Crowdsourced fact checking
Transcript of Crowdsourced fact checking
@lizhenry - [email protected]
Hello!
● Writer and blogger, also developer● Here because of my role in the Gay Girl in
Damascus story in 2011
@lizhenry - [email protected]
Problems
● No one has met her in person● No word from family● No reason for the cousin to lie● No confirmation of Amina's existence anywhere● As the day continues, news cycle does not
behave normally
@lizhenry - [email protected]
Collaborative Investigation
● Investigation by me, many bloggers and commenters on my blog (dozens)
● Andy Carvin's readers on Twitter (thousands)● Google Docs● Social network friending all around; we all
examined each other's communication patterns, internet footprints, and identities
● Good journalism by Washington Post (Melissa Bell, Liz Flock)
@lizhenry - [email protected]
Sockpuppets
● Argue with yourself
● Agree with yourself
● You become more important!
@lizhenry - [email protected]
Online writers have a long history
● Network of early bloggers, Usenet, mailing lists● Textual relationships – important to writers● Flamewars, trolling, drama, gossip, information
spread● Situate this in historical & literary context.
Broadsheets, letters.
@lizhenry - [email protected]
Political Sockpuppets
● Around 2005 I started talking about the political use of sockpuppets
● Like deep cover agents, but online; personas must establish convincing broad footprints
● Some validation of this idea: 2010 HBGary hack by Anonymous revealed government project for persona management software
@lizhenry - [email protected]
Hoaxes and fiction
● Sockpuppets● Astroturfing● Pseudonymity / Anonymity● People's stories are not their wallet IDs.● People want to believe what makes a good
story. ● Can be benign. Can be Munchausen by
Internet.
@lizhenry - [email protected]
Astroturfing from 2008
● Astroturfing example● PUMAPAC● Fake community of former supporters of Hillary
Clinton, angry at Obama winning 2008 Democratic primaries, turned Republican.
● Look at patterns. Time of posting. Language style. Names.
@lizhenry - [email protected]
Technological Tools for Collaboration
● Tools are important!● Etherpad, wikis, Google Docs● Screengrabs. Datestamp everything● Archiving entire blog/site with comments● Maltego was useful for intelligence work, but
not enough● We often used Skype to at least confirm some
level of “truth” for our identities.
@lizhenry - [email protected]
Learn from experts
● Marginalized communities know a lot.● Dissidents, activists, hackers● GLBT people, who try to avoid haters● Experts in domestic violence and stalking● Cultural creators hiding from copyright law● Disabled people, cancer survivors, experienced
with Munchausen-by-Internet perpetrators● Vulnerabilities result in community strength.
@lizhenry - [email protected]
Important fact about liars
● When you get the hoaxer's confession . . . ● Do not believe them● Over and over, journalists make this mistake● The story will mutate● Fabulists can keep spinning the story 1001
ways, forever.