
Community Interaction and Conflict on the Web - lainon
https://snap.stanford.edu/conflict/
======
intended
Details currently standing out -

Methodology for identifying cross sub linking and classification as Neutral vs
Negative had a significantly larger number of Neutral classified links that
negative.

Negative posts are done by a small minority of subs, with a pretty skewed
tail.

Attacks require a high level of similarity between the attacker and defender
for an attack to occur. (e.g., r/conspiracy vs. r/worldnews, or r/mensrights
vs. r/againstmensrights)

\---

Just to highlight what I consider a constant risk of any research in this
area, I am considering simple ways to use this research to benefit an
attacker.

In another reading of this, I should be able to figure out which subs are most
suitable to fight against each other and instigate that fight.

Or to figure out how to ensure a fight wins and a sub dies out.

Figure 8 a is conducive - it suggests that attackers should ensure that they
out co-ordinate and demotivate defenders, its the surest way to get them to
move out of the sub and take it over.

This in turn suggests that attackers need to scour the web carefully to find
innocuous sentences or interpersonal exchanges which would look _terrible_ to
an outgroup member - this will allow for more ganging up and
antagonism/emotional anger to push a point and isolate the defending members.

I bet most eve online players also realize that time zones would play hugely
to the attackers advantage.

Perhaps subreddits for some communities should shut down at night, or at the
times known attackers are most active?

\---

Its a nice article, And I think the focus on colonization during attackers
while interesting, is likely not as interesting as the evidence of
colonization during neutral linking events.

Can that be used to build a healthy meta cross linking of groups that allows
for an improved flow of information between groups? Access to cross group
experience and expertise ?

Incidentally this map looks like a great way to identify subs which are about
to get a ban.

~~~
zitterbewegung
From reading your comment it seems like you could also create sockpuppet that
is part of a target community and then instigate a fight between two different
communities (a target and also one that opposes a target) that you want to
eliminate?

~~~
srijankedia
We haven't looked into how sockpuppetry is done alongside attacks, but I
presume that it would happen at a smaller scale.

BTW here's our previous research on sockpuppets that you may find interesting:
[https://www.newscientist.com/article/2127107-sock-puppet-
acc...](https://www.newscientist.com/article/2127107-sock-puppet-accounts-
unmasked-by-the-way-they-write-and-post/)

------
Annatar
A bunch of scientists in 2014 discovers that there are flame wars on the
Internet. Where were they in 1993? They are only 21 years late to the party.

~~~
adumbledore
Something being apparent (in a certain demographic) does not in any sense
reduce the validity of scientific research in this area. There have been great
papers on topics like these in the past, some of them even award-winning and
read-worthy.

~~~
__blockcipher__
>worth-ready

Read-worthy for anyone who was a bit high like me and did a double take (sorry
if this is against etiquette, I don’t have anything substantial to add to what
you said)

~~~
adumbledore
Oops, not sure what went on in my head there. Corrected!

