cover it up

      we're ignoring the saud spending hundreds of millions, or the chinese spending hundreds of millions

      Spending hundreds of millions on what specifically? And more to the point was it illegal and have to forwarded your evidence to Mueller?

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    21. Re:84? by GrumpySteen · · Score: 2, Informative

      Because the left _Must_ push the russia narrative. it's all they have.

      Well, that and 22 indictments with 5 guilty pleas so far. But keep telling yourself that there's nothing there.

    22. Re:84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sexual assault and bad treatment of women in black communities such that over 70% are single parent families.
      Black people murdering black people such that black neighborhoods resemble war zones, and even some black African cities have less murder than what's happening in your communities.
      Immigrants wanting to ethnically cleanse your black communities [https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2013/01/15/latino-gang-leader-convicted-la-ethnic-cleansing-campaign].
      Lack of investment into mental health as opposed to fighting some losing war with the NRA, because UK is an example of banning guns not at all influencing murder rates while acid throwing, vehicular slaughter, and cold weapons take up the spot instead; because it turns out weapons don't ignite the motivation to kill, mental problems do (which is why Japan focuses in mental health so much).
      Focusing on some 0.002% of a transgender population instead of fixing the main economic drivers (the evil cis normal working people) whose economic impact trickles down into your trivial special snowflake collectives as opposed to the waste of energy and taxes being made on them specifically.
      Adultery is now called "open relationship" and cuckoldry is a virtue among the left, i think you are starting to mix up your script.

    23. Re:84? by Z80a · · Score: 1

      What they actually need to do is drop social justice and authoritarianism and go back to be the ones that protect the working class from the corporations.

    24. Re: 84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I think it's a dogwhistle for The Races Must Be Separated (I mean, what would cultural Marxism be? sharing in the benefits of each others cultures? Maybe? Perhaps they can define what it is they mean, but I doubt it). Unless they can come up with some kind of coherent definition, just take it as more of the same nationalist and white supremacist bullshit, with a new shiny label.

    25. Re:84? by meta-monkey · · Score: 0

      Sexual assault claims / treatment of women

      Oh no Trump called fat women and fat and banged sluts. Who the hell cares?

      Tax records

      No one cares.

      Treatment of immigrants

      Illegal immigrants and their anchor babies who should all be catapulted across the border.

      Cops murdering black people

      I think you mean "law enforcement officers defending themselves from thugs."

      Gun control and NRA campaign donations

      The whole "NRA money boogyman" thing is bizarre. You think if the NRA vanished everybody would be like "well, time to shred the 2nd amendment and give up our guns!' If NARAL dissolved, would pro-choice people suddenly want to ban abortions?

      Transgender ban in the military

      The military needs fit, sane-ish soldiers to kill people and break things. If you have flat feet, you don't get in. Trannies have a serious medical condition. Either it's a physical thing where their body is fucked up and has an extra (or missing) penis, requiring surgery to correct, or they're fucked in the head and think they're the wrong sex. Either way, they shouldn't be in the military. Also, almost half of them commit suicide. Maybe giving them guns is a bad idea..?

      Adultery and illegal campaign contributions to cover it up

      lol no one cares about your phoney moral preening.

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    26. Re: 84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You tell 'em, Comrade Wang!

    27. Re:84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So when do the AIPAC accounts come down. Oh wait, Israel has special privileges .

    28. Re: 84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Arenâ(TM)t the people who want to negate a free and fair election the ones trying to destroy Democracy and the Constitution?

    29. Re: 84? by Rakarra · · Score: 0

      "Cultural Marxism" is a conspiracy theory revolving around the very real "Frankfurt School" of social philosophy. Wikipedia has a decent list of resources about the philosophy. It was founded by Marxists who were critical of Soviet Socialism and tried to bring in other schools of thought like sociology and psychoanalysis to try to "fill in the gaps" of classical Marxism. Much of their work came between 1920 and 1960.

      Your Mileage May Vary as to whether you want to accept the Southern Poverty Law Center at face value (they're a bit of a biased source), but they have a decent enough definition:

      In a nutshell, the theory posits that a tiny group of Jewish philosophers who fled Germany in the 1930s and set up shop at Columbia University in New York City devised an unorthodox form of "Marxism" that took aim at American society's culture, rather than its economic system.

      The theory holds that these self-interested Jews the so-called "Frankfurt School" of philosophers -- planned to try to convince mainstream Americans that white ethnic pride is bad, that sexual liberation is good, and that supposedly traditional American values -- Christianity, "family values," and so on are reactionary and bigoted. With their core values thus subverted, the theory goes, Americans would be quick to sign on to the ideas of the far left.

      The conspiracy theory posits that "political correctness" is meant to lead into "cultural marxism." Unfortunately, a number of those pushing the Cultural Marxism theory identified it as a conspiracy theory run by "The Jews."

    30. Re:84? by Rakarra · · Score: 0

      Oh no Trump called fat women and fat and banged sluts. Who the hell cares?

      Anyone who cares about the Office of the President and thinks it should be held to a higher standard.

    31. Re:84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      lol guilty tards say such things

    32. Re: 84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Its white dudes with tiny penises who don't believe in the very real white patriarchy because they're so cucked they weren't included.

    33. Re:84? by meta-monkey · · Score: 1

      Like when Thomas Jefferson was banging his slaves? Like when JFK was banging sluts? Like when LBJ was showing everybody his dick? Like when Bill Clinton was using his intern as a humidor? "Dignity in the Office" has been the rare exception, not the rule.

      Assume Trump raw dogged porn stars ten years ago. Now what? Impeach? What exactly do you want to happen over this?

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    34. Re:84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      wtf? the other side is the one clamoring "FAKE NEWS!" with their fingers up their asses, blaming the media as some extension of liberalism

      got news for you.. the MSM leans liberal because LIFE leans liberal

    35. Re:84? by Rakarra · · Score: 1

      All of those people you mentioned are dead, and Bill Clinton was impeached.
      I'm NOT saying that any of these are impeachable offenses. But it disgraces and degrades the office when it occurs.

    36. Re:84? by meta-monkey · · Score: 1

      Okay. Consider the office disgraced and degraded. Can we move on now?

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    37. Re:84? by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      Throwing Obama into Michigan at the last second like that is evidence of "Oh fucking SHIT!!!" at the highest levels of the Democratic Party.

      Sure was, but isn't that last minute panic evidence that Hillary did not target those states?

      Yes, she was that bad of a candidate.

      Easily the worst of all time, as she lost to Trump. Speaking of Obama, he every-so-politely called Hillary out for her lazy hubris after the election:

      • "You know, I won Iowa not because the demographics dictated that I would win Iowa. It was because I spent 87 days going to every small town and fair and fish fry and VFW hall, and there were some counties where I might have lost, but maybe I lost by 20 points instead of 50 points," Obama said.

      2016 was Hillary's election to lose, right up until she lost it. Had to work hard to do it, too.

    38. Re: 84? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In what reality Bill Clinton was impeached? Must be a parallel world?

    39. Re: 84? by Rakarra · · Score: 1

      Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives. Since he was acquitted of a crime by the Senate, he was not required to leave office.
      Impeachment does not necessarily mean "thrown out of office." The House impeaches, the Senate conducts a trial.
      Andrew Johnson, the only other President to be impeached, likewise passed a Senate trial, served the rest of his presidential term, and was later elected Senator.

    40. Re:84? by eaglesrule · · Score: 1

      Well it'd be really embarrassing for Mueller if he couldn't claim at least a few scalps, given the level of corruption that is the standard in politics and the level of manpower and unlimited resources at his disposal.

      Ants put under a magnifying lens get burned. When you're working backwards from the conclusion, the more little ants you burn the better, since the pile that results can be pointed at by professional liars and be claimed to amount to something substantial.

  3. 84? by ArchieBunker · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So 84 accounts out of 345 million registered? Nothing in other words.

    --
    Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
  4. 200% Russian by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Goddammit, these Russians are everywhere

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlwEwwJcBTM

  5. can you show me what the disinformation was? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    seriously, I'd like to know what the disinformation was.

    1. Re:can you show me what the disinformation was? by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Been able to show in images from the news or articulate in a few lines that:
      One candidate was giving great positive speeches to lots of real voters all over the USA.
      Another candidate was talking to small numbers of the tame media on the east and west coast.
      One candidate was able to give a speech that people in different states all over the USA enjoyed.
      Another candidate spoke down to people all over the USA.
      Subtle news topics that actual US voters like sharing.

      To stop that US news from spreading facts about electability, health everything had to all be "Russia" accounts.
      One candidate having a condescending way of talking about most of the USA was all from "fake" accounts.

      Add in meme magic, cartoons, art, music, traditionalism that was trending from topics people could see in the news everyday.
      One candidate was winning.
      Another candidate was low energy. Thats was in contrast to an energetic candidate who could talk to real people all over the USA.
      About jobs in the USA.
      Voters all over the USA could see the differences and shared the news.
      Voters turned out all over the USA to make the USA great again.
      Low energy does not win over all the different states.
      Coughing fits do not win elections.
      Having nothing good to say about most parts of the USA will not get the needed votes in states all over the USA.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    2. Re:can you show me what the disinformation was? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      With a few minor exceptions you have accurately described just about every US media outlet. While Russia is working at sowing public dissension and discord the media is just looking for higher ratings.

      The NSA, CIA, and FBI all presented information to Obama showing the Russian's attempted interference in the Presidential campaign but Obama did nothing about it. Obama's reason for not acting on the information was he didn't want to disrupt the ongoing election. Of course this decision was made when Clinton had a healthy lead and there was absolutely no way she was going to lose the election to Trump. The Russian interference was not publicized until after the election at the very end of Obama's term which has led to the investigations we see today. The information was released in such a way as to make it appear like Trump was some how responsible for the Russian activities during the election. Had Clinton won the election there would be no Russian investigations. It would be a non-story. And so far there has been no evidence that Trump worked with the Russians to win the election. A few associates have been charged but the charges have nothing to do with Trump colluding with Russia in any way. The charges involve the defendants business practices and have nothing to do with any election. Apparently it is treason for talking to any Russian about anything. One undisputable fact uncovered was the previous administration using FISA warrants to spy on Trumps campaign headquarters during the campaign. What kind of uproar would we have faced if the Bush administration had been spying on the Obama campaign headquarters with FISA warrants?

    3. Re:can you show me what the disinformation was? by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Re 'With a few minor exceptions you have accurately described just about every US media outlet."

      Thats really what the CIA, NSA, GCHQ, MI6, MI6, FBI would have to block from internet users commenting on in real time.
      All comments on the news.
      All art and cartoons created from the news.
      Freedom of speech would be removed from the internet in real time.

      Have to wait days into the news cycle while an account is proved to be on a list of approved nations to upload an approved funny political cartoon?
      The cartoon would then be held and looked at by US and UK experts for any hint of a Russian art education to present US traditionalism to US internet users?
      When the art work is proved by US art experts to be bland enough it will be allowed to be uploaded to the internet a week later.

      Jokes about the news that get posted in real time without expert approval get a police visit.
      Jokes that show advanced Russian level cultural awareness about US politics start investigations.
      Applied knowledge and study of obscurity of US political history also allow FBI investigation of joke that is just too smart.
      Russian anthropologist from closed science city must have helped US comedians craft extra funny joke about US candidate who cant give a long speech.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    4. Re:can you show me what the disinformation was? by Uberbah · · Score: 2

      The NSA, CIA, and FBI all presented information to Obama showing the Russian's attempted interference in the Presidential campaign but Obama did nothing about it.

      Because it's the dumbest conspiracy theory of all time, and the one with the most plot holes. Why would Russia try to get either party in the White House when both parties have been anti-Russian for a century. How is it that Putin was able to see years in advance that an asshole gameshow host could be president, yet completely unable to anticipate any blowback. Why would anyone bother with a dozen Twitter trolls trying to make ad revenue for a few thousand dollars in an election that cost the better part of ten billion dollars.

      You got punked on Iraq, and you couldn't wait to get punked again.

    5. Re:can you show me what the disinformation was? by Required+Snark · · Score: 1

      Just watch Fox News. They are the main mouthpiece for Russian propaganda. Have been for a while.l

      --
      Why is Snark Required?
    6. Re:can you show me what the disinformation was? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It was fact-based and well-informed criticism of U.S-backed propaganda.

    7. Re:can you show me what the disinformation was? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 0

      Putin's goal has been to destabilize the west and weaken it. Regardless of his involvement or not, it's hard to argue that Trump and Brexit have not done that. And it appears Russia was involved in trying to get the far right elected in France too, which would have had a similar effect.

      Doesn't matter if you think Trump and/or Brexit are good things, what is undeniable is that they have created great turmoil and weakened relations between former allies. Brexit drove an even bigger wedge between the UK and EU, Trump has been starting new trade wars and the discourse in the US is now incredibly divisive and angry, far more so than before.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    8. Re:can you show me what the disinformation was? by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      Regardless of his involvement or not, it's hard to argue that Trump and Brexit have not done that. And it appears Russia was involved in trying to get the far right elected in France too, which would have had a similar effect.

      So now Putin is not only responsible for Trump, but Brexit as well? Don't forget the poop in the hallway. As for France, their own intelligence agency debunked that conspiracy theory as soon as it happened, but that doesn't stop it from lumbering on with the rest of the Russiagate zombies.

      Doesn't matter if you think Trump and/or Brexit are good things, what is undeniable is that they have created great turmoil and weakened relations between former allies.

      Still not seeing any evidence for Russiagate or an explanation for any of its plot holes. People have been warning about the problems posed by the EU for decades and they don't have anything to do with a country that has a smaller economy than austerity-crushed Spain.

      discourse in the US is now incredibly divisive and angry, far more so than before

      Ah yes, the most amorphous pillar of Russiagate: they're "trying to sow discord". The problem with that little chestnut is: why would they need to? Did Russiagate come with some amnesia pills to make people forget about how the right wing completely lost their minds on the Clinton's the 90's? The Bush Administration running around smearing anyone who wasn't totally supportive of the Iraq invasion, or supporting gay marriage bans across the country? The Birthers who believe to this day that Obama is a muslim born in Kenya? The butthurt Democrats who call Trump a fascist who wants to be a dictator?

      May as well accuse Russia of throwing a cup of gasoline on an already raging forest fire. You'd think people's bullshit detectors would go off when Russia is even accused of being behind Black Lives Matter protests, because black people didn't know they lived in a murderous police state before being told.

  6. Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You have no idea what sort of evil they were up to. They were probably claiming something horrible on Tumblr, like saying there are only two genders.

    Can you even imagine how much that would disrupt Tumblr?

    1. Re:Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Such a brave defense of mother Russia! #MAGA, comrade!

    2. Re: Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Can tell you are not Russian: for them, the number of genders is Three, not Two. Femininum, Masculinum and Neutral.

    3. Re: Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      By amazing coincidence, that's exactly the same as Americans and car gears!

    4. Re:Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Would it be offensive to others to paint my face black because I feel I'm a transracial blacck man?

    5. Re: Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      three genders

      You're about 2 orders of magnitude off there fam.

      http://genderfluidsupport.tumblr.com/gender

      Some personal favorites:

      Ambonec: Identifying as both man and woman, yet neither at the same time

      Anesigender: feeling like a certain gender yet being more comfortable identifying with another

      Antegender: a protean gender which has the potential to be anything, but is formless and motionless, and therefore, does not manifest as any particular gender

      Apconsugender: a gender where you know what it isn't, but not what it is; the gender is hiding itself from you

      Caelgender: a gender which shares qualities with outer space or has the aesthetic of space, stars, nebulas, etc.

      Collgender: the feeling of having too many genders simultaneously to describe each one

      Colorgender: a gender associated with one or more colors and the feelings, hues, emotions, and/or objects associated with that color; may be used like pinkgender, bluegender, yellowgender

      Demi-vapor: Continuously drifting to other genders, feeling spiritually transcendental when doing so while having a clear -slightly blurred- inner visual of your genders, transitions, and positive emotions. Tied to Demi-Smoke.

      Demi-smoke: A transcendental, spiritual gender roughly drifting to other genders that are unable to be foreseen and understood, shrouded in darkness within your inner visual. Elevating through mystery. Caused by a lack of inner interpretation and dark emotional states. Tied to Demi-Vapor.

      Genderblank: a gender that can only be described as a blank space; when gender is called into question, all that comes to mind is a blank space

      Glimragender: a faintly shining, wavering gender

      Healgender: a gender that once realized, brings lots of peace, clarity, security, and creativity to the individual’s mind

      Hydrogender: a gender which shares qualities with water

      Juxera: a feminine gender similar to girl, but on a separate plane and off to itself

      Magigender: a gender that is mostly gender and the rest is something else

      Perigender: identifying with a gender but not as a gender

      Proxvir: a masculine gender similar to boy, but on a separate plane and off to itself

      Surgender: having a gender that is 100% one gender but with more of another gender added on top of that

      Vapogender: a gender that sort of feels like smoke; can be seen on a shallow level but once you go deeper, it disappears and you are left with no gender and only tiny wisps of what you thought it was

      Verangender: a gender that seems to shift/change the moment it is identified

    6. Re:Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I got an e-mail from Tumblr saying I'd followed, liked or reblogged content from one of them. Given what I actually use Tumblr for, it can only have been a porn blog.

    7. Re: Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yeah, that's the leftists theory. You can count any imaginary combinations and get any number of sexes, just by considering people's feelings about what they imagine themselves to be. If I identify myself as a bisexual dog that feels like a cat on every other day, etc. an honest doctor would prescribe me some lithium.

      The Genders though belong strictly to grammar. In Spanish there is two, on German three, in Japanese perhaps just one.

    8. Re: Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't infuse the Marxists with ideas. In no time they would start to eat some sort of black color in order to "demonstrate solidarity with these poor blackies".

    9. Re: Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually faggot nazis don't decide, sorry bitch.

    10. Re: Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yup, faggot nazis are yet another gender, forgot about them.

    11. Re:Science by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Never heard of Shaun King or Rachel Dolezal, I see.

    12. Re: Science by Reverend+Green · · Score: 1

      You forgot my gender: Napoleon. Pronoun: Your Imperial Majesty.

  7. So... by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    What you're saying is that 84 accounts took a bit of a tumbl?

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
  8. The IRA by wolfheart111 · · Score: 1

    This strikes me as odd. Posting organic content? No Proxies.. or shitty proxies? Disinformation... like what can you say bad about the last election candidates that isnt so very obvious... they were all idiots and the Russian trolls really didnt have to do much at all, if anything.

    --
    [($)]
    1. Re:The IRA by fibonacci8 · · Score: 1

      "organic content" = the poop emoji

      --
      Inheritance is the sincerest form of nepotism.
    2. Re:The IRA by wolfheart111 · · Score: 1

      I so wish these two can get their shit together, the things the US and Rus can accomplish together... the BALLS and the BRAINS... Apha Centurie anybody. And Russia has big fucking BALLS... lol

      --
      [($)]
  9. State Sponsored by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    State Sponsored or more likely billionaire Robert Mercer sponsored via a myriad of shell companies, VPNs and proxies

    1. Re: State Sponsored by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You don't think these US and Russian billionaires meet on golf courses and yachts and at their billionaire orgies and sort this stuff out between them? They've been best buddies since they picked clean the carcase of the Soviet Union.

    2. Re: State Sponsored by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not correct. The entire NY set and their international relatives bitch and moan how Putin and the KGB stole their property in the oil, gas, ore rserves.

      You know it is just so unfair that 99 percent of Russians want to eat bred and wear clothes. How dares Putin to share the riches of Russia with the Russian people???

  10. Just 84. Either the Russians are pathetic by Mister+Liberty · · Score: 1, Insightful

    or Mueller is.

    1. Re: Just 84. Either the Russians are pathetic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's probably boring in Siberia, to the point where shitposting and getting dumbass Clinton supporters riled up seems like a good time.

    2. Re:Just 84. Either the Russians are pathetic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lock him up! Lock him up! Lock him up!

    3. Re:Just 84. Either the Russians are pathetic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The wheels of justice are slow and methodical.

      Criminals that are obviously guilty of hundreds, thousands of counts of infraction are often only convicted on a comparative handful. - Think mafia bosses that have run a crime family for decades, or operators of serial fraud rings.

      Law enforcement will generally only go to court with specific counts that they have full end-to-end evidence to prosecute with. Since the accused are presumed innocent each count requires enough evidence to stand on its own.

  11. I just googled this,... by AbRASiON · · Score: 4, Informative

    There's nearly 400 MILLION accounts on tumblr.
    *400, MILLION*

    So it's newsworthy that 80 accounts 'linked to Russians' were closed? Really? Really? For goodness sakes, there's over 300,000,000 Americans, there's 6 (7?) Billion people on the planet.

    There's VPN providers in Russia, when the figure is as low as 84 people, it could literally, literally be Americans just using a VPN or proxy because they're paranoid, coming out of a Russian IP. Christ, it could be 84 Americans who've moved to Russia?

    Maybe it's just 84 citizens?

    When, WHEN, *WHEN* will the @#$%^ing Russia articles stop on this website? It's this endless braying of Russia Russia Russia! with exceedingly little convincing evidence of anything. *Even if there was* I've no doubt the American govt would've done the same thing historically.

    I come to slashdot for technology news, not politics. I'm *NOT* American, no I wouldn't have voted for Trump, I would've voted for Bernie.

    Another day, another person, entirely focused on politics, unable to detach politics from everything else in society, has to spam their stuff here, to try to rustle up feathers.

    Seriously, I'd be better off hitting /homelab /linux /hardware /android etc on Reddit at this point. Can someone, in some position, stop this shit? It's fucking daily and 2/3 of them are barely tech related.

    1. Re:I just googled this,... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      slashdot is a us centric site. Deal with it. It's not all about you.

    2. Re:I just googled this,... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wait a sec. I read about this. The post I saw said that the Russian accounts always respond with whataboutism and try to push irrelevant things.

      That means you're a Russian troll, right?

      Ha, you almost got me!

    3. Re: I just googled this,... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ÑоÐÐÑÐÑ

    4. Re:I just googled this,... by RyanFenton · · Score: 0

      Hey - it undoubtedly makes for traffic/income!

      Also, if you're someone outside the US, that cares about liberal democracy and technology - you do kind of have to worry at least a little about the pretty massive operations Russia has been enacting on democracies world-wide, not just the US.

      I see the problem more like - this isn't really doing anything on a scale needed to detect/prevent international sabotage, this is just closing the barn door a YEAR AFTER the cows were already eaten.

      Technology has a role to play in all this - but it's not clear if companies are able or willing to play any kind of role, or if various nations can actually do anything to preserve democracy without going crazy.

      That's the more interesting issue underneath it all.

      Ryan Fenton

    5. Re:I just googled this,... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Funny how absolutely everyone in Russia seems to be named 'Ivan' in the TDSers heads.

    6. Re:I just googled this,... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seriously, I'd be better off hitting /homelab /linux /hardware /android etc on Reddit at this point.

      Sorry, each of these technologies can be used in illicit sexual activity, so all of the associated subs have been removed for your own safety.

    7. Re:I just googled this,... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whenever my family comes to me with this sort of trash and they ask the same questions as you I give them the same answer. These sorts of stories are not for you. They are meant for those who 'lost'. They are meant to keep them energized and their cognitive dissonance in line so they do not question their leaders on why they fucked up so badly and picked a basically unlikable candidate. People did not vote *for* her they voted against Trump. People who voted for Trump did not vote against her they voted for him. A subtle difference but the DNC leadership should really look at how they treat their own people. But maybe if they keep calling the other side racists gun loving nazis it will be sure to work this time. They are using these boards to keep the 'resistance' going and looking more and more the fool for it.

      I personally have been hitting up hackernews a lot more. They have a pretty low tolerance for anything political. It is pretty much drop kicked out of the feed within an hour. Reddit at this point is a lost cause. They have decided who is 'right' and 'wrong'. It is a cancer upon the whole site. If you do post there do not post on 'the_donald' it will be used as a 'mark' that you are wrong and anything you have to say is forfeit. The irony apparently is lost on the rest of the site. /r/programming is a pale shadow of what it used to be before the election. The subs you talk about are the same.

      BTW Bernie caved and let Hillary cheat. He got a nice house out of it. Yet somehow it is Trumps fault Hillary cheated and lost.

    8. Re: I just googled this,... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because weâ(TM)re now in a Cold Civil War, one that soon could go full kinetic! Itâ(TM)s the globalists (the ones with money and power) vs. the nationalist that wish to hold on to their own right to sovereignty and self-determination. In this war, if you donâ(TM)t choose sides, a side will be chosen for you; often against your own free will.

      It will get worse before it gets better!

    9. Re: I just googled this,... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "It's only 84 accounts."
      "It was only 97 cents."
      "It was only a few drops of nerve agent."
      "C'mon man it was only one BUK missile."

    10. Re:I just googled this,... by AbRASiON · · Score: 2

      Slashdot is a technology site, deal with it, it's not about politics or conspiracy theories.

    11. Re: I just googled this,... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No Russians you say? Everyone here is shouting it so loud it must be true.

      NO RUSSIANS!
      Have you seen any Russians?
      No I have seen no Russians because there are no Russians.
      It is madness to suggest there are Russians. OMG! Look at what our Americans are doing over there!

      In case you missed the point, Slashdot will stop publishing stories about Putin's evil empire when people stop commenting on them.

    12. Re: I just googled this,... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Iirc obama got 80 guys together and said basically "you control the planet". And their influence is such, he may well have been right.
      It's not just a numbers game, and to pretend it is , well, it's just so cute, you snugglebunny you!

    13. Re: I just googled this,... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Correct. That is why they spread so much bullshit about Trump and Putin - two leaders who have vowed to care about their compatriots and not the bankster elite and their MSM mouthpieces. Putin has even proven to massively help his fellow Russians. As any loyal president should do.

      Signed

      Ivan Medvedjew

    14. Re: I just googled this,... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It was only 100000 iraqis and a few million Syrians killed.

      DemoCracy!!!

      Signed

      Ivan Medvedjew

    15. Re: I just googled this,... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Meanwhile, in the real world, America has 400 foreign military bases and several deadly wars ongoing half around the world.

      In Yemen, you and your terrorist friends starve an entire nation to death. Because your terrorist friends pay so many sweet billions.

      What offends you is that Russia does not just roll over and submit to the rule of NY banksters.

      You are offended your moderate islamist terrorists don't win in Syria.

      Boohoo!

      Signed

      Ivan Medvedjew

    16. Re:I just googled this,... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      The stories might stop when Mueller's investigation ends, depending on what he finds. I wouldn't count on it though.

      And like it or not, technology is now an important part of politics. If that bothers you then try tweeting @DonaldTrump and asking him to stop.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    17. Re:I just googled this,... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      mate - since this site was bought it's become another disseminator of the US's narrative nonsense.

  12. lol Tumblrina Trump voters? by poity · · Score: 1

    What's next, Geocities Takes down 23 Russia-linked accounts? My sides.

    --
    your thin skin doesn't make me a troll
    1. Re:lol Tumblrina Trump voters? by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 2

      The bigger news is that Tumblr assumed their nationality.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  13. State-Sponsored Accounts? by GlennC · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So when Tumblr says that

      "...it will keep a public record of usernames linked to the Internet Research Agency or other state-sponsored disinformation efforts",

    does that include those used by the FBI, NSA, and/or CIA, or is it just those evil foreigners?

    --
    Go on, citizen, stamp the vote card. R or D, your choice.
    1. Re:State-Sponsored Accounts? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They will keep a list of American propaganda outlets, however this will be on an NSL and not available to the public.

  14. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  15. So by Vinegar+Joe · · Score: 1

    Did Tumblr also take down Harry Reid's account?

    --
    "The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
  16. Imperialists' Aggression and Interference Should B by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Mar. 20, Juche 107 (2018) Tuesday

    Imperialists' Aggression and Interference Should Be Resolutely Foiled

    Today when the imperialists' moves to put other countries and nations under their control and dominate the world have become all the more crafty and vicious, it is a vital issue on which hinges the destiny of each country and nation to fight against aggression and interference in the internal affairs of other countries by the imperialists.

    The imperialists are citing all sorts of pretexts to dominate other countries and nations and to subjugate them.

    "Democracy", "human rights" and "war on terrorism" at present are sloganboards which the imperialists have always put up in their aggression and interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

    The imperialists are trumpeting about "human rights" and "democracy" while giving impression that they are trying to realize justice. This is aimed to justify the aggression and interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

    The "war on terrorism" committed by the U.S. is a state-sponsored terrorist act against anti-U.S. and independent countries and it is a revised version of undisguised interference in the internal affairs and aggression war moves.

    It is the unanimous desire and wish of the world peace-loving people to live in the world without domination, subjugation, aggression and interference.

    Those countries valuing sovereignty of the country and dignity of the nation should heighten vigilance against the imperialists' aggression and interference in the internal affairs and wage high-intensity struggle to thoroughly foil them.

    Ri Hyon Do

  17. Good catch! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Only a Russian, with their hearts of blackest evil, could do something so awful as to suggest there are only two genders.

  18. In other news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Grindr deleted 400 DNC-related accounts.

  19. Well Said by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Cultural Marxists hate their own nation. At least in the US and Germany. They actively spread anger about their own fathers.

    No Turk, no African, no Arab, no Chinese, bo Rusdian would be so stupid and treacherous to actively hate their own kin.

    But the Marxists want to be elected by these people they despise.

    Please spot the contradiction.

    Signed

    Ivan Medvedev

  20. go back to reddit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Please proceed back to reddit and stop shitting up this site, shill.

    1. Re:go back to reddit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      take your grundle-stained neckbeard back to 4chan you fucking tiny-dicked shitheel

      Trump is going down and there's nothing your impotent peen can do about it, meanwhile I'm bringing the popcorn!

  21. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  22. If your opinion differs, then it is propaganda by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Remember: if your opinion differs and you question the status quo, then you are spreading propaganda and fake news. And if you're from Russia or just plain "elsewhere", then you may be a troll or a terrorist. This is how they silence any criticism, by assigning blame and guilt due association.

  23. Be careful what you shout for. by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

    They were pushing flaming leftist outrage, presumably to get peoples' mouths louder with stuff that makes conservatives more liky to get out and vote.

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  24. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion