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[Thread on trolling misdiagnosis]. I think one of the common problems I see on analysis of trolls and bots is that it is inherently politicized. There is a tendency to try to attribute all malicious activity to one actor, mostly Russia, sometimes China, and more recently Iran.
The reality is much more complicated. Say Brexit for example, there is Russian involvement somehow, through the IRA, attempting to provoke polarization. But there may be other players in the game, who say, don't wish to provoke polarize, but wish to lobby for
or against Brexit. Anyone can jump on a hashtag, anyone with Twitter and the internet. It's like the Starwars Cantina as described by Obi Wan - often a treacherous hive of scum and villainy, but there are many scumbags and villains. Bot or troll networks may have characteristic
signatures that suggest they are connected, but what if its an agency behind them with different clients over time - then there might be contradictory messages being sent if they are just mercenaries? So we must always be cautious, as there is rarely a smoking gun.
