Ringers On This Forum Beware There May Be Some About

[janishere]

I was telling a friend about this forum who is a bit of a whizzkid with computers and internet life. He told me that there are people actually employed by government and government bodies (e.g. and in particular Department of Work and Pensions, Local Authorities, NHS, County Councils) not just to spy on forums but to register as genuine members of the public and provide disinformation. They are called "Ringers" meaning that they are not what they appear to be.

These "Ringers" then sow disinformation for the purpose of scaring ordinary members of the public on forums on the internet with the purpose, so they hope, of deterring them from actions which may not be in the interest of the ringer's employers, i.e. Government, Local Authorities, NHS, DWP et al (such as pursuing their legal or human rights).

Disinformation was most notably used in World War Two against the enemy, but it is used in peacetime too against perceived "enemies of the state".

This may come as a shock to some, but unfortunately it is true and the subject has been aired in the media on occasions.

My friend says he has reason to believe there may be ringers on this forum. It is very difficult to discover the true identities of such people, everyone here being necessarily anonymous.

All we can do is be very wary, especially when a poster appears to be trying to deter us from doing something by scaring us or tries to distract from the subject in hand in a thread with some trivial matter.

I am curious to know what others of you think about this.

 

[Grannie G]

Be very careful, janis, we have ways of making you talk

 

[Tender Face]

Honest opinion? - I think people who scaremonger to an 'audience' they already know to be vulnerable - are ... well ...... too polite to say it.......

Whatever bandwagon you're on Janishere, I hope you get off it very soon .... or are you out to destroy TP single-handedly?

Karen

 

[Natashalou]

Perhaps so

perhaps not. I have no idea, it is certanly easy enough to register from a hotmail or similar email address, and I have even come across sites selling disposable email addresses!
but IF misinformation is being posted i this way, it is very likely on a forum of this size with the clear wealth of knowledge, experience and sheer common sense here, it will very soon be debated and dismissed for the scaremongering it is.
I very much doubt anyone would read some misinformation here and instantly rush off to act on it.
Shared ideas and information along with the support here is exactly what I find so invaluable about this forum

 

[Skye]

.... or are you out to destroy TP single-handedly?

Karen

No chance, Karen!

Those of us who have been about TP for a long time -- and many have been here much longer than me -- have learned to judge which posts are important, which are asking for advice, which need comfort and a hug ------------ and which can safely be ignored.

I had decided that for myself this was one of the latter.

However, we also have to consider new members of the forum, who are still very unsure of themselves, and worried about how much of their feeling and situation they should reveal on a public forum.

It is for their benefit that we have to stop this troublemaking.

Janishere, we are trying on this forum to build up confidence, to let people feel that they can cope, that they can reveal their inmost feelings, without anyone knocking them down, or making them feel stupid.

Janishere, both Karen and I have offered you support elsewhere, but you clearly have not the confidence yourself to trust us. Please do not try to destroy the hard-won confidence of others.

 

[Brucie]

All we can do is be very wary, especially when a poster appears to be trying to deter us from doing something by scaring us or tries to distract from the subject in hand in a thread with some trivial matter.

This thread started by people trying to be careful about how EPAs are handled.

janishere tried to deter the posters from doing that.

the thread then became diverted by janishere from the subject at hand into pseudo political babble

I requote:

All we can do is be very wary, especially when a poster appears to be trying to deter us from doing something by scaring us or tries to distract from the subject in hand in a thread with some trivial matter.

I rest my case

 

[jenniferpa]

Masterful, Bruce, absolutely masterful. Did you ever think about the law as a career?
Mind you you were it IT, yes? Good people who are in IT need to have a grasp of logic (bad people in IT should be relegated to the seventh circle of hell, but that's an entirely different subject)

Jennifer

 

[Brucie]

Hi Jennifer

yes, but it is also sad to have to make the points.

Another thread relates to this one now http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/talkingpoint/discuss/showthread.php?t=6207