You gonna bin the OP or the whole thread oioi?

Do you want solid proof that paid government shills are targeting websites, blogs, forums and social media accounts? For years, many have suspected that government trolls have been systematically causing havoc all over the Internet, but proving it has been difficult. But now thanks to documents leaked by Edward Snowden and revealed by Glenn Greenwald, we finally have hard evidence that western governments have been doing this.

As you will see below, a UK intelligence outfit known as the Government Communications Headquarters, through a previously secret unit known as the Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group, has been systematically attempting “to control, infiltrate, manipulate, and warp online discourse.” This should be deeply disturbing to anyone that values free speech on the Internet.

It doesn't.

So the OP gets trashed even though it's a verifiable story and links were subsequently posted?

mild_peril wrote: No, I reckon it does. There are effectively two types of trolls:
1. Those with some nebulous personality disorder which causes them to get the attention they need - apparently even negatively.
2. Those who come with either a commercial, political or social engineering agenda. Two of those which will be under Govt auspices (GCHQ etc)

By being able to identify and recognize their motivation or modus operandi, we have a good idea who we have taking an interest in our inane perambulations.