This is a really cogent point. It’s interesting you have noticed a similar pattern with GenZedong. Any new tricks that are worth mentioning so we can keep an eye out?

Longer write up I did about this because your comment got me thinking, does any of this line up with your experiences?

This site seems to have a certain amount of ambient wreckers / trolls that are recurring, with the number definitely spiking around:

Event 1. Struggle Sessions

These can be either organic ones or manufactured. Noticed all three of the wrecker types (FAWH, Defrosted, Drive-by) during those and they followed a repeatable pattern of:

• making an exaggerated and inflammatory :bait: statement for position A
• responding with an equal inflammatory :bait: for position B
• escalate argument and get legitimate users to take :bait:
• get legit users on :both-sides: to argue with each other, ideally for the most bullshit version of the positions

Forget who I saw that laid it out this way, but it made a lot of sense to me, so I’m copying it.

The thing to keep in mind, is that the inflammatory positions don’t necessarily have to incorrect. In fact it works better if you find a nerve / topic the site hasn’t resolved contradictions around yet. That’s part of why early struggle sessions often made the site more pleasant afterwards and peeled off reactionaries.

Note: You can see FAWHs “fishing” sometimes if you look carefully, where they will cycle through controversial topics over 1-3 days trying to get one to “stick”.

Event 2. “Growth” Events

New community lifeboat comms, site gets a shoutout on a major subreddit, etc. Makes sense as a way for presenting the site as “not welcoming”. Can be done with either “this site is not safe” posts, “omg site is dead who was phone”, or creating a struggle session event.

Has historically been very effective here to the point Hexbear no longer does lifeboat comms.

Event 3. Software releases

Focused on stressing out and/or demotivating developers. This can take a lot of forms: Rage posts demanding certain features be built, direct focus on criticizing / harassing /griefing devs on the site, etc. Also very effective, ultimately contributed to near total burnout of both gen 1 mods and devs.

Lol lmao

deleted by creator

I’m sorry you had to experience that, comrade. Hogs like that are why I wanted to have this discussion with folks. It genuinely helps to understand patterns and understand you’re not missing something.

:meow-hug:

I wouldn’t say so, that just sounds like exhaustion and not particularly malicious.

Oh sorry, was briefly skimming and must have read the “fra____” and then paired the two

Considering past events with doxing and targeted harassment, I think certain amount of healthy mindfulness about wreckers is warranted.

My hope for this post is that it can be used as a community resource so folks can better identify questionable accounts and be less anxious on the whole. It’s a lot easier to disengage, ignore, and/or ppb someone once you can tell they’re just an angry clown.

heterodox opinions, argued in good faith, is not “wrecking” the site, you busybody dullard

:lmayo:

On that note, this site’s public mod log is a great source of slop and available at the bottom of every page.

:popcorn-time:

If you check now, there’s a batch of removed comments from someone who definitely checks a lot of the boxes for “wrecker”. :quark:

https://hexbear.net/modlog

:FrogPog: :france-cool:

Fun Frog Fact: I looked it up. “Marshal” and “Marshalls” are both different names with separate etymology, but are still from France. Fucking white people lol

That’s a good one! They are almost always passive aggressive / straight up aggressive about it as well if you comment on the account age.

:frothingfash: “WHAT ARE YOU NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE NEW ACCOUNTS THIS SITE BANS YOU FOR EVERYTHING CAN’T EVEN SAY removed LIKE A NORMAL PERSON HERE”

Have noticed this too! The rhythm will be off and they’re a dick about it.

:stupidpol: “hello chapos dae want to learn to make at home explosives to kill elected officials that we all hate such as illinoise state house representative Marshal Marshalls (D)”

:silver-legion:

Relevant emoji:

:bannin:

:zizek-preference:

Shame

Looking forward to it as always.

:kim-salute:

:gold-antifa: :10000-com: / :10000-com: :gold-antifa:

Hmm? No, it's just a common talking point every single time China makes measurable (but not immediate) progress.

Dunking on :reddit-logo: and having fun, I would hope that sort of liberalism wouldn't be here.

Longer mulling over of the subject:

I've especially noticed this sort of response with ultras, who tend to fixate on idealism and view any progress that isn't immediate and complete as somehow a failure. Sad way to live, since it is often fairly easy with this mindset to continually shift the goalposts regardless of what is done. It's the sort of behavior that Lenin criticized as being "an infantile disorder".

This isn't intended as being sectarian as I don't think(?) most leftists identify as ultras. Regardless, I'm merely describing the behavior and Lenin's response to that sort of dogmatism.