Easily manipulated?

[Paul Hexem]

29 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

..wait! Is this thead another example of that?

Asking for a friend!

How dare you insinuate such a thing. The very thought is offensive!

[Paul Hexem]

6 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

And even more so in RL.

This is the point of dog whistles, no? To produce a kind of plausible deniability ("I didn't actually say that!") using coded language that everyone actually recognizes in a way that will provoke earnest responses that are vulnerable to moderation or manipulation.

It's one reason I'll sometimes respond to posts with a 🙄 and nothing else. Because I want to acknowledge the articulation of the point without being baited into a response.

 

[Katherine Heartsong]

21 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

And even more so in RL.

This is the point of dog whistles, no? To produce a kind of plausible deniability ("I didn't actually say that!") using coded language that everyone actually recognizes in a way that will provoke earnest responses that are vulnerable to moderation or manipulation.

It's one reason I'll sometimes respond to posts with a 🙄 and nothing else. Because I want to acknowledge the articulation of the point without being baited into a response.

Maybe you have, hmm, what are the right words ... unrealistic expectations? Wink wink.

[Love Zhaoying]

@Paul Hexem, will you please be providing examples of where you yourself were "easily manipulated"?  

I provided a list myself, as one of the first responses to your OP.

Or was this all a trick on us, to see if we can be manipulated into discussing a potentially controversial topic?

Thank you in advance.

[Paul Hexem]

5 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

@Paul Hexem, will you please be providing examples of where you yourself were "easily manipulated"?  

I provided a list myself, as one of the first responses to your OP.

I've got a premium account and paid for a last name even though I had a perfectly serviceable one, and I pay extra for mainland to a company I badmouth all the time. They've got me hooked.

5 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Or was this all a trick on us, to see if we can be manipulated into discussing a potentially controversial topic?

The only thing I can say to that is that I think I'll take the advice that @Quartz Mole gave me and start reporting people that attempt to get my threads locked, just because they can't handle a smiley face avatar, apparently.

Edited September 19, 2023 by Paul Hexem

[Rowan Amore]

People use alts a lot to try and manipulate people in world and even threads in these forums.  That's pretty much my only experience with anyone trying to manipulate me or a situation.

[Love Zhaoying]

17 minutes ago, Paul Hexem said:

I've got a premium account and paid for a last name even though I had a perfectly serviceable one, and I pay extra for mainland to a company I badmouth all the time. They've got me hooked.

Ah, I see. In your case - your examples are when you were "manipulated" by LL! I had only interpreted your OP as "by other users", etc. Good ones!

On the other point, good luck - hopefully if there's some "newish" Forumite reporting threads they don't like, the Mods will ignore those reports as being spurious. Them new posters take some.."training". Acclimation, whatevs.

Edited September 19, 2023 by Love Zhaoying
some not someone

[Istelathis]

I don't actually spend very much time in SL socializing, so I am not sure how people are manipulated into purchases from within the platform itself.  I think a lot of people believed Gachas were manipulation, at least that is the impression I had by reading some posts a while ago.  A lot of people think people are being manipulated by the Hellios casino, I haven't spent a cent there myself though,  I just like to spend time playing pointless games while droning off listening to music or watching TV, I wouldn't put it past Anubis though.

I've read some people are shamed for not having mesh avatars, I never experienced that myself.  I've seen people argue over which bodies are the best, and sling insults at one another on other sites.  

One thing I was curious of, is when the entire bot ordeal was occurring, if people started to create bots to troll others or put some bot owners out of business.  I noticed one particular bot creator and their named bots, were accused of actions by bots with very similar names that were said to have been harassing others.  I wondered if they may have been cutting into their profits, if it was just retaliation for scraping our profiles, or just a personal dispute.   I often wonder how some creators might approach to take out their competition, same goes with groups, if they create their own sock accounts to sew seeds of mistrust in communities, or with products.  As another example, there was a vampire thread here earlier, mentioning a specific brand and I wondered if it was the competition trying to put this one brand in poor light, as they are the only ones that were listed as being abusive and the account making accusations was relatively unused and new to the forum if I recall correctly.

 

As far as social interactions, I can usually spot manipulation a mile away as people use the same tactics repeatedly.  They are usually easy to bypass, or even derail by adding a bit of humor in it and hopefully shaking people out of heated exchanges.   It is shocking and depressing how often people fall for it and get into arguments with one another.

Edited September 19, 2023 by Istelathis

[Gopi Passiflora]

I've seen videos of Youtube trolls manipulating various types of people in Second Life by taking advantage of any "quirks" the victims have.

[Love Zhaoying]

I will say this: Many of y'all have "manipulated" me into liking you, with your kind words and interesting discussions. I'm not complaining!

 

[Arielle Popstar]

41 minutes ago, Istelathis said:

As far as social interactions, I can usually spot manipulation a mile away as people use the same tactics repeatedly.  They are usually easy to bypass, or even derail by adding a bit of humor in it and hopefully shaking people out of heated exchanges.   It is shocking and depressing how often people fall for it and get into arguments with one another.

But then derails are just another form of forum manipulation and cause a different sort of argument, so no net gain.

[Istelathis]

Just now, Arielle Popstar said:

But then derails are just another form of forum manipulation and cause a different sort of argument, so no net gain.

Some derails are, especially if they are pursued for long.  But a gentle derail, should not close a thread down but might instead actually prolong it as people might stop taking it as seriously, and stop their arguing with one another.  More of a nudge, a bump into the train, than throwing a lever and switching the train to an unfinished portion of track.  I might imagine much to the dismay of the person who just wanted to see people argue with one another (not aimed at @Paul Hexem )

[Arielle Popstar]

3 hours ago, Rolig Loon said:

It happens in the forums all the time. Someone asks a question or makes a  response in a thread that contains dog whistle terms meant to stir someone else into a frenzy.  Then the frenzied reply stirs predictable partisan posts and more dog whistles.  Everybody manipulates everybody else and nobody can remember how it all started. It's chaotic manipulation, like poking a wasp nest with a stick.

Some are so attuned to dog whistles, real or imagined, that it is difficult not triggering them and well, it is a way of getting responded to so since this is a forum, isn't that a good thing for initiating discourse? I don't see that as a manipulation unless it is to drag a thread into one of the verboten topics.

[Arielle Popstar]

4 minutes ago, Istelathis said:

Some derails are, especially if they are pursued for long.  But a gentle derail, should not close a thread down but might instead actually prolong it as people might stop taking it as seriously, and stop their arguing with one another.  More of a nudge, a bump into the train, than throwing a lever and switching the train to an unfinished portion of track.  I might imagine much to the dismay of the person who just wanted to see people argue with one another (not aimed at @Paul Hexem )

To me it is not the arguing that is at issue but when it gets personal that the Mod's start to intervene, even without a report. Maybe I read that wrong but that is how it appears to me the way anyway. Maybe some are just more sensitive to arguing then others

[Kimmi Zehetbauer]

We could manipulate a big hug for everyone here!

[Istelathis]

Just now, Kimmi Zehetbauer said:

We could manipulate a big hug for everyone here!

Group hug!

[Istelathis]

15 minutes ago, Arielle Popstar said:

To me it is not the arguing that is at issue but when it gets personal that the Mod's start to intervene, even without a report. Maybe I read that wrong but that is how it appears to me the way anyway. Maybe some are just more sensitive to arguing then others

/me shifts eyes

*paranoia takes hold*

You trying to manipulate me into derailing thread Arielle? 😜😈

Cause I'll totally do it!

 

Full speed ahead! (just kidding of course, I gotta do yard work and haven't the time anyway )

 

Edited September 19, 2023 by Istelathis

[Love Zhaoying]

Not sure how one would know there had "never been a report".

Ahah!

Perhaps one could be manipulated into believing that the Mods "magically know" that a thread has gone off-topic, and the things became personal!

Perhaps one could be manipuated into believing that the Mods read every single post! (Or perhaps the Mods have a "most active thread" monitor and they read all THOSE posts.)

I dunno if anyone could manipulate ME into believing those things. Maybe.

[Love Zhaoying]

4 minutes ago, Istelathis said:

You trying to manipulate me into derailing thread Arielle? 😜😈

It doesn't matter, because..the mods will read all the posts and "know" the thread got derailed, even without reports! Because the Mods were manipulated into being magickal creatures!

Manipulation is fun!!

 

[Rolig Loon]

19 minutes ago, Arielle Popstar said:

To me it is not the arguing that is at issue but when it gets personal that the Mod's start to intervene, even without a report.

So, how would you know when there has not been a report?   

EDIT:   Ah... What HE said while I was typing.....  🙄

Edited September 19, 2023 by Rolig Loon

[Arielle Popstar]

Just now, Love Zhaoying said:

Not sure how one would know there had "never been a report".

Ahah!

Perhaps one could be manipulated into believing that the Mods "magically know" that a thread has gone off-topic, and the things became personal!

Perhaps one could be manipuated into believing that the Mods read every single post! (Or perhaps the Mods have a "most active thread" monitor and they read all THOSE posts.)

I dunno if anyone could manipulate ME into believing those things. Maybe.

Well perhaps you don't follow what the Mods have said in some topics where they clearly stated they had been following a thread because of their own interest in it.

[Love Zhaoying]

I fear that this thread may get reported, as those who make their SL "living" (business, income, etc.) from "manipulating others" may be rightly offended.

 

[Love Zhaoying]

3 minutes ago, Arielle Popstar said:

Well perhaps you don't follow what the Mods have said in some topics where they clearly stated they had been following a thread because of their own interest in it.

That does not mean the thread was NOT reported first, thus getting the Mods attention through the initial report.

That would be manipulative.

I cannot be manipulated into believing it.

 

[Rolig Loon]

3 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

7 minutes ago, Arielle Popstar said:

Well perhaps you don't follow what the Mods have said in some topics where they clearly stated they had been following a thread because of their own interest in it.

That does not mean the thread was NOT reported first, thus getting the Mods attention through the initial report.

Besides which, there's nothing to say that mods need to have a report before they can act on a potential problem. 

[Paul Hexem]

6 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I fear that this thread may get reported, as those who make their SL "living" (business, income, etc.) from "manipulating others" may be rightly offended.

I imagine creators that seriously sell things like I mentioned in my first post wouldn't spend much time on the forums for fear of heckling or worse.

Edited September 19, 2023 by Paul Hexem