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FAQ and Primer for comp.os.linux.advocacy, Edition III Part 2

  • Subject: FAQ and Primer for comp.os.linux.advocacy, Edition III Part 2
  • From: High Plains Thumper <highplainsthumper@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:27:16 -0600
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Following are excerpts from the official FAQ, entire text is found at:

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/

********************************************************

[comp.os.linux.advocacy] FAQ and Primer for COLA, Edition III

Copyright: (c) 2002 The FAQ and Primer for COLA Team -- All Rights Reserved

       Frequently Asked Questions and Primer for comp.os.linux.advocacy

                                 Edition III

                                April 19, 2002

             +-------------------------------------------------+
             | Beware of those who would call you a friend for |
             | many will eat your bread while working against  |
             | you. They will take credit for your good works  |
             |      and blame you for their own misdeeds.      |
             |               - TheGreat Unknown                |
             +-------------------------------------------------+


(OFFICIAL FAQ CONTINUED)

                    7 Anti-Linux Propagandists and Trolls

  The comp.os.linux.advocacy newsgroup is a newsgroup that is under siege by
  one or more factions of anti-Linux propagandists. In the past those
  factions have appeared to be confident and smug; however, as of late it
  appears that they are becoming ever more desperate. The reason for their
  desperation appears to be as a result of growth of the mind share of Linux
  and the continuing failures of their chosen cause. Besides the true
  anti-Linux propagandists there are also the occasional classic newsgroup
  troll.

  It can be difficult to determine what type of person a particular
  disruptive personality is; an anti-Linux Propagandist or just a troll.
  That is because they both use some of the same tactic. What it not
  difficult to determine is what their purpose is when they post to COLA.
  They are doing it to disrupt the newsgroup and sidetrack its purpose of
  existence. Regardless of their reason for the disruption, they are trying
  to prevent: the free exchange of knowledge and support based on experience
  of using Linux that would otherwise be happening in COLA, if it were not
  for their interference.

  The free and open discussions between the experienced users and the new
  users and the would be users of Linux that is our goal. That is the goal
  of all those who would be Linux advocates as well as all others who come
  to COLA to discuss Linux. All of us, Linux users new and old, those
  curious about Linux, and others, have come to COLA as students and as
  teachers. All that is except for the anti-Linux propagandists and the
  trolls, they have come to COLA to destroy it and prevent its being an
  asset to the Linux community.

  As has been stated else where in this document, all are welcome in COLA,
  except those who come to COLA to destroy Linux, COLA, or the Linux
  Community.

7.1 Disinformation

  If COLA were a physical location like a building where those who would
  advocate the growth of the Linux operating systems and the Linux community
  gather, the anti-Linux propagandists would be raiding that building. They
  would be vandalizing the building, painting graffiti on the walls,
  defecating and urinating on the floors and furniture, breaking down the
  doors, setting fire to the building and physically assaulting the resident
  Linux advocates and the visitors who happen to be in the building at the
  time of the raid.

  COLA is not a physical location, so they have had to adapt their methods
  so that they can do an on-line version of what was described in the prior
  paragraph. A key method used by anti-Linux propagandist to attack Linux,
  its users, sysadmins, developers, advocates and those who have come to
  COLA to lean about Linux. is a form of propaganda known as disinformation.
  One of their favorite version of disinformation is known as FUD.

7.3 A Common FUD of the Anti-Linux Propagandists

  An example of dishonesty of the anti-Linux propagandists is their common
  claim that the Linux proponents in COLA oppose the use of any other
  operating system. They also would have you believe that the Linux
  proponents in COLA oppose everyone who does not use Linux all the time.
  Those are some of the lies that they use to try to discredit Linux users
  who post in COLA.

  The truth is that a user of one or more operating systems other than Linux
  are not opposed in COLA for that reason alone. Many of the Linux Advocates
  in COLA have experience on many other operating systems besides Linux.
  Many do use multiple operating systems on a regular basis. It is due to
  this experience that any disinformation regarding the capabilities of
  Linux, or that of other operating systems are easily detected by the Linux
  advocates.

  It is not difficult to tell the difference between an anti-Linux
  Propagandist and a true advocates of another operating system. Occasional
  mention of other operating systems is fine. However, it is the frequent or
  continuous promotion of other operating systems that turns a welcome
  poster into an unwelcome troll or anti-Linux propagandist.

7.6 Trespasser Disinformation Tactics

  This is a list of the disinformation tactics that the that the anti-Linux
  propagandists who post in COLA have been using. All of these tactics have
  been used in COLA by the anti-Linux propagandists against the Linux
  advocates and the rest of the COLA readership to further the cause of the
  anti-Linux propagandists. This list has been worded as though you are one
  of them, so that you can better see through their eyes how they think.

 [1.] Act offended or claim that opposing viewpoints are incredible and/or
      unbelievable. When you are unable to valid argument to refute a Linux
      advocate, use empty statements such as:
         * "OH PULEEEZE!"
         * "Only a Linonut would say that"
         * "And they wonder why no one takes Linux seriously!"
         * "How dare you say that!"
         * "That's the way to offend thousands!"

 [2.] Distract your opponent from the issues at hand by accusing your
      opponents of being "petty", "pathetic", "childish" or any of a number
      of other such terms.

 [3.] Put your opponent off guard by insulting him.  The liberal use of
      profanity and vulgarisms can be very effective, particularly when used
      against you more dignified opponents.  Your experience as a school
      yard bully can be handy here

 [4.] Be patronizing, condescending and present an air of superiority. It
      may hide your inferiority to the casual reader.  Use phrases like
      "kid" or "son", to elevate your relative apparent authority by
      attempting to diminish that of the Linux advocate you are addressing.

 [5.] Discredit your opponent or his position through the use of
      inappropriate laugher and other non-verbal grunts.

 [6.] When your tactics are turned on you, call you opponents trolls.  Do
      not accept the fact that by calling someone using your tactics a troll
      that makes you the real troll.

 [7.] Keep posting non-stop.  Flood the group with your idiocy and nonsense.
      Some readers may equate your volume with proof of quality.  You will
      tie good Linux advocates in knots trying to refute you and they won't
      have time for real advocacy.

 [8.] Brag about destroying newsgroups and threaten to do the same to
      comp.os.linux.advocacy.

 [9.] Drive as many good Linux Advocates out of the group as possible.

  10. Refuse to admit your errors
      Never ever admit your errors no matter how blatant they are.  If you
      find no way out and have to admit that you are wrong, phrase it so
      that you can accuse your opponent of being wrong.

  11. Never apologize for your misbehavior
      Never ever apologize no matter how out of line you have been behaving.
      If you should ever find it to your advantage to apologize, phrase it
      as a slap in the face of the person who you have already wronged.

  12. Blame your stupidity and lies on your opponent
      Blame your own stupidity on the Linux advocate you are dealing with.
      Such as when you have made an unsupportable claim that suggest a list
      of details and your are asked to present your non-existent list reply
      with, "I don't have to list them for you; you aren't bright enough to
      know what you're missing by using X instead of a real Y, I'm not going
      to explain it to you." Then hope that nobody reading the thread
      realizes that your statement translates as, "I lack the knowledge or
      facts needed to counter your position or your position is too complete
      and accurate to be refuted.  So, I will say things to sound superior
      to avoid admitting you are right."

  13. Embarrass your opponent
      Locate or create apparently embarrassing information or detail and
      utilize it out of all proportion-trying to create a scandal around it,
      to hijack a thread or drive everyone to distraction.

  14. Blackmail your opponent
      Locate or create apparently embarrassing information or detail and
      threaten your opponent with exposure to force him to do as you want
      him to. This tactic can be combined with the "Embarrass your opponent"
      tactic if you can no longer get your way though Blackmail.

  15. Avoid answering direct questions
      Avoid answering a direct questions that you fear by claiming to not
      have seen the question then refuse to address it for other reasons.
      Keep it up along with other tactics until your opponent is distracted
      from the question.

  16. Turn a question asked of you back on your opponent
      Better yet, turn the questions back on the Linux Advocate with a
      question like: "What do you think is the `right' answer, lamer?" You
      have now taken the heat off of your ignorance and you have cast doubt
      on the credibility of your opponent.

  17. Don't substantiate your claims
      Refuse to present evidence to support your invalid claims. Repeat your
      invalid claims and have your anti-Linux propagandist comrades do the
      same. Do the same for any invalid claims that you have notice your
      anti-Linux propagandists comrades make.

  18. Don't discuss evidence counter to your position
      Avoid examining or discussing evidence counter to your position. This
      is especially effective when combined with 3.2.8, Dancing Fool,
      wherein you change your position with every post.

  19. Present multiple personalities
      Change your position with every few article you post to
      comp.os.linux.advocacy. Appear to be supporting all sides of the
      issues. You can make a statements or opinion in one posting then
      follow it up with a another post with a contrary opinion. You can even
      get into an argument with yourself. This could cause readers to
      dismiss the subject of the thread.

  20. Narrow the scope of threads so that you can handle it. Narrow the
      scope of the issues that are being addressed in a thread to details
      you feel that you can refute, ridicule, or dismiss leaving the main
      issues unaddressed.

  21. Widen the scope of threads to swamp out the original issue.
      Widen the scope of the issues discussed in a thread to the point that
      the original issues are buried away and hopefully soon forgotten.

  22. Use invalid statistics
      Introduce statistics to try to hurt Linux, Linux Advocates, and/or the
      Linux community at large. Do not about them be valid or real. It would
      be nice if you can find those statistics on-line, but if you can't
      find any, invent them out of whole cloth.  If they are discredited,
      don't let that bother you, keep citing them. If you see a fellow
      anti-Linux propagandist using statistics, cite them as well, no matter
      their lack of validity.

  23. Lie
      Lie, lie, lie, lie.  If you do it often enough you may create the
      appearance of truth.

  24. Ignore dictionaries when they don't support you
      Rage against the use of dictionaries or other such documents, their
      use can only hurt you and expose your ignorance.

  25. Attack new posters who favor Linux
      Some of these Linux Advocates may be new to Linux and COLA. Show no
      mercy. Pounce upon their innocence with every single one of these
      tactics. If you are lucky you might turn them to your side, at the
      very least you may be able to drive them out of COLA and neutralize
      them as a threat.

  26. Attack typos and ignore the content of the message.
      Point out your opponent's grammatical flaws and spelling errors. By
      doing this you can concentrate on form while ignoring substance. This
      is a very handy method to discredit your opponent and by extension his
      position, without once again exposing your ignorance of the issues
      begin discussed in the thread.

  27. Use Spelling and Grammatical Errors to Distract
      Make statements like, "Why do you nea d to dbug the cernal? Is lienux
      not working agen!" When this tactic works, you have disarmed the
      supporters of Linux who have chosen to ignore you because of your
      idiot act, others may react to your style and fail to refute your
      disinformation. Meanwhile, you have posted your disinformation in
      support your cause.

  28. Start trolling threads
      Start threads with subjects like "Linsux Sux", "Linux fonts are bad",
      etc. Manufacture false evidence to back up your claims when possible,
      but don't worry that that is not important. All that is important is
      that you consume the efforts and resources of Linux Advocate as they
      try to refute your trolling threads and that you scare the new and
      casual readership of COLA.

  29. Unreasonably proclaim your reasonableness
      If your method to deliver anti-Linux propaganda is not among the more
      article style, you can try to claim to be reasonable. Of course if you

      really were reasonable, you would not be an anti-Linux propagandists
      in he first place; however, compared to your more radical comrades you
      may seem to be more reasonable. You can not be certain that the
      readership of COLA will accept your actions as being reasonable
      without your prompting them to think of you that way. So you need
      frequently mention how reasonable you are.

  30. Expose yourself on COLA.
      Post articles in COLA containing ASCII art depicting your body
      including your genitals, either in the message body or in the sig.
      Discuss your bodily functions and your bodily wastes, the more
      disgusting the better. It will tend to drive away more of the casual
      and new readers. The Linux Advocates who are frequent posters may
      become disgusted enough to avoid threads that you involve yourself in.

  31. If it makes Microsoft or Windows look bad call it a rumor
      Claim that anything that tends to make Microsoft or Windows look bad
      is an unfounded rumor and that you opponent is being unfair.  If the
      information is obscure enough claim that it is an urban legend, hoping
      that no one knows that many legends are based on fact.

  32. Promote Windows at every opportunity
      Microsoft Windows needs a lot of help to be successful in the mind
      share of its targeted user base. Point out to everybody on COLA how
      wonderful it is. Ignore the meaning of the name of the newsgroup and
      its charter.

  33. Claim false Alignment
      Remind Everyone that you are a long-time Linux user and advocate. Of
      course it is not true, so you will be accused of being what you really
      are.  When that happens and you are accused of working against Linux.
      Deny!  Deny! Deny!

  34. Use of false identities
      Create throw away identities to enter the newsgroup to spread discord
      and after a few days or weeks, stop using that identity. If you are
      losing an argument create a new identity to support the position of
      your main identity. If things are getting slow, create a few
      identities counter to your primary identity.  Start a n-on-1 argument
      with your primary identity being outnumbered.  Then have each of your
      new identities be convinced by your primary identity to the error of
      their ways.

  35. When thing get too hot go away
      When all else fails and things get too hot, disappear from the group.
      This is not as drastic as it sounds.  You might stay away for a few
      months and then return hoping that the other wintrolls have softened
      up the field a bit.  If you don't want to stay away at all.  Create a
      new primary identity and drop the use of the other one.

  36. Enter COLA as a sleeper.
      If you are a new anti-Linux propagandist, or at least your current
      false identity is new, then make your entrance as a dedicated Linux
      user. After a little while, claim to have seen the light and "convert
      back to Windows".  Then you can promote Windows all you want for a
      while, before your true nature is commonly known. Sometimes this works
      for several hours before you are shouted down and have to move on to a
      new identity or continue on as "normal" anti-Linux propagandist.

  37. Enter COLA as a false disgruntled Linux user.
      Create a throw away false identity to enter the newsgroup in order
      claim to be short or long term Linux users who "have had enough of
      Linux and are returning to Windows." Stir things up for a day or two
      and disappear forever.

  38. Never leave a Linux positive thread unchallenged.
      If there is a thread developing that is positive for Linux, hijack
      that thread at all cost.  Even if it means sacrificing your current
      identity.  One method to do this is to ramble on about other topics,
      with or without the use embedded insults.  Even if you fail to hijack
      the thread, you may be able to derail it enough to cancel the
      positive-for Linux-impact that it could have had.

  39. Lie about what you know
      Claim credit for experience, knowledge, or education that you do not
      have. It will impress readers who are not knowledgeable on the topic
      of the moment. Be careful to not engage someone who is truly
      knowledgeable on the subject in conversation or your actual ignorance
      will be exposed.

  40. Avoid providing any help.
      Because you claim to be such an expert so often, you may from time to
      time be asked for assistance.  Don't provide it, you would only
      destroy the image you have lied so long to create.  Treat an honest
      request based on a real situation as an argument: Restate the request
      for assistance in a real situation as a hypothetical situation that
      you can argue against.

  41. Use of Undefined Terminology
      Use terms such as "indoctrinated" as a substitute for "educated" or
      "experienced" when referring to a Linux Advocate.  Use "pedantic" in
      place of "correct", "precise", or "accurate" when referring to a Linux
      Advocate.  Create and use personal definitions such as "commercial
      quality" for impressive sounding terms to mislead the unwary.  But
      never share your definitions for your inappropriate terminology. This
      is commonly known as Troll-speak.

  42. Use fake email addresses.
      Use a fake email address, not just a de-spammed address like real
      advocates use, but a completely fake and made-up one. If you feel the
      need for the appearance of normality use a real appearing email
      address-maybe not one of yours, but you can try to explain your act of
      identity theft as an accident.

  43. Citing vapor postings
      Cite the statements that you had "intended" to include but never
      actual written into your past posting. Gamble on the possibility that
      nobody will remember what you posted and that nobody will do the
      research to determine what you have posted. If you loose that bet, use
      another disinformation tactic to deflect the results of your using
      this tactic.

  44. Use being an idiot as an excuse
      When you are criticized for using disinformation tactics, claim
      ignorance of the disinformation tactics and use your apparent idiocy
      as an excuse for your actions. Do the same for your comrades, when a
      Linux Advocate corners one of your fellow anti-Linux propagandists
      tell that advocate something like "What are you doing? It's only John
      Doe for goodness sake!"

  45. Criticize Linux Advocates but ignore anti-Linux propagandist
      transgressions
      Always criticize the behavior of Linux Advocates, but, ignore the same
      and even worse transgressions are being committed by your fellow
      Trespassers.

  46. Accept the claims of other anti-Linux propagandists as face value
      Always treat other anti-Linux propagandist's statements as being true.
      Accept their interpretations without question, don't bother verifying
      their statements. If they claim something against a Linux advocate
      always side with the anti-Linux propagandists.

  47. Don't do your own homework
      Make your opponent do your research for you. Depending on who much
      credibility you still have will determine how successful you will be
      at this tactic.

  48. Don't let your ignorance stop you from posting
      No matter how little you understand of the issues being discussed in a
      thread, post anyway. If you don't know what you are talking about just
      pretend that you do.

  49. Restate the issues to support your preconceptions
      If the issues being discussed in a thread are not exploitable by you
      for your purpose, restate the issues to support your ability to attack
      Linux Advocate opponent.

  50. Claim god like attributes
      Claim god like attributes, such as being all knowing. If you don't
      want to make that claim, behave as though you are, any way.

  51. Claim only you understand what the issues are.
      Claim and other wise present the attitude to imply that only you know
      what the issues really are. Attempt to project the attitude that would
      tend to discredit your opponent at the same time.

  52. Invoke the mythical average user
      Always use the mythical average users as your yardstick for usability.
      No matter what is being discussed about Linux, restate the abilities
      of the average users to fall short of that needed.

  53. Use extortion to build an army
      Use extortion against a group to generate an army of flunkies to do
      your bidding and do you fighting for you. Such as when things are not
      going the way you want in COLA, crosspost a threat in another
      newsgroup a thread of your intention of making thing miserable for
      them if they don't take up your battle for you. This is a dangerous
      tactic for you the anti-Linux propagandists. If they don't react the
      way you wanted them to, you will either have to forget it or you could
      carry our your threat. If you forget it, you will loose even more
      credibility. If you carry out your threat you will still loose
      credibility and you could open yourself up for reprisal from those
      your are hurting by carrying out your threat. Even if you do form your
      army, you will be held responsible for the results of their actions on
      your behalf. A recent case (as of this writing) of this tactic being
      used by a anti-Linux propagandists can be revived by reading the
      thread that resulted with the crossposting of Message-ID:
      ozub8.40974$Wf1.7452626@xxxxxxxxxxxxx to comp.os.linux.advocacy and
      comp.os.linux.misc.

  54. The devil made me do it
      When you are caught in a situation for which you can not explain you
      actions without a confession of your dishonesty and your alignment,
      blame it on someone else. Create a boogyman to take the blame. A
      variation of this tactic was used in the thread cited above, in which
      the failed extortionist blames all the Linux Advocates in COLA for
      forcing him into attempting extortion.


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