What you need to understand about DU is that it is a PR project (see page 3)

[txradioguy]

Very interesting and informative piece of information that IMO answers a lot of questions about DU and some of it's most prolific posters.

Lurkers...how does it feel to get used by the people you adore?

The PR firm that runs DU does want an echo chamber. The young people (now a little older) in charge, like Skinner, Elad, etc. are being subcontracted by the PR firm to run the board. There is probably a room with a bunch of computers and the same six or seven people posting all day under many different handles, spewing out Democratic talking points. There may be other people across the country hired through one party apparatus or another to do a certain number of hours daily on DU and to watch out for any deviation from important talking points.

I think Frenchie Cat fits that description: she always said she was some kind of "activist", when she wasn't posting the pictures of other people's day care kids online or writing drunken poetry. She also knew about Obama's trip to Europe during the 2008 campaign way before anyone else did, which led me to believe she had some inside-the-party info.

In the end, I think about 20 or 30 regular posters are hired guns of some sort under a number of different handles. There are a number of genuine regulars--Mike C, for example, is a real professor at Humbolt--but the genuine posters are not on all the time.

Mostly, the hired guns are there to promote the talking points, sway conversations in the direction of the talking points, and get rid of people who are too far off message, even if they are true Democrats. For example, when the gays got too vocal, two years before Obama was ready to do something about DADT, many of them were tombstoned, even though they were true registered Democrats who had worked hard for the party.

What you need to understand about DU is that it is a PR project. To look "genuine", they have to allow some leeway, but when an important policy issue or election comes up, the firm's lackeys unleash "new" posters (with, mysteriously, many thousands of posts) to push the talking points all over the front page at rapid speed. Any genuine posters who disagree too vehemently are tombstoned for interfering with the PR.

The lackeys, on the other hand, can post the most outrageous filth. (I'll never forget Frenchie Cat posting the picture of a rectum on a thread to insult the PUMAs. She didn't even get a wrist slap.) This means that DU is really a PR dump. Genuine Democrats who honestly want to discuss issues need not apply.

H/t Elspeth of conservativeunderground.

[franksolich]

What you need to understand about DU is that it is a PR project.

Right on the money.

[txradioguy]

Right on the money.

It does seem to answer some questions that left us all scratching our heads.  And would confirm some of BadCats computer models.

We've all wondered why we haven't heard of some of the primitives that suddenly appear with several thousand posts and we've never brought anything of their musings over before that first time we post them here.

And it explains why there was the great purge and banning in 2008 of Hillary supporters who dared speak out against Obama.

[EagleKeeper]

When you think about DUmmies like prosense in this vein it begins to make sense.

[Ptarmigan]

Interesting. I remember some people who used to post at DU, but left. I thought they were banned under unpleasant circumstances. I know GabysPoppy was banned from DU and even harassed.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Elspeth is no kook.  She may well be onto something here.

[BlueStateSaint]

Then, if said Elspeth is on the right track, it begs the question . . .

WHY?

Why was/is it being done?

[Chris_]

Then, if said Elspeth is on the right track, it begs the question . . .

WHY?

Why was/is it being done?

I remember writing it, but I have no idea where it's at.

Once I write something, I tend to forget all about it and move on to something else.

Anyway, my fellow alum used to be an aide for U.S. Senators Joseph Biden, Ron Wyden, and Carl Levin--although on the third, don't take my word for it, as it might have been Levin's brother the Congressman Sander Levin. 

Skins was also a congressional aide for congressman David Bonior, who made an outstandingly stupid mistake of running in the Democrat gubernatorial primary in Michigan about ten years ago, losing to that woman from Canada, and hence losing his seat-for-life in the House.

It's all on the internet, somewhere, including that Lord Marblehead EarlG had some sort of connection with the U.K. Ministry of Defence during the late 1990s (his college education was financed by them, or something, or he was an intern there; one no longer remembers), but it's information so ancient it would demand the deep-googling skills of a miskie to find it now.

My particular flaw in such matters is that I'm not so much interested as in where people have been, but more so in where they're at now, and where they're headed.

As for the Establishment Democrats setting up Skins's island so as to identify, attract, and isolate the fringe elements from the public eye, lest the nuts embarrass the Democrats, costing them elections, there were many links to this issue during the Scamdal five and a half years ago, but at any rate, res ipsa loquatir; the thing speaks for itself, and demands no corraborating evidence.

http://www.conservativecave.com/index.php/topic,53501.0.html

[Ptarmigan]

Elspeth is no kook.  She may well be onto something here.

Elspeth has an account here at CC. I have not seen her here in a while.

I seem to remember another mass banning at DU in 2004. Anything on that?

[Freeper]

Elspeth has an account here at CC. I have not seen her here in a while.

I seem to remember another mass banning at DU in 2004. Anything on that?

They were tracking people who visited DU by clicking on links at CU. A lot of moles died that day. 

[Ptarmigan]

They were tracking people who visited DU by clicking on links at CU. A lot of moles died that day. 

Not only moles. I also remember non-moles and even a moderator.

[blitzkrieg_17]

Must be some f'n lousy PR firm, with all the psycho-Nazi things said on DU the past 8 years.

[USA4ME]

I seem to remember another mass banning at DU in 2004. Anything on that?

That was also the year of the great Deaniac purge after he went nutso.

As for the OP:  Interesting theory.  I'm not convinced at this point because something like this would take thought and planning, and I just have never seen liberals successfully conduct anything involving thought, much less planning.  It explains some things, but leaves other things even more confusing.

I still tend to think the admins are pro-Dem and they want a board that reflects approval of whatever the Dems do and whatever will strengthen the party.  I think Skin's and company still hold out some hope of recognition for being loyalists.  In some members, like prosense, they've found members who will tow the party line no matter what, and they like that.  That is their anchor.  Over time, everyone else either falls in line, or stays pretty close to base, or is TSed.  They keep a few who appear to question Dems just for appearances.  I mean, the comment was made that the true followers can do just about anything, and I've noticed the questioners are essentially in the same boat.  You'll occasionally see primitives complain that a certain poster always bashes Dems but never gets in trouble for it.  So if the above theory is true about the PR thing, then they're playing both sides with more emphasis towards the ones that favor Dems.

.

[Jasonw560]

But no matter what.......

........they can never explain nadin.

[Maxiest]

But no matter what.......

........they can never explain nadin.

So true.

[Skul]

But no matter what.......

........they can never explain nadin.

She's "teh shiney", meant to distract.
Those that oppose her and tarnish that image are weeded out.
Anybody seen BTG, lately?

[LC EFA]

I pause to wonder if any one has a mole over there that has been or is currently a moderator.

If so what level of IP tracking is available to the DU moderation staff - Claims that there are only a few tens of actual posters on there should be easy enough to verify through the IP tracking component of the board software....

Even if the  board software really is as old and clapped out as it appears to be ; they'd have to have a moderately sophisticated system for user tracking.

[txradioguy]

I pause to wonder if any one has a mole over there that has been or is currently a moderator.

If so what level of IP tracking is available to the DU moderation staff - Claims that there are only a few tens of actual posters on there should be easy enough to verify through the IP tracking component of the board software....

Even if the  board software really is as old and clapped out as it appears to be ; they'd have to have a moderately sophisticated system for user tracking.

Sounds like something BadCat could find out with his dumpster diving software.

[Jasonw560]

I pause to wonder if any one has a mole over there that has been or is currently a moderator.

If so what level of IP tracking is available to the DU moderation staff - Claims that there are only a few tens of actual posters on there should be easy enough to verify through the IP tracking component of the board software....

Even if the  board software really is as old and clapped out as it appears to be ; they'd have to have a moderately sophisticated system for user tracking.

Not one of the real mods could find their asses with both hands and a flashlight.

[LC EFA]

Sounds like something BadCat could find out with his dumpster diving software.

Maybe. I don't know how his software operates - but I suspect it is essentially a link crawler and statistical aggregator that doesn't operate under a user name. I may well be wrong. However, on every board I've been on - you need to be a moderator to be able to access and track IP information on users and posts.

Now if BadCat had an account that had moderator level access...

[txradioguy]

Maybe. I don't know how his software operates - but I suspect it is essentially a link crawler and statistical aggregator that doesn't operate under a user name. I may well be wrong. However, on every board I've been on - you need to be a moderator to be able to access and track IP information on users and posts.

Now if BadCat had an account that had moderator level access...

BC to my knowledge doesn't have that level access...but IIRC there are a couple people here that  do.  Or did at one point.  And at least one person at ToS did/does as well.

[LC EFA]

Not one of the real mods could find their asses with both hands and a flashlight.

Yes, but that's because their arms are too short and their waist is too large in circumference for them to actually touch it.

[txradioguy]

So...any thoughts on which "PR firm" has the deep pockets to do this?

My first thought was People For The American Way.

Not a PR firm in the truest sense but they DO float a lot of trial balloons the Dems end up using.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I pause to wonder if any one has a mole over there that has been or is currently a moderator.

If so what level of IP tracking is available to the DU moderation staff - Claims that there are only a few tens of actual posters on there should be easy enough to verify through the IP tracking component of the board software....

Even if the  board software really is as old and clapped out as it appears to be ; they'd have to have a moderately sophisticated system for user tracking.

I don't moderate here, but I do at CU. My apologies to SR & SLW etc., but I don't think I'm giving away any secrets.  At CU, I can see every IP address, and can look up much further information if necessary.  For 99% of those who actually post, it means nothing.  Spammers & spider-bots are mostly innocuous.  We zap the spammers in fairly quick fashion.  But lurkers are the ones we are concerned about, as I'm sure is the same here and hell, even at the DUmp.

Very interesting theory by Elspeth, though. Very interesting...

[franksolich]

I don't moderate here, but I do at CU. My apologies to SR & SLW etc., but I don't think I'm giving away any secrets.  At CU, I can see every IP address, and can look up much further information if necessary.  For 99% of those who actually post, it means nothing.  Spammers & spider-bots are mostly innocuous.  We zap the spammers in fairly quick fashion.  But lurkers are the ones we are concerned about, as I'm sure is the same here and hell, even at the DUmp.

Same thing here, exactly.

When I pull up the "users on line" screen, I don't bother paying attention to the threads members, a known quality to me, are reading.  Members can be reading the porno threads here, and I couldn't possibly care less.

However, I care very much what lurkers are reading.

Members here can see essentially the same things I can see, other than the ISP (internet service provider) numbers, by clicking on USERS ON LINE at the bottom of the forum page.  I've always suggested they check it at least once in a while, to see what's popular; they might see a thread they missed earlier.

Our old home, where I was a member but not a moderator, before the crash in 2008, the same thing; I imagine it's still that way.

It's all good.