Are we losing the internet battle?

[Onlooker]

I just did a search for Steven Gardner, the one soldier who served under Kerry who opposes him. Though Google gave me hundreds of hits, not one of them seemed to examine Steven Gardner's statements and motives. How can that be? Also, it's so much easier to remember Swift Boat Veterans, the right-wing group that claims Kerry is unfit to be command-in-chief, than to remember the group that supports Kerry. Maybe Band of Brothers will catch on, but the fact is the right-wing is way ahead of progressives at least on this matter.

[wishlist]

1. It seems like RW spreads lies on internet and email faster than truth

We are playing a losing game of catch-up it seems trying to debunk all the outright lies being spread on numberous RW websites and those emails going out to millions. Even the most outrageous lies against Kerry are not getting debunked by the media.

[Stone_Spirits]

2. their motivations are radically different

they deliberately plant propaganda and lies.
We try to share information and educate.

[BJ]

3. WTF?

Most of what I turned up in a Google web search of the name "steven gardner" had nothing to do with a member of John Kerry's swift boat crew. Then I did a Google news search* and didn't find much about this character there either.

Your point being?
:wtf:

*Swift Boat Veterans mentioned in op-ed column by a Byron York in the "National Review." Consider the source.

[luaneryder]

6. I looked in the top picks for Dogpile

and the only mention of a Steve Gardner and John Kerry was from a FreeRepublic thread.

[Onlooker]

7. Try "Steven Gardner" kerry

I searched for "Steven Gardner" kerry, all 3 words.

[bryant69]

4. We just have to step up

It's all very well to complain about REpublican tactics; and we do need to be aware of them. But in this one case, it seems clear that the answer is for us to do more to get our message out in the electronic media. (now for a subtle mention of my Blog)

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[KurtNYC]

5. I have heard very little about SBV since May

But I don't go looking. I agree that the RW has done pretty well so far in terms of stuffing search engine (SEO) tactics. Someone got an mass email about a guy who claims to have been a chef at Windows on the World. When I plugged the name in on Google I got 3 pages of results all pointing to various RW websites with the whole screed re-posted. Here is the kicker, whoever wrote the screed did so before the 911 commission published their report but the writer(s) spin what they claim the report says. So it seems they clearly got this out to their minions and got it ranked on search engines IN ADVANCE of the report they were going to spin.

Another area they are strong in is stuffing online polls. There was a contest between two people I know and a freeper to stuff an online poll. After letting us get a 2,000 vote lead, he stuffed 10,000 votes in about 3 minutes. (He was using a modified version of a web testing tool called "WebStress").

Would love to have a major search engine that is left-leaning. As for online polls -- No one should ever put faith in them.