To think it is naive to assume Russian troll farms don’t target massive high traffic discussion forums like Mumsnet to post misinformation

I guess, as in they could then use that info to do it?! I just like to think I don't interact with threads or posters that are total BS without me having any semblance of awareness. But I don't really know now that I think about it. People seem real?! Makes me feel a bit dumb and vulnerable.

You can’t always. But it’s worth bearing the possibility in mind that a poster isn’t always what they seem.

They do. And UK political parties do too.

I just roll my eyes, scroll past or ignore the thread completely. Some threads are imo. Clickbait by goodness knows who.

I think they do target all online spaces where discussions are taking place, but also, a lot of people seem extremely quick to call anyone who expresses a difference of political opinion a bot.

I think some people have seem to have lost all ability to understand that not everyone who holds different views to their own (not just political views) isn't a bot, isn't a troll, isn't a shill, isn't a gaslighter and isn't a narcissist.

Sometimes it's the people throwing the bot accusations who are the ones that are trying to influence how a discussion goes.

Both (the AI ones are obviously a bit newer).

There has been some weird pro Elon/Trump posts on here. Gushing a lot over them like they've just found the cure for cancer and made the OP a millionaire. They are very obvious.

@OneLemonDog I personally find propaganda an interesting word used by all sides in every conflict. I take every piece of news from east and west with a massive pinch of salt. Yes Russia have massive propaganda, as do Israel, as do Hamas as do the USA. There is a self serving interest on all sides. I'm sure there are bots out there but bots exist everywhere. I just find it being used now as a dismissive argument for anyone who doesn't agree with someone. This is coming from someone that doesn't watch any news anymore purely for this reason.

Well, I’m a bit merry after a bottle if plonk with tea (not a regular occurrence)and I’m in bed now about to go sleep - but always like a quick flick here first though….

Regarding this, I’m quite gullible and mostly believe everything- even though I’m aware it might not be true. Today however, I seen an AI generated clip of Zelensky punching Trump and obviously it isn’t real but it looks pretty real so for some that haven’t seen the original carry on, they could believe that actually happened and of ciudad that’s bullshit.

There absolutely is so much bull shit out there and nothing surprises me anymore.

Can I just ask what a ‘bot’ is? Literally speaking? Is it an AI program that generates posts on forums, or is it a person who is paid to deliberately spread misinformation / enflame culture wars etc?

That would just help them switch things up - for a while anyway.

I asked them to move posts about children with disabilities to the SEN boards so the OP could get some decent advice, rather than weirdos being arseholes to disabled kids, but they wouldn't move it. Someone was calling a 7 year old SEN child a sex offender and some very strange over invested people were posting, but that was fine for MNHQ to keep up.

I've suspected stuff was written by bots but not necessarily knowing what nationality.
Could people give general examples of the topics and language they use, and any pointers to help identify such posts?

How odd, I (and others) must be mass hallucinating all the deletions.

Yeah tons of bollocks on here by them. I enjoy others taking the piss out of them though as it is funny, even though none of it is real. If it gets saturated I won't be sticking around. We wouldnt walk into a room full of weirdos saying these things and stay, so why would we stay here?

But nobody else does it close to as much as Russia do (online, in general) and the volume of easily-debunkable, pro-Russia propaganda on here has been particularly noteworthy, obvious and alarming.

This! Tedious to see posts spout obvious nonsense that will be left to stand.

What makes someone a troll rather than someone who has an opinion you don't like or agree with? How can you tell?

@OneLemonDog this happens with every single side in conflict. Naive to think otherwise

Probably because of Russia's long-known, ongoing and extensive use of bots to push propaganda of social media.

This.

And sadly the most otherwise sane people don’t recognise this is the case.

Yeah, you do seem to get some posters who suddently seem to pop up in a rash telling us how terrible the government is, or how England has gone to the dogs etc etc. These can be genuine posts as well of course, there are definitely grounds to criticise the government or the state of the country but when you see a bunch of very generic-seeming posts in quick succession, you do think 'Hmmm, seems like someone's trying to push a line'.

So why are you saying this about this war only? There are plenty of posts with different views on the Israeli/Palestine conflict. Do you call one side a bot?

They don't

Just stop OP
Misinformation = clamp down on free speech