ONE of our readers claims to have just identified and exposed a Microsoft "evangelism" agent who is extremely rude in the sense that he attacks people with vulgarities and threats. While we investigate this to verify with plausible proof, it is also worth mentioning that several hours ago we found the eavesdropping/AstroTurfing operations of Radian6 going through this Web site's server (Visible Technologies is the analogous service that Microsoft supports and uses [1, 2]). To give an example, we have:

“People are leaving fake comments under my own name, usually attacking Free software people or attacking GNU/Linux itself, trying to create resentment that never existed.”That, however, is not the main subject that we aim to address here. For quite some time now (years in fact) we have noticed that people are trying to associate us with the FSF, which are not connected to in any way. At the same time, people post fake comments 'on behalf' of yours truly (in other Web sites) and this afternoon we found another example. I did not write this, it's a fake, but it's posted under my name. People are leaving fake comments under my own name, usually attacking Free software people or attacking GNU/Linux itself, trying to create resentment that never existed. This is not the same thing as Novell's (and OpenSUSE's) smearing of Boycott Novell, which they do from their own headquarters using comments in Boycott Novell and in other Web sites (whose Webmasters confirm are coming from Novell IP addresses only to daemonise us). They often try to divide members of Boycott Novell by distorting messages and trying to turn one person against another in this way. It's an old strategy of divide-and-conquer using disinformation.

About a month ago we showed that opponents of this Web site are now distorting its message, then attacking it for things that are totally imaginary, fictitious even. To make matters worse, some people pretend to speak for this Web site and say the darnest things. That too creates resentment against the Web site and thus distracts from its message.

This is becoming a real problem and it would only be reasonable to make the issue public. Over at USENET, I have responded to constant attempts to defame myself and a few others. It has become an almost daily recurrence over there. The message can be seen below. It ended up as a bit of a rant, but not an impulsive one. ⬆

Subject: WinTrolls Distort What Linux Advocates Say, Then Attack Straw Men to Daemonise Them From: Roy Schestowitz Date: Tuesday 29 Dec 2009 00:18:06 Groups: comp.os.linux.advocacy

Suffice to say, the WinTrolls lie systematically, taking something I say completely out of context or deliberately misrepresenting what I say (sometimes making stuff up). And if people check the original things _in context_, then it's all factual, with references even. The WinTrolls know this, but they rely on sloppiness from people who won't verify.

Basically, it's clear that the trolls struggle to counter the facts, so instead they have a plan to delegitimise the messengers, by falsely claiming that they are X, Y, and Z, that they said A, B, C, and they I work for someone (oooh! Conspiracy!). At best, some people will believe their lies; otherwise, they might as well have advocates spend time countering their lies, which usually they don't. It's all part of the plan WinTrolls have to disrupt this newsgroup and smear people who commit the 'sin' of advocating Linux and criticising outlaw companies that -- like them -- are attacking Linux and Linux advocates.

Ask Peter Quinn what happens when you stand in the way of a corporate gang masquerading as a software company.

Microsoft is a de facto cult. It really shows.