4 ms·

I wonder about this too, I’m sure there are centres shaping online communities out there if there are programmes like PRISM etc. still about.

valvar 6y ago
It's a common line of thought that often surfaces and it is listed in the HN guidelines as one of the things that should not be insinuated. So that's why your parent is getting downvoted.
- BrianOnHN 6y ago
  Common enough that there's something behind it. However, @dang suggests there is nothing HN can do to insulate us from "sufficiently smart manipulators." [1] [1] https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&sort=byDate&type=comment&query=sufficiently%20smart%20by:dang https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&so...
freeflight 6y ago
Yes, there very much are, just a few examples: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networks https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-op... https://theintercept.com/2014/02/24/jtrig-manipulation/ https://theintercept.com/2014/02/24/jtrig-manipulation/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Blackout2015/comments/4ylml3/reddit_has_removed_their_blog_post_identifying/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Blackout2015/comments/4ylml3/reddit... In the first article they claim to never "broadcast" with their sock puppets in English language, which was a legal barrier set by the Smith-Mund Act at the time, a barrier that was officially removed in 2012: https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/07/14/u-s-repeals-propaganda-ban-spreads-government-made-news-to-americans/ https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/07/14/u-s-repeals-propaganda-... Tbh I wouldn't be too surprised if those US and Five Eye programs are the first of their kind, yet they have a very easy time flying under the radar because for the most part it's a home-match for them: No Reddit, Twitter or Facebook will ban a bunch of US IPs for allegedly running "propaganda operations", yet with Iranian, Chinese, Russian and whatnot IPs that's a very regular thing. Makes me wonder if Chinese or Russian platforms like WeChat or VKontakte ever banned a bunch of American IPs for similar reasons?

valvar 6y ago

It's a common line of thought that often surfaces and it is listed in the HN guidelines as one of the things that should not be insinuated. So that's why your parent is getting downvoted.

BrianOnHN 6y ago
Common enough that there's something behind it. However, @dang suggests there is nothing HN can do to insulate us from "sufficiently smart manipulators." [1] [1] https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&sort=byDate&type=comment&query=sufficiently%20smart%20by:dang https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&so...

freeflight 6y ago

Yes, there very much are, just a few examples: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networks https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-op... https://theintercept.com/2014/02/24/jtrig-manipulation/ https://theintercept.com/2014/02/24/jtrig-manipulation/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Blackout2015/comments/4ylml3/reddit_has_removed_their_blog_post_identifying/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Blackout2015/comments/4ylml3/reddit... In the first article they claim to never "broadcast" with their sock puppets in English language, which was a legal barrier set by the Smith-Mund Act at the time, a barrier that was officially removed in 2012: https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/07/14/u-s-repeals-propaganda-ban-spreads-government-made-news-to-americans/ https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/07/14/u-s-repeals-propaganda-... Tbh I wouldn't be too surprised if those US and Five Eye programs are the first of their kind, yet they have a very easy time flying under the radar because for the most part it's a home-match for them: No Reddit, Twitter or Facebook will ban a bunch of US IPs for allegedly running "propaganda operations", yet with Iranian, Chinese, Russian and whatnot IPs that's a very regular thing. Makes me wonder if Chinese or Russian platforms like WeChat or VKontakte ever banned a bunch of American IPs for similar reasons?