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Unless we can link to a status page or other discussion of Kiwi Farms, linking to them here seems to only make things worse. I'd never heard of it so here goes

Unless we can link to a status page or other discussion of Kiwi Farms, linking to them here seems to only make things worse. I'd never heard of it so here goes (from [1]): > Kiwi Farms, formerly known as CWCki Forums, is an American Internet forum dedicated to the ongoing harassment and stalking of online figures and communities it deems "lolcows": the eccentric, artistic, or mentally ill. It's likely a target of DDoS related to the mass shootings here in the US this past weekend. Is there a specific role they played in these specific events or is it just retribution for their rejection of norms? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi_Farms https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi_Farms

mooncake 7y ago
"lolcows"? These people are calling others eccentric?
- SolaceQuantum 7y ago
  "lolcow" is a way to denigrate someone who is excessively dramatic or responsive on the internet and should be 'milked' for reactions for the amusement of others ('lols').
  - happytoexplain 7y ago
    This is a very common rationalization for provoking people, which admittedly has some legs, IMO (i.e. I think there are excessively reactionary people who perhaps deserve to be challenged - this is something late night comedy shows frequently do, or did). However, frequently, in practice, the definition of "excessively" is pushed until it means "has any reaction". I.e. "the fact that you reacted negatively when I insulted you means that I'm retroactively justified and will continue to escalate insulting you."
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
deleted 7y ago
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api 7y ago
So this is yet another anime / comics / gaming fan-site that's transformed into a hotbed of misogyny, fascism, and borderline terrorism advocacy? The link between geek culture and the latter things is something I am still trying to wrap my head around. I don't get the connection at all. If you'd told me that anime fan-sites would become important recruitment grounds for terrorism ten years ago I would have laughed at you, yet here we are. Can someone explain this?
- fetus8 7y ago
  They're echo-chambers of extreme beliefs and ideology with no influence from outside sources. Due to their ironic and sometimes inane nature, it seems like they've gotten extremely out of control and the results are what we're seeing today. 4chan 10 years ago was a pretty insane place, and personally seemed dangerously close to being what these sites have become.
  - api 7y ago
    Yeah but why does this stuff take root so aggressively in sites dedicated to these specific things? Anime seems like the most ubiquitous common denominator here. These days when I see an Anime avatar and the person is not Japanese, it seems like 90% of the time if I look at their messages it's all misogyny, fascism, racism, etc.
    - antisemiotic 7y ago
      Selection bias can factor into it - watching anime isn't (didn't use to be?) very socially acceptable, so people who don't mind flaunting it on an avatar might be those who don't have much to lose anyway.
- buildzr 7y ago
  Basically, some people who liked posting edgy stuff for lulz, some people had the root racist or misogynist views or gained them during impressionable years of their early lives due to that. This was a small portion, but once you have that small portion the less crazy people leave the site or the crazier users get banned and start their own site, as is what happened from 4chan -> 8chan. It's been pushed into progressively smaller niches that have accelerated their views into more and more insane stuff. Ridiculous conspiracies like QAnon are still something readily being discussed on 8chan. I'm ashamed to admit but I'd actually hit 8chan up for that edgy ridiculous humor when awful shit happened sometimes, but it's clearer than ever that a significant chunk of the community now actually believes it, a feeling I never quite got from 4chan and I suspect it's the nature of being pushed into a smaller niche. A tiny echo chamber of crazy views quickly propagates more crazy views.
excalibur 7y ago
> linking to them here seems to only make things worse. This is a problem why?

mooncake 7y ago

"lolcows"? These people are calling others eccentric?

SolaceQuantum 7y ago
"lolcow" is a way to denigrate someone who is excessively dramatic or responsive on the internet and should be 'milked' for reactions for the amusement of others ('lols').
- happytoexplain 7y ago
  This is a very common rationalization for provoking people, which admittedly has some legs, IMO (i.e. I think there are excessively reactionary people who perhaps deserve to be challenged - this is something late night comedy shows frequently do, or did). However, frequently, in practice, the definition of "excessively" is pushed until it means "has any reaction". I.e. "the fact that you reacted negatively when I insulted you means that I'm retroactively justified and will continue to escalate insulting you."
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

api 7y ago

So this is yet another anime / comics / gaming fan-site that's transformed into a hotbed of misogyny, fascism, and borderline terrorism advocacy? The link between geek culture and the latter things is something I am still trying to wrap my head around. I don't get the connection at all. If you'd told me that anime fan-sites would become important recruitment grounds for terrorism ten years ago I would have laughed at you, yet here we are. Can someone explain this?

fetus8 7y ago
They're echo-chambers of extreme beliefs and ideology with no influence from outside sources. Due to their ironic and sometimes inane nature, it seems like they've gotten extremely out of control and the results are what we're seeing today. 4chan 10 years ago was a pretty insane place, and personally seemed dangerously close to being what these sites have become.
- api 7y ago
  Yeah but why does this stuff take root so aggressively in sites dedicated to these specific things? Anime seems like the most ubiquitous common denominator here. These days when I see an Anime avatar and the person is not Japanese, it seems like 90% of the time if I look at their messages it's all misogyny, fascism, racism, etc.
  - antisemiotic 7y ago
    Selection bias can factor into it - watching anime isn't (didn't use to be?) very socially acceptable, so people who don't mind flaunting it on an avatar might be those who don't have much to lose anyway.
buildzr 7y ago
Basically, some people who liked posting edgy stuff for lulz, some people had the root racist or misogynist views or gained them during impressionable years of their early lives due to that. This was a small portion, but once you have that small portion the less crazy people leave the site or the crazier users get banned and start their own site, as is what happened from 4chan -> 8chan. It's been pushed into progressively smaller niches that have accelerated their views into more and more insane stuff. Ridiculous conspiracies like QAnon are still something readily being discussed on 8chan. I'm ashamed to admit but I'd actually hit 8chan up for that edgy ridiculous humor when awful shit happened sometimes, but it's clearer than ever that a significant chunk of the community now actually believes it, a feeling I never quite got from 4chan and I suspect it's the nature of being pushed into a smaller niche. A tiny echo chamber of crazy views quickly propagates more crazy views.

excalibur 7y ago

> linking to them here seems to only make things worse. This is a problem why?