Exactly. This is what I was getting at earlier- it's hard to engage in good faith anonymously without really knowing who they are (and if they are American). Your experiment is pointing to something I've long wondered about. So, I'm interested in hearing more
Confirms what I’ve been increasingly seeing and occasionally pointing out on BlueSky. Prior to the 2024 election, I’d worked with NAFO folks in their efforts to mass-report troll accounts engaging in this kind of engineered social media manipulation. For a time, it worked on Twitter…until Elon fully destroyed the algorithm and any real accountability leading up to the election. And because of that, around & following the inauguration, increasingly more folks fled X for BlueSky…and the sockpuppets & trolls weren’t far behind, pursuing the demographic they’d chased away from X.
Can you trust the FBI ? I appreciate this message to us. When I stopped posting on Facebook a year ago, I opened an account on Bluesky. But I stopped posting there too when I received an inordinate amount of messages from people posing as high-ranking military men supposedly interested in matrimony and masking as Palestinian journalists. The language was partly AI and partly genuine, revealing that the senders had a very poor grasp of English. Many had their accounts closed by Bluesky. I understand you’re speaking of different activity but I post my experiences as a warning.
The fact that they're targeting you means you're on the right path. It's sad how they've sold out though... capitalism.. I've always despised it from an early age. My soul, my virtues, my moral and my ethics are not for sale.
I share your ethics…but I can also empathize with the nihilistic hopelessness these folks are feeling cornered into. I can totally understand the animosity they might feel towards the tech / social media industry writ-large, (which has very tangibly & increasingly rapaciously destroyed their quality of life, economic prospects, social mobility, and the democratic power of their vote to mean anything.) …I understand the “burn-it-all-down-anyway” sentiment these folks feel, and if someone like the CCP or Kremlin is willing to help them eat and avoid eviction & homelessness for another month —in exchange for helping burn down [what can be seen as] the systemic rot of the social media landscape and of the PMC neoliberal class who suckles at the teat of this tech industry— then yeah, I can completely empathize with taking that money, too.
I do think that the phrase “sold out” is painting with a broad brush. To me, anyway, sold out implies that the person did it just because they wanted money, fame, etc.
But as J points out, there are more motivations to this than just money and fame. There’s survival, hopelessness, etc.
Maybe I’m nitpicking, but… maybe not? Words matter.
What you say is largely true. Many folks have other accounts, we are cross-pollinated. This is my only other account. I came here originally for Mike, as a CoSo user posted one of his pieces, and I was hooked. I had left X after 14 years.
You'd be surprised at how well CoSo does with news, we are dedicated, and at the outstanding minds & breadth of knowledge and expertise you would find there. The only thing I miss is not being able to flip a comment to a public figure. What I don't miss is the harassment that Mike is describing. Nor do I miss the Nazis.
I hear you, but the problem is the combination of user critical mass and the corresponding potential reach of any one user’s posts. That’s why people continue to use Xitter, even as terrible as it’s gotten…and Bluesky is headed down a similar troll-saturation path, simply because it got big enough to be a target. Smaller social media platforms can better-manage trolls simply because of their smaller size and more siloed userbase…but that also means their users have less reach; less ability to interact with / hear from people in all corners of everywhere about any topic. …That’s okay if you’re only interested in your own siloed community, but it’s really bad for communicating breaking news and sharing info with a wide-ranging audience.
I'm not surprised that this is happening. Foreign actors have been meddling in the online perceptions of United States politics and disrupting our social cohesion for many years now.
You’re “In the Belly of the Beast” now, Sir. More accurately, you’ve Pried it’s Mouth Open and are Peering In. I recall the above mentioned Memoir being Quite Dark. There’s one Specific Image in it I won’t share of a Scene in the Federal Prison in Virginia. Just remember being Horrified. On U.S. Soil! And a U.S. Citizen! But I was Young. Not jaded. Just on My Way.
You’ve Hunted Goliath Down. Found Him. Now Confront Him. Without Hesitation. I Trust you’ve All the Tools and Cohorts required. You Definitely have the Courage and Stamina. Stamina another Requirement. May you Make the Difference you Imagine. Here’s Wishing you Good Luck on your Way to Success.
Call me Hyperbolic. Or rather, that Fun Term used At Women: Hysterical. So Be It.
I read and dig your posts. Like the entertainment biz, there is always an organized group of folks in their basement rooms who like to see themselves as 'disruptors.' Tearing things down is easier than building them. So, ignore the nut jobs who do not understand coalition building. Keep on!
Ok, so I just finished reading "The Virtuecratic Machine on Bluesky" and now this piece. And the elephant in the room for me is why are you on Twitter/X or Bluesky in the first place? I've heard you announce (when doing a live-stream) that it's being streamed on Twitter/X, and it's always been a bit of a head-scratcher for me.
Twitter/X has been known to be a cesspool for a long time, and that it encourages some of the worst human behavior is indisputable. I had no doubt that in time Bluesky would follow suit. Add in the trolls and the bots, it's like why the hell engage there?
It is worrisome that Substack could experience the same fate. I have often wondered if it would be best to remove the "like" function on Substack. Admittedly, I have used it many times and feel the dopamine hit when someone "likes" something that I say, but I do believe its presence is one of several things that encourages group-think, the need to fit in, and some of the other behaviors that you addressed in your prior post.
This will seem like an odd analogy, but I'm going to make it anyway. When I read your very thoughtful, moving, and in-depth posts, I liken it to watching the Tenemos Familias ad that the Bernie Sanders' campaign put out 10 years ago. It is not an ad that can easily run on TV because its length (5 min) doesn't fit into the standard commercial time limit. But the ad is the most powerful and moving ad I have ever seen, and, obviously, I still remember it to this day. (Here is the link for anyone who wants to watch.)
Your writing reminds me of that ad. Neither belong in a 30 second, 1 minute, or limited character setting with an audience who is more concerned with fitting in rather than learning or engaging in real dialogue. Although your experiment on Bluesky and the subsequent info that you have learned is valuable, I would encourage you to continue showcasing your writings in spaces that are actually set up to value it.
Exactly. This is what I was getting at earlier- it's hard to engage in good faith anonymously without really knowing who they are (and if they are American). Your experiment is pointing to something I've long wondered about. So, I'm interested in hearing more
Confirms what I’ve been increasingly seeing and occasionally pointing out on BlueSky. Prior to the 2024 election, I’d worked with NAFO folks in their efforts to mass-report troll accounts engaging in this kind of engineered social media manipulation. For a time, it worked on Twitter…until Elon fully destroyed the algorithm and any real accountability leading up to the election. And because of that, around & following the inauguration, increasingly more folks fled X for BlueSky…and the sockpuppets & trolls weren’t far behind, pursuing the demographic they’d chased away from X.
Can you trust the FBI ? I appreciate this message to us. When I stopped posting on Facebook a year ago, I opened an account on Bluesky. But I stopped posting there too when I received an inordinate amount of messages from people posing as high-ranking military men supposedly interested in matrimony and masking as Palestinian journalists. The language was partly AI and partly genuine, revealing that the senders had a very poor grasp of English. Many had their accounts closed by Bluesky. I understand you’re speaking of different activity but I post my experiences as a warning.
The FBI. Isn't that kinda like asking the fox to help you escape from the other chickens in the henhouse.
The fact that they're targeting you means you're on the right path. It's sad how they've sold out though... capitalism.. I've always despised it from an early age. My soul, my virtues, my moral and my ethics are not for sale.
I share your ethics…but I can also empathize with the nihilistic hopelessness these folks are feeling cornered into. I can totally understand the animosity they might feel towards the tech / social media industry writ-large, (which has very tangibly & increasingly rapaciously destroyed their quality of life, economic prospects, social mobility, and the democratic power of their vote to mean anything.) …I understand the “burn-it-all-down-anyway” sentiment these folks feel, and if someone like the CCP or Kremlin is willing to help them eat and avoid eviction & homelessness for another month —in exchange for helping burn down [what can be seen as] the systemic rot of the social media landscape and of the PMC neoliberal class who suckles at the teat of this tech industry— then yeah, I can completely empathize with taking that money, too.
I do think that the phrase “sold out” is painting with a broad brush. To me, anyway, sold out implies that the person did it just because they wanted money, fame, etc.
But as J points out, there are more motivations to this than just money and fame. There’s survival, hopelessness, etc.
Maybe I’m nitpicking, but… maybe not? Words matter.
Sounds a Bit Off. Telling Mike Brock that “Words Matter”.
As Does Mike Brock.
Counter.Social No bots, no trolls, no ads, no algorithms, no bad actors. They are gone in a flash. True community.
What you say is largely true. Many folks have other accounts, we are cross-pollinated. This is my only other account. I came here originally for Mike, as a CoSo user posted one of his pieces, and I was hooked. I had left X after 14 years.
You'd be surprised at how well CoSo does with news, we are dedicated, and at the outstanding minds & breadth of knowledge and expertise you would find there. The only thing I miss is not being able to flip a comment to a public figure. What I don't miss is the harassment that Mike is describing. Nor do I miss the Nazis.
Fair points, all.
I hear you, but the problem is the combination of user critical mass and the corresponding potential reach of any one user’s posts. That’s why people continue to use Xitter, even as terrible as it’s gotten…and Bluesky is headed down a similar troll-saturation path, simply because it got big enough to be a target. Smaller social media platforms can better-manage trolls simply because of their smaller size and more siloed userbase…but that also means their users have less reach; less ability to interact with / hear from people in all corners of everywhere about any topic. …That’s okay if you’re only interested in your own siloed community, but it’s really bad for communicating breaking news and sharing info with a wide-ranging audience.
POINT.
May be a worthy source for News beyond the Social Aspects you mention.
I'm not surprised that this is happening. Foreign actors have been meddling in the online perceptions of United States politics and disrupting our social cohesion for many years now.
I'm looking forward to reading more, sir, and I offer prayers for your safety in light of the discoveries you've made. ✌️
Stay safe
Fascinating…. I so glad you did this! I can’t wait to hear more
You’re “In the Belly of the Beast” now, Sir. More accurately, you’ve Pried it’s Mouth Open and are Peering In. I recall the above mentioned Memoir being Quite Dark. There’s one Specific Image in it I won’t share of a Scene in the Federal Prison in Virginia. Just remember being Horrified. On U.S. Soil! And a U.S. Citizen! But I was Young. Not jaded. Just on My Way.
You’ve Hunted Goliath Down. Found Him. Now Confront Him. Without Hesitation. I Trust you’ve All the Tools and Cohorts required. You Definitely have the Courage and Stamina. Stamina another Requirement. May you Make the Difference you Imagine. Here’s Wishing you Good Luck on your Way to Success.
Call me Hyperbolic. Or rather, that Fun Term used At Women: Hysterical. So Be It.
You’re Made for This Fight, Mike Brock.
The payola is rampant on both sides. Our entire society is for sale
I read and dig your posts. Like the entertainment biz, there is always an organized group of folks in their basement rooms who like to see themselves as 'disruptors.' Tearing things down is easier than building them. So, ignore the nut jobs who do not understand coalition building. Keep on!
How can we help?
Ok, so I just finished reading "The Virtuecratic Machine on Bluesky" and now this piece. And the elephant in the room for me is why are you on Twitter/X or Bluesky in the first place? I've heard you announce (when doing a live-stream) that it's being streamed on Twitter/X, and it's always been a bit of a head-scratcher for me.
Twitter/X has been known to be a cesspool for a long time, and that it encourages some of the worst human behavior is indisputable. I had no doubt that in time Bluesky would follow suit. Add in the trolls and the bots, it's like why the hell engage there?
It is worrisome that Substack could experience the same fate. I have often wondered if it would be best to remove the "like" function on Substack. Admittedly, I have used it many times and feel the dopamine hit when someone "likes" something that I say, but I do believe its presence is one of several things that encourages group-think, the need to fit in, and some of the other behaviors that you addressed in your prior post.
This will seem like an odd analogy, but I'm going to make it anyway. When I read your very thoughtful, moving, and in-depth posts, I liken it to watching the Tenemos Familias ad that the Bernie Sanders' campaign put out 10 years ago. It is not an ad that can easily run on TV because its length (5 min) doesn't fit into the standard commercial time limit. But the ad is the most powerful and moving ad I have ever seen, and, obviously, I still remember it to this day. (Here is the link for anyone who wants to watch.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XXEHZsAkR0
Your writing reminds me of that ad. Neither belong in a 30 second, 1 minute, or limited character setting with an audience who is more concerned with fitting in rather than learning or engaging in real dialogue. Although your experiment on Bluesky and the subsequent info that you have learned is valuable, I would encourage you to continue showcasing your writings in spaces that are actually set up to value it.
Remember the Mueller Report about Russian-Republican collaboration? We might be dealing with a hybrid foreign/domestic Project 2025 offshoot.
This was so informative, please keep us posted and appreciate you.