Has the government got paid posters here to quash any dissenting voices?

[ssd]

There's always been robust discussions on politics on mn, but I've noticed lately when ever someone questions the government's track record on covid, certain posters pop up with very similar agendas, defending them to the hilt and trying to throw the discussion round to something else.

I'd like to see when posters actually joined mn, some newer posters must spend all their time on here defending the indefensible.

Something like this you mean?

Did I say it was a company selling paint?

Before the GE social media was a virtue signalling echo chamber, hence the shock at the GE result and the incredulity that anyone on SM now is not a Labour supporter. There are so many obvious Momentum trolls on MN, less than before the GE but still far too many but this thread isn't concerned about them. I call them out on economic or European bullshit because that is what I know about.

Of course, it's the only way someone could have a different opinion to you, clearly!

www.standard.co.uk/tech/twitter-bots-coronavirus-messages-social-media-a4447071.html

Twitter bots make up nearly half of the accounts spreading coronavirus messages, scientists reveal

Just a reminder as the MN coronavirus board continues to have an influx of posters who repeat the Government line verbatim in an interesting fashion.

I think it's weird when people think if someone doesnt agree with you on a political post that they are being paid by the Government. The world is made up of people with different opinions and you can expect to find a good mix on mn too surely.

Sometimes mumsnet threads can be weird, one thread could have everyone adamently saying one thing and if you pop up and say something different, you get called all sorts, when there can be another thread often at the same time, saying exactly the opposite. I think some people are too nervous to go against the vein, but are happy to voice their opinion with more like minded people.

A bot on Twitter is a completely different thing and specific to Twitter.

I think its more likely that marketing companies deliberately start threads about schools/paint/buggies etc.

The fact that a LOT of people voted Tory in the last election means that Mumsnet is bound to have at least some posters who vote Tory

Clavinova, Sadie789, SpokeTooSoon. All Tory shills.

I'm not talking about Tory voters. Always been some of them on MN, particularly when Corbyn was in charge of Labour.

I'm talking about posters who relentlessly argue black is white and night is day in an effort to defend the Government.

It's very obvious, Tonyah, to any poster who's been here more than 5 minutes, who these posters are.

They stand out a mile.

I'm sure you'd agree?

Redolent - missed a few.

Maybe I'm not on here enough. I only "know" Clavinova. She's not a bot.

Not really. We aren't the same person if that's what you mean.

Heavens! Whyever do you think I was suggesting that?!

What a bizarre idea.

Yes, it is very bizarre!

Of course they do OP.

I've just noticed the usual paid Labour bots on here who I'm pleased to see are making more of an effort and being more inventive to earn their pay. There's no point to Tory bots being on here, it's so left wing, no-one is going to give a fuck what they say, so it would be a complete waste of money.

Short answer, 'Yes,' longer answer, I think they're not government-related per se. They're social media people from autonomous groups that have an interest in pushing the agenda of the likes of Cummings and co. - which is, at the moment, who is governing us.

They operate at one, perhaps several, removes from Johnson - and his chief adviser.

Come on, Cummings has form for this; it's his basic modus operandi.

It's mildly depressing that social media is exploitable in this way. I always hoped that social media would settle down and produce the benefits of old-style media (information; accountability), along with the new opportunities (democratisation of voice) - but it's showing no signs of naturally going in that direction. ☹️

And I think Mumsnet is a far, far better site than most. It's quite resistant to take-over, partly because it draws on so many (mostly) women.

And, for the record, I also think that losing Mumsnet would be an enormous loss.

Agree, totally, thecat.

Haha @effingterrified i have noticed the same thing actually

I think some of you are underestimating your own importance. As if the government can be arsed to pay people to go on every forum under the sun to respond to dissent?! Or is mumsnet special?! There are still plebty of tories around and they respond for free so why arrange it. ..

I fear for the mental health of some posters. It must feel like living in an episode of the Truman Show for them.

Definitely.
Cummings used govt data to create profiles of voters ( legally dubious)
And targeted them with emotive adverts similar to Cambridge Analyticas tactics.
Playing on known traits such as racism etc.
It was A tactic that was part of the Brexit campaign and part of Boris’s election campaign.
Very Russian.

There are also a bunch of free range morons with nothing better to do who see themselves as on the frontline battling immigrants and feminists in the Wild West of the Internet.
Claiming their “rightful territory” and patting each other on the back for their ignorance.