Forum Sliding

[Zorra]

If a very sensitive posting of a critical nature has been posted on a forum - it can be quickly removed from public view by 'forum sliding.' In this technique a number of unrelated posts are quietly pre-positioned on the forum and allowed to 'age.' Each of these mis-directional forum postings can then be called upon at will to trigger a forum slide. The second requirement is that several fake accounts exist, which can be called upon, to ensure that this technique is not exposed to the public. To trigger a forum slide and flush the critical post out of public view it is simply a matter of logging into each account both real and fake and then replying to pre-positioned postings with a simple 1 or 2 line comment. This brings the unrelated postings to the top of the forum list, and the critical posting slides down the front page, and quickly out of public view. It is difficult or impossible to censor the posting, so the object post gets lost in a sea of unrelated and un-useful postings. By this means it becomes effective to keep the readers of the forum reading unrelated and non-issue items while posts approved by the group can be prominently displayed.

A coordinated group of posters that are extremely passionate about a certain issue(s) can rapidly move posts that are contrary to their positions down a page in an attempt to make it "disappear" from obvious view, and do this repeatedly if they see it as important to their cause. They could move posts favorable to their cause to the top of a page as well with this same device.

Interesting device. I wonder if any individual or group has ever tried this at DU? DU has such a large membership that it would seem to be a prime target for this type of activity.

[NYC_SKP]

1. I rather doubt that it's ever been done at such a scale at DU.

Though I'm certain it has been done at smaller scales, and more with the intent of reccing up or down particular posts, and/or having said posts or replies locked or removed.

:hi:

[Zorra]

12. I'm so very glad the unrec function is not available at DU3.

When groups of posters feel such a compelling need to hide reasonable ideas expressed through free speech that are counter to their beliefs, it is a sure indication that they need to re-examine and reassess their beliefs and positions.

Occupy!
:hi:

[truedelphi]

2. The "unrec" feature" allowed this to happen quite easily.

If I put a topic up during the middle of the day,usually it got "unrecced" immediately to such an extent that it was no longer in the running to be among the top twenty OP's in the GD forum.

So often I waited until midnight or so when the trolls weren't around.

I think that the place was set up in a computerized way so that the trolls received notice and could come in and unrec something.

Whether that means certain userids were more than one person was one explanation I came up with.

[Lasher]

5. Reverse sock puppets, eh?

I can see that.

[PatrynXX]

3. although you would have to be a political nut to go down them all

and if you are into adult kinky, trust me they'll go down all the threads that have been posted in a day. :P no matter how many pages.

go over to DU3 just to see if things have calmed down ... nope.. practically open war over one anti OWS article that looks like it came from Fox News :(

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10146735 I played into it a bit cause why some went Anti OWS because someone thru a bunch of homeless out on the streets the night before then holds a photo op the next is a good thing. no don't see it. was tempted to hit alert. not doing it I don't think but sure am tempted. I'd assume the nice folks posting that are big Lowes fans....

DU3 gone so far off the rails as to support articles that make Fox Nuts happy? eek. the hate and provocation was just thick on that article as well as the moronic comment after the link... :(

like nope. DU3 hasn't gained my trust yet. tried several times but keep landing in a looooooooong argument.

[PatrynXX]

11. must say I do like the ability to trash the thread.

another word for hide. yeah thats what I just did with the pro fox post

[CJCRANE]

4. I'm always a little suspicious too...

but if you see an OP that's being neglected you can always K&R it to get it back to the top.

[KoKo]

6. well.....

I've seen it..and others have seen it who are no longer here for one reason or the other.

But, I've seen it...and been here since 2001.

:shrug: So...Is it possible...well......? I've seen it. But, it wasn't important enough to me to "get in a big Hoo Hah about it...since I've been here so long.

[PatrynXX]

10. I'll have to bow there

Seniority rules as far as I care. Dad being republican but still human.. old john deere doesn't give a shit about seniority. the EEOC has been after them for years but the EEOC is inept. no one can afford to go homeless while waiting for the EEOC to give much shit. :( John Deere doesn't give much shit about vets..

[KoKo]

7. also...

there are many "political factions" out there for which ..doing this...would be a "No-Brainer" if you are an OP and charged with "Controlling Message" either for the Left or the Right or Those In-Between.

It seems plausible...and as I've said... I've seen "interesting things" in my many years and many hours on this site and others who were the "Left Spectrum/Net Roots/ also from Right/Libertarian and others who want message out there." Just saying. :eyes:

[KoKo]

8. BTW: This paragraph of your post...is the crucial one, imho...

To trigger a forum slide and flush the critical post out of public view it is simply a matter of logging into each account both real and fake and then replying to pre-positioned postings with a simple 1 or 2 line comment. This brings the unrelated postings to the top of the forum list, and the critical posting slides down the front page, and quickly out of public view. It is difficult or impossible to censor the posting, so the object post gets lost in a sea of unrelated and un-useful postings. By this means it becomes effective to keep the readers of the forum reading unrelated and non-issue items while posts approved by the group can be prominently displayed.

[eleny]

9. That's where the hide-thead feature was helpful to me

I could go down the list and hide anything that wasn't of interest and wind up with a Latest page that was full of articles or personal thoughts of DUers that were of interest to me.

What was missing was the ability to check off a number of them and hide them all with one more click. Having to do them one at a time was a pita.

[dbt]

13. This has undoubtedly been in effect at DU since at least 2004.

Too many posts on Forbidden Topics have been suppressed (right out in the open, to anyone who's been paying the least bit of attention) for me to believe otherwise.

[Huey P. Long]

14. concur. -eom

[KoKo]

16. Yes....n/t

[snooper2]

15. slide forum slide

:rofl: