The Invasion Of Imposter Bloggers
by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Purveyor of Truth
The internet is a wonderful place. A world of almost unlimited information and knowledge is available at a mere click of the mouse. If one has a computer, a smart phone, a notebook, or other such equipment access to a a wealth of information and facts are available in seconds. A person only need to take the time to do a bit of searching.
Unfortunately the internet has a dark side as well. Individuals with a bit of knowledge and limited computer expertise can set up a site, or multiple sites and generate a lot of misinformation, total fabrications, outright lies, engage in defamation of someones character, and do it anonymously. In fact in the world of blogging it is fast becoming commonplace for unethical bloggers to set up a site, steal the avatar of another blogger, slightly change the original bloggers site names, and then go after the blogger whose positions they don't agree with. The unethical blogger's (imposter) MO is to amply present false information or representations of the authentic blogger they are impersonating or attempting to defame.
This has happened to me, as well as other bloggers I have association with. The fakes as I call them are basically the scum of the blogoshere. They operate anonymously and without scruples, lacking the character to represent who they really are.
Some bloggers go to a great deal of effort to identify the fake bloggers and expose them for what they are. While I do not have the time, nor the inclination to go to that extent the following are just a few examples of thise type of blogger;
While it is likely this phenomenon of imposters and fake bloggers exists on both the conservative and liberal side of the political equation it appears that it is much more prevalent with conservative and libertarian bloggers. Here's why in my estimation.
This site is a fiscal conservative social libertarian website. It has a Conservative Manifesto page which fairly identifies the sites core principles. However, it does not have as one of it's tenets that all liberal thought is incorrect and should be discarded out of hand. Nor does it say that liberals by definition are either fascists or communists and therefore enemies of our representative form of government. Unfortunately however many seem to believe that is so. It was not until this site began to engage in dialogue and give and take with liberal and moderate sites that Rational Nation USA started experiencing constant attacks and ultimately imposters setting up sites with my picture in order to misrepresent this blog and it's positions. While there were a couple liberal bloggers who attacked this site the majority were conservative and the only one to steal my picture was a conservative. At least to my knowledge anyway.
So, the point being made here is fakes operate in the shadows and no legitimate blogger who has been around awhile is immune from the depravity of the imposter blogger. Particularly those with strong opinions and ESPECIALLY those who refuse to conform to the GROUPTHINK of party politics.
For all you ethical bloggers out there, regardless of political, governmental, social, environmental, or religious views keep on blogging and don't let the asshats get to you.
Rational Nation USA
Purveyor of Truth
The internet is a wonderful place. A world of almost unlimited information and knowledge is available at a mere click of the mouse. If one has a computer, a smart phone, a notebook, or other such equipment access to a a wealth of information and facts are available in seconds. A person only need to take the time to do a bit of searching.
Unfortunately the internet has a dark side as well. Individuals with a bit of knowledge and limited computer expertise can set up a site, or multiple sites and generate a lot of misinformation, total fabrications, outright lies, engage in defamation of someones character, and do it anonymously. In fact in the world of blogging it is fast becoming commonplace for unethical bloggers to set up a site, steal the avatar of another blogger, slightly change the original bloggers site names, and then go after the blogger whose positions they don't agree with. The unethical blogger's (imposter) MO is to amply present false information or representations of the authentic blogger they are impersonating or attempting to defame.
This has happened to me, as well as other bloggers I have association with. The fakes as I call them are basically the scum of the blogoshere. They operate anonymously and without scruples, lacking the character to represent who they really are.
Some bloggers go to a great deal of effort to identify the fake bloggers and expose them for what they are. While I do not have the time, nor the inclination to go to that extent the following are just a few examples of thise type of blogger;
"Frieda Van Wiener" (exposed by Progressive Eruptions As pointed out by this blog owner Frieda has also went by the names of; "Just Joanna," "Right Klik," and "Hildegard Hammerasshat"
Shaw Keewee
Rational Nation USSR This was a new imposter that commented on FreeThinke, another libertarian/conservative blog on a post that was up early this morning. Rational Nation USA was the first commenter, followed by the imposter Rational Nation USSR with a off topic disparaging comment, followed by a short comment by FreeThinke, followed by another comment by RN USA. Interesting enough the post was taken down shortly thereafter. Odd methinks. At the link to Rational Nation USSR disappeared with the post.
While it is likely this phenomenon of imposters and fake bloggers exists on both the conservative and liberal side of the political equation it appears that it is much more prevalent with conservative and libertarian bloggers. Here's why in my estimation.
This site is a fiscal conservative social libertarian website. It has a Conservative Manifesto page which fairly identifies the sites core principles. However, it does not have as one of it's tenets that all liberal thought is incorrect and should be discarded out of hand. Nor does it say that liberals by definition are either fascists or communists and therefore enemies of our representative form of government. Unfortunately however many seem to believe that is so. It was not until this site began to engage in dialogue and give and take with liberal and moderate sites that Rational Nation USA started experiencing constant attacks and ultimately imposters setting up sites with my picture in order to misrepresent this blog and it's positions. While there were a couple liberal bloggers who attacked this site the majority were conservative and the only one to steal my picture was a conservative. At least to my knowledge anyway.
So, the point being made here is fakes operate in the shadows and no legitimate blogger who has been around awhile is immune from the depravity of the imposter blogger. Particularly those with strong opinions and ESPECIALLY those who refuse to conform to the GROUPTHINK of party politics.
For all you ethical bloggers out there, regardless of political, governmental, social, environmental, or religious views keep on blogging and don't let the asshats get to you.
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but the presence of imposter bloggers is very
ReplyDeleteannoying, at best.
In which case the real Shaw must be quite awesome to be flattered so. I haven't gone out of the way to look for them, but I have stumbled upon 3 or 4 fake Shaw's already.
DeleteRN said (on Free Thinke's blog) to not delete the imposter, but a Google search says the page can't be found (Free Thinke obviously deleted the whole post). But you can still view the cached page here. And here is a RN USSR comment on the "GeeeeeZ" blog... and here is another comment from Ema Nymton's blog. Three comments are all Google turned up, though. Also - for the record - I am not behind this imposter. I thought I should perhaps point this out, as Dennis has got it in his head now (wrongly) that I "worship" Joseph Stalin. And Will (wrongly) thinks I quoted Stalin to "buttress my opinion".
ReplyDeleteThanks for the detective work. You're more blog savvy than I. I guess.
DeleteOh, and for the record, the management had decided that any of your comments not directly relating to the post will not be published. Comments aimed at Will, dmarks, or any other blogger are not welcome here any longer. Which is why your last two went to spam.
The management's decisions are final and not open for debate our questions.
... or question. Not our, excuse the typo.
DeleteSo you disagree with the Stalin quote, wd? You gave it simply to underscore his evil?
DeleteReally, this continuing tit for tat ongoing feud with Mr. Sanders is taking on a life of its own. Clearly it is not productive and there never will anything settled. Apparently just agreeing to disagree and leaving it at that is not possile.
DeleteNow, with respect to Mr. Sanders Stalin quote. To me it is clear he approves of the content of the qoute and agrees with it. His right to do so. While agreeing with the quote and the underlying philosophy behind it he does not approve of Stalin's methodology or his butchering zealotry.
We should accept Mr. Sanders right to his advocacy of the quote content and applaud his statement which amounted to denunciation of Stalin's butchery of millions.
If my assessment of your position is inaccurate Mr. Sanders feel at liberty to correct me. However, keep in mind, do not toss out the bait. Just address my accuracy or inaccuracy with respect to my interpretation of your Stalin quote.
RN: I don't think you can truly divorce Stalin's quote content from Stalin's "methodology or his butchering zealotry." ever, because they are so connected. Stalin and his colleagues did use such demagogic populism as an excuse to kill many millions, pointing the finger at these victims (using quotes such as this one) to say they deserved death. In other words, such a quote, such a sentiment, would be a lot better from someone who didn't use such quotes as a reason to kill. That quotation was part and parcel of his butchering zealotry.
DeleteI have most certainly considered this view. The connection you make is logical because an individual or individuals that wish to change society and are predisposed to violence will use their power to force their vision and will on all. Often at the cost of human life. They respect only their views and beliefs and see all others as a threat to be exterminated.
Deletedmarks, there are those who understand, or "get" the connection, understanding such rulers have existed throughout human history. Others do not. There is little if anything one can do beyond making the case when those who don't are like "a dog on a bone" , to crib Shaw Kenawe of Progressive Eruptions.
I respectfully and strongly disagree with dmarks assessment of there being a "connection". I presented, along with the Stalin quote, quotes from other progressives that expressed a similar sentiment. Greater equality (which RN has said he favors) can be achieved without demonizing or killing those at the top. It has, in fact, been achieved in many European socialist countries. Yes, such sentiments can be abused by madmen like Stalin, but that does not mean a belief that there should be greater equality and killing are "so connected". In any case Stalin killed rich and poor alike. So, he may have demonized rich people, but doing so provided no rationale to say poor people "deserved death".
DeleteHopefully this reply is worded so that it isn't rejected by RN. At least know that I did try. dmarks is allowed a response, so I think it only fair that I get one. If dmarks replies again he can have the last word.
Mr. Sanders comments are not rejected because of "wording." They are rejected because they are either 1) pure BD, 2) off topic, or 3) disrepectfil to other commenters.
DeleteI have made the point more than once, I will not give more time to it. Suffice to say others have had their submitted comments withheld at times for the same reasons.
Final determination rests with blog administration and is not open for discussion.
The Management
I'm convinced it's the work of one individual.
ReplyDeleteDucky, You might be right, but I guess only The Shadow knows for sure.
ReplyDeleteIf your right the dude, dudette, or the it has way to much time on their hands.
A blog imposter will never master the art of cephalopod camouflage.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt (O)CT(O)PUS, no doubt.
ReplyDeleteThey just lurk in the shadows letting their minds waste away.
ReplyDeleteAs RN noted, my blog's name, my name, and my avatar have all been stolen and used as a "parody" by fakers. At last count, there were FIVE. It seems the motive behind the impostors' tomfoolery is the attempt to humiliate or ultimately silence those of us who have strong opinions. The latest asshat to do so has gone after RN.
Here's what's interesting: Mr. Free Thinke's blog is about as opinionated and ideological as they get, yet no parody blog has been set up and posted on any liberal/progressive's site that I know of.
As I've noted on my blog, parody can be very funny when handled by someone with a sharp wit and intelligence. Sadly, the folks who've tried to parody RN and my blog have none of those qualities, so their attempts are as funny as a turd in a punch bowl, but not even that clever.
Small minds will always try to mimic or mock that which they haven't the capacity to understand.
I can't even begin to tell you all the stories of bloggers coming after me. I have a doppleganger out there right now that I can't seem to get rid of. It's annoying.
ReplyDeleteJMJ
Words to Live By:
ReplyDelete"May God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change what I can -- and the Wisdom to know the difference."
Also, somewhere it is suggested that the process of "straining out gnats while swallowing camels" is not only a waste of time, but a foolish one at that.
The world will never bend itself to your will. That's one of the primary lessons we need to learn in the process of growing up.
"Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear." Thomas Jefferson
DeleteAnd to paraphrase using my words the Serenity Prayer:
May reason grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, reason and the wisdom it brings, this irrational world as it is, not as reason would have it; Trusting that reason and wisdom will eventually lead to a saner world if I accept reason as my guiding beacon. That I may be reasonably happy in this life and hopeful that the next, and all future generations will be more successful than this and past generations have been
Sadly FreeThinke, those who need most to understand the above are the ones least likely to do so.
Carry on...
In this instance, sophistry is the handmaiden of hypocrisy. There are also expectations of honesty and trustworthiness in our interactions with people, and anyone who has ever felt betrayed by dishonest or offensive conduct has the right to chose the company he or she keeps. The process of growing up also entails the making of healthier choices.
DeleteIndeed it does (O)CT(O)PUS, and living happily requires one to have a think skin. I mean people being people and all... Wouldn't you agree?
DeleteIt's the thickness of their heads, not their skins, that is the problem. ;)
DeleteJMJ
Seek first to understand, then to be understood... I believe it was Steven Covey who said the proceeding.
DeleteInteresting words with a lot of truth in them. Patience does however have its limits.
... living happily requires one to have a think skin ...
DeleteWhether "thick" or "think," humanoids have neither ... people being people and all.
Must not be humanoid then. Damn.After all these years!
DeleteThink ink as well... considering the natural defenses of an octopus.
DeleteMr Dervish has boasted of impersonating Will "Take no prisoners" Hart, for nefarious purposes, multiple times. While I am willing to bet he has nothing to do with the fake-Shaw maggot pile, it is still reprehensible. I hope he has backed away from this, and if he hasn't before, does so after reading this post and the comments.
ReplyDeletedmarks, I inadvertently deleted your last comment by mistake. It was... "Hear, hear, and hear.". I don't recall which comment it was intended as a response to. My apology.
ReplyDeleteLes.... this comment is definitely on topic. Shaw Kenawe (the real one) is part of the problem, not the solution. She dislikes it when the imposters go after her, but loves it when an imposter goes after others... if the imposter is on her same side ideologically. WD didn't let me down, Shaw did with her lack of principle.
ReplyDeleteWD has definitely done what is denounced in the first paragraph of the parent post. He has faked Will's ID on multiple blogs, and has made at least 4 fake accounts to try to get around Will's ban (WD doesn't realize "no means no")
Here:
http://barlowebayer.blogspot.com/2014/02/barlowe-bayer-confesses.html, until WD deletes it, is WD boasting of some of this, and Shaw cheering him on, as usual.
Will and myself weren't "pranked". I thought Barlowe was a hardline partisan, but a good kid (because unlike WD, he doesn't " shit in [the] living room" (to use RN's words) wherever he goes). When WD revived the "Barlowe" account to try to get into my blog, it fooled no one.
------------------------------
And by the way, I have had absolutely no posts, or even comments about him at my blog. I have, however, had a post about the interesting historical Whirling Dervishes, that took me 2 minutes to make. A couple of posts about the "Dennis the Menace" cartoon, a couple about fast-food magnate Harland Sanders, etc that all took little time to make. The subject of Dervish Sanders? Nope. It is not my problem that WD made a false assumption about these posts, has temper tantrums, and has spent hours and hours refuting what hethought these posts concerned.
I just saw (9/4/2015) this comment from dmarks concerning me (above). Even though nobody (but Les) will likely read it, I would still like to set the record straight (for posterity). If Les does not decline to publish, that is.
ReplyDeleteRegarding dmarks' claim that I "boasted of impersonating Will Hart, for nefarious purposes, multiple times"... this never happened. Not even once. I "faked" Will's ID one time on dmarks' blog. At the time he allowed anonymous commenting, so I made a comment by entering Will's ID and a link to his profile. This happened ONCE on dmarks' blog. Not on "multiple blogs". The reason dmarks knows this is because I told him (although not in a "boast"). I did it as a joke in response to dmarks banning me from his blog for submitting a comment he didn't like (re baloney he wrote about Chicago's gun laws).
I made one account to comment on Will's blog. I have no idea what the "4 fake accounts" dmarks refers to are. As for dmarks link, nothing has (or will) be deleted. dmarks deletes comments (posts). I do not. Also, dmarks and Will absolutely were pranked, in that Will published, and Will and dmarks responded to the comments from Barlowe. That was the prank. I can link to these comments as proof if requested (Barlowe comments to which dmarks replies). Although then dmarks will (if he sees this) delete them.
As for dmarks' claim that he has "absolutely no posts, or even comments about [Dervish] at my blog". This is untrue. He has a comment about me on his blog. A comment he says (on the Libertas blog) is there "for anyone to see if they ask to be approved for [his] blog". (The comment says a lot about me, according to dmarks).