BTW, thank you to the poster several threads ago when we were talking about Russian troll factories, who suggested the "alt-Right" were behaving in similar fashion.
I know we've discussed it being hard to tell the difference between paid trolls, volunteer campaigners who have been tasked, and fellow travellers who've just picked up fleas.
But comparison to the troll factories has helped clarified my thoughts.
I've previously been easily knocked off course by (sometimes deliberately invoked!) doubts about the ethics of examining the poster vs just putting up counters to their arguments. Now I'm feeling less squeamish at looking at the whole pattern, and in some cases dropping the assumption that a particular person is posting in good faith.
NB this isn't about whether I disagree with someone, or about posters who are open that eg they're supporting Shelter's campaign for better rental rights. It's about people who are concealing the fact that they are being organised and tasked, and who are carefully drip-dripping ideas and nudging emotions rather than stating what they're about.
That may not sound very coherent outside my head! But it's already helped me go, "Woah, what's this person really up to?" and engage differently.