Russian internet trolls are trained to spread propaganda in three-person teams
Employees at Russia's Internet Research center work for 12 hours a day in 3-person "teams" spreading Kremlin propaganda online, acccording to a former employee interviewed by Radio Free Europe.
Workers at the St. Petersburg "troll factory" are tasked with clogging Russian municipal websites and forums with pro-Kremlin comments. To make their comments seem independent and legitimate, employees are given separate "roles" they must play while maintaining their online personae.
"One of us would be the 'villain,' the person who disagrees with the forum and criticizes the authorities, in order to bring a feeling of authenticity to what we're doing," St. Petersburg blogger and former troll factory worker Marat Burkhard told Radio Free Europe. "Then one of them should provide some kind of graphic or image that fits in the context, and the other has to post a link to some content that supports his argument. You see? Villain, picture, link."
Their roles are designed as such so that private citizens reading the website see the anti-government "villain" ganged up on and shot down immediately with the "facts." The "team" sits together, and few spoken words are exchanged as they work furiously to meet their daily quota of 135 comments.
http://www.businessinsider.com/russian-internet-trolls-are-trained-to-spread-propaganda-in-three-person-teams-2015-3?&platform=bi-androidapp
= new reply since forum marked as read
Seems about right. They all show up on DU at the same time. One starts a opinion piece and they all join in.
Same posters, same time, same repeated points.
Tho the Russians are probably less obvious
