I don't think shills are obvious, and I think the knee-jerk reaction to them is harmful. I don't mind reading shill posts when they're informational (heck, I re

I don't think shills are obvious, and I think the knee-jerk reaction to them is harmful. I don't mind reading shill posts when they're informational (heck, I read RT), but there is a real danger of discussion manipulation. I routinely get accused of being a shill just for having a counter-group-think position on a topic Im read up on. It's meant to end discussion around a topic, like calling someine racist or sexist. At this point, I feel most of the people calling people shills are themselves shills trying to derail honest discussions. (There are definitely at least a few shills doing this on reddit.) I agree with your first point though: all media is the same, in that you need a diverse stream and critical thinking.