A sad, sad robot all alone
It really takes some going to stand out for especially terrible journalism in the Scottish press this week, given the vast acres of page-space that are still being devoted to truly abysmal, and borderline legally-actionable, barrel-scraping articles about the recent allegations made against Alex Salmond. So hats off to perhaps the only man who could possibly have achieved it.
Ladies and gentlemen, who else but David Leask?
Let’s see just who we meet, shall we?
The first thing you notice after wading through the two articles taking up most of page 4 of today’s Herald is that not a single so-called “McBot” is in fact identified.
The first piece is based entirely on the assertions of one Ben Nimmo (a man so dodgy he can’t even tell the truth about his own first name, which is actually Hugh) from the super-right-wing “Atlantic Council”, a shady and powerful government-funded thinktank based in the USA.
Nimmo offers precisely no actual evidence of “bots” trying to “game” Scottish political Twitter, other than claiming that it “looks like” some people have used a hashtag quite a lot. (He cites 10,000 tweets using the hashtag “#DissolveTheUnion” appearing from 2000 accounts over a weekend, which is an unremarkable five tweets each.)
That’s literally his WHOLE case, and the rest of the article is padded out with some entirely gratuitous complaints by Nimmo about the Russian TV station RT, with which David Leask is notoriously obsessed.
The second piece is penned by someone called Dr Jennifer Jones – an “independent media researcher”, which appears to translate as “unemployed former student”.
She proclaims herself as the “founder” of Media For Communities, a Twitter account which has accumulated just 242 followers in over two years of existence and which promises a website opening on 1 August, of which no trace exists that we can find.
Jones, whose “Dr” relates to a PhD from “an ethnographic study of citizen journalism, media activism & media democracy at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games”, which sounds like a super-riveting read, also bills herself as “Director, Consultant” of Mackenzie Jones Consulting.
MJC, which has no online footprint other than its Companies House entry, was wound up in January this year and its accounts don’t reveal a single penny of earnings in its entire two-year life, but magically produce a “profit” of £21,000 from some unspecified source, all of which was paid out in dividends – presumably to its only named officer, a “Martyn Jones” who owned 100% of the controlling shares and whose address, a small bungalow in Prestwick, is shared with 28 other companies.
Jennifer Jones’ only documented relationship to MJC is the ownership of some “B”-class shares, which confer no voting rights or any share of assets on the winding-up of the firm. Her relationship to Martyn Jones is unknown, but we do know he’s 61 years old to her 34, which – to coin a phrase – looks like they’re father and daughter.
Her “analysis” for the Herald (presumably derived from the Latin “anal ysis”, meaning “extracted from one’s arse”) comprises a series of entirely unsupported allegations and complete gibberish about “semi-automated” Twitter accounts, the high point of which is this line haughtily dismissing the idea of people not wanting to use their own names on social media in case they lose their job:
“I don’t imagine it is unusual, or a sackable offence, to take a pro-independence stance these days”
The timing of this assertion, coming as it does less than a month after SNP councillor Chris McEleny won a court case after being suspended by the Ministry Of Defence for running for the party’s deputy leadership, is presumably ironic.
Jones has reacted furiously after some of the users she baselessly accused of being “bots” protested that they were very much human, and is currently claiming to be the victim of a “pile-on” and “harassment” (which is to say, people defending themselves against her wholly-unsubstantiated smears).
But the fact of the matter is that there isn’t a single scrap of evidence between the two stories, other than that two self-appointed “experts” with no discernible actual expertise in anything have announced that they can identify fake Twitter accounts based on whether the profile picture is a real human face or not (which immediately nets about 95% of all Twitter accounts) and whether they use a hashtag or retweet a lot.
(By these criteria my own personal account, @RevStu, is definitely a bot.)
The only purpose of the articles seems to be to use the pages of a newspaper to issue a demented generalised attack on “cybernats” and Russia, which certainly fits in with David Leask’s pathological and near-neurotic preoccupations with both subjects but has no detectable event-based news value.
Nothing at all has been shown to have actually happened other than that there are a few loonies on Twitter, which everyone on the planet already knew. But on this occasion they seem to be the ones with the bylines.
Theres a lot to say for us bots.
I crack up at the shining example above of ‘blistering bollox’ w.r.t Scots robotos. They made it up, presented from the right wing, Leask a former UKgov ‘russian spy’ and Nuke loving sub driver is one of the most pathetic brits I know of.
But hey ho – back to my bot lifestyle.
What is Leask’s gripe with “Dissolve the Union” anyway? It seems a totally laudable sentiment to me.
The SNP has 125,000+ members. AUOB can draw 40,000 people out onto the streets in Glasgow (none of whom are bots and will likely see that or more in Edinburgh in 6 weeks). Ordinary people motivated to get off their arses and do stuff. It might rattle the complacent place men of Labour and the Tories but that is their problem. We don’t need bots*, we are real as Leask knows perfectly well.
*I appreciate that the Yoons might be crapping themselves that Vladimir might lend a hand in an Indyref2 but I for one am not relying on outside help. We can do this ourselves.
Brilliant analysis again. Already used both #DissolveTheUnion and #disolvetheunion several times on Twitter today. And im a bot no human face on my twitter avatar ?
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto
I was one of those involved in this Jennifer Jones farce. Wee Red was denounced as a bot & a fake because she’d used a hairdressers photo for her profile. She went on to denounce others for similar reasons so I tweeted “Are you really as foolish as you appear to be??” She wasn’t replying to anyone so assumed she was fishing for us to start slinging insults so just blocked her & moved. However, next morning there were a few cybernats who quite rightly were a tad upset. Jennifer Jones then started deleting some of the offensive comments.
Guess I must be a bot as well then as I use a photo of my campervan as my current profile pic
Yes as I have been commenting elsewhere on this topic today the media are becoming almost hysterical in their attempts to implicate Nicola and indeed anyone connected to the SNP in all this. The CS hierarchy clearly have not forgiven Alex for exposing their corruption in 2014 and are out for revenge. As the Brexit shambles rumbles on they are getting very edgy about another Indy2.
You have to laugh
What on earth is Leask on about
Are there any grounds for suing him?
The state of the ‘Press’ in Scotland. Freaking terrible.
You know Rev who I feel sorry for – all the poor trees that were felled and processed just so these arse-holes can spout their unsubstantiated shite.
Being called an ‘expert by David Leask is a bit like getting a testimonial from David Icke. And looking to Dr Jennifer Jones for support is a bit like seeking a second opinion from Dr Harold Shipman. #IAmMcBoticus #CringeNoMore #DissolveTheUnion
A nice wee song
Pity about the subject reference
Anyone else having problems with site-comments not appearing?
It raises the question “Do think tanks actually think?”, or is it just a process of trying to find acceptable reasons of why the processes you like are unpopular with everybody else?
Leask is undoubtedly the wearer of Union Jack underpants, undoubtedly with God save the Queen tattooed discretely on his nether regions.
The degree of self absorbtion these people have is truly breathtaking.
I’d rather be a “bot” than a Leask any day of the week. At least I don’t spend each and every day being angry and lying to myself.
Since this post is about ro(bots), can I just ask: who is the Maybot’s choreographer – Peter Crouch?
In another place Alan Turing is laughing, he spots humans that can’t tell real people from bots.
So, who is he “useful-fooling” on behalf of…? Just curious, that’s all.
I now realise I could have been one of the greats seriously.
At school one never thinks ‘Hey I could really do something with a story’ or investigate issues & do some good. My teachers were always telling me I was heading for nowhere and I’d amount to nothing. They said my opinions were nonsense, they didn’t fit their facts and that my head was full of fantasies.
I never really considered ‘journalism’ in Scotland as a thing I could do !
Boy did I miss a trick. Leask / Massie et al are now my inspiration. All I had to do was pick the ‘right side’ (Unionism) get a job at a paper (Gers / Celts fan either didn’t matter) and I could write as much of my ‘nonsense’ as I could muster because as afar as I can see ‘My stuff’ was as daft and idiotic as today’s Herald / Scotchman journalistic offerings.
Kids if you don’t mind selling your soul to the devil for a job … just say your a Gers fan & a Unionist, nae bother, you can do it, you’re in and if they don’t wan’t you, you’ll be snapped up for TV by the BBC, unless you’ve only got a face for radio.
Here endeth the life lesson of Scottish media
Good article, Rev Stu, but it looks like your autocomplete has changed “Media for communities” to “Media for communications”.
Apologies for being the lunchtime pedant!
Leask and his self-styled “journalist” pals are obviously upset that many Scots believe Alex Salmond rather than them.
Ben Nimmo is K*v*n H*g*e with a more active imagination.
“Good article, Rev Stu, but it looks like your autocomplete has changed “Media for communities” to “Media for communications”.”
DAMN THAT AUTOCORRECT.
Jennifer Jones is claiming bots used against Independence supporting women. Weird. An agenda
Have you seen the abuse and harassment that many independence supporters get on twitter from the unionist Rangers crew, Jennifer Jones? Maybe if you had a look at that you’d realise why so many yessers don’t use their real names.
But that would undermine your entire argument, wouldn’t it, so I can see why you’ve ignored it.
Aside from that, drivel, just drivel.
MacBot’s prime directives have just been uncovered:
1. Serve the public trust
2. Protect the innocent
3. Support indepence
4. Rip the pish from Leasky
Anal sys of twitter accounts to establish botfullness, or not, requires a bit more expertise than just scanning a bunch of hashtags, and is a process that is best automated using…, wait for it…, bots to build a database upon which to do some statistical anal sys. But, hey, what would I know? I am not a journalist.
Their propaganda has now been reduced to ridiculous and incredible fake news.
Which, let’s face it, has to be a good sign!
Dr Jones seems to have difficulty telling bots and sockpuppets apart.
Nobody’s denying there are plenty of the latter out there in Twitterland, however the ones I seem to come across most frequently are of the low follower count, anti-SNP type obviously operated by Conservative central orifice.
Whenever the SNP are in the news they appear in droves to provide responses on high profile UK accounts’ tweets on the subject, all with a slight variation on the same message, namely about how much they think x or y SNP politician is variously either “at it”, “dull” or “stupid”.
That The Herald sees fit to devote such acreage to this without even so much as a passing mention of this pervasive and impossible to refute activity says infinitely more on the subject than does the article itself.
Proper laugh out loud classic Rev:
“presumably derived from the Latin “anal ysis”, meaning “extracted from one’s arse”
That, Sir is definitely a keeper.
Anyone who uses The Twitter, please use #IamMcBot on the outside chance that it will annoy Leask.
Leask argues that his trash is journalism and online blogs are poorer quality.
I know which one I now trust and the reason is very, very simple…..Independence supporting bloggers carry out research, obtain verified facts and produce direct links to source material.
Leask and co just mak-up shit!
@ Peter A Bell – read your blog post today in which you claim to have created the #dissolvetheunion hashtag. Congratulations.
link to peterabell.blog
Has Botty MacBotface appeared yet?
I’m renaming my vehicle Boty McBotface with it’s twitter hashtag DissolveTheUnion, splashed across it’s bumper.
What I like most about reading this is the knowledge that larger numbers of people are actually reading about it on Wings than are actually buying the Herald to read it.
I spotted this yesterday and shows Dr Jones’ mastery of social media in a lecture where she….ahem tells us how she found her dog, without the use of a bot.
link to creativedundee.com
Underestimate this bot-whispering lady at your peri….wahahahahahahah I can’t keep the face straight any longer!
Jeez, the unionists and their obedient press, are becoming more desperate by the day. Loony Tunes Leask is on Pluto most of the time it seems.
Leasky is SOOOOOO funny sometimes…..
He said in the first piece above…and I Quote “Thats not Journalism!” HIM ! Telling someone else that !!!!!!
It is so funny I almost wet myself :-))
Hopefully there will come a day when Wings will not have to carry out such demolitions (as above) of the crap that the BRITNAT propaganda pamphlets masquerading as NEWSpapers produce.
This can be speeded up by not giving them your money. Do not give Leask a penny. Do not buy the Britnat papers. They are already being kept afloat by the BBC. They are on their last legs. Their sales are tanking. They are Anti Scottish papers.
The only thing in Scotland they don’t criticise is themselves – why is that?- because the papers in Scotland are not Scottish.
Oh Jings!
They’ve well and truly gone off the deep end.
Thanks for this analysis, Rev. I wonder where that funding came from.
A wise man once said “There are twats on the internet”
I am a bot – wait – no hang on!
#IamMcBot
None of the three saddos in this non-story have a degree in computing or any far-fetched knowledge in it.
Any opinion from them on the matter of automation or AI is baseless drivel.
“Who needs experts? We’re BritNats, all is going swimmingly in Brexshitlandia.”
God, I wish I could slap them in the face with a trout.
If Independence is such a ‘low’ threat and ‘no one in Scotland wants another referendum’, why are they going to such great lengths to ‘undermine’ and ‘smear’ independence supporters? And in this particular instance to encourage the notion that there aren’t as many as people may think cause the twitter accounts are ‘bots’?
Answer:
Independence is a real and high threat and more people want another referendum than the likes of the Herlad/BBC et all would have people believe. And that’s why they are going to such great lengths to ‘undermine’ and ‘smear independence supporters. Making out there are fewer of us than there are?
It’s not rocket science…it’s Scotland’s msm that are making up fake news whilst claiming anyone not buying into their ‘professional’ take are the ‘the enemy’.
(can’t help thinking we have an election coming up soon…the ramp up is spookily similar to the last time a ‘snap’ one was called…which means the Tories are getting their ducks in a row to make it all about ‘nae surrender’ again)
When a bunch of us are posting at the same time, individual’s comments don’t appear as quickly, they will show up eventually.
With all that ‘meeja expertise’, I’m sure that Column 5 of the 77th BDE would welcome the good Doctor into their ranks as an Army Reservist. Might be classed as a ‘Proper Job’ by her friends, as opposed to her previous gigs. A ‘Win-Win’ surely?
I always thinks it’s amusing when people like Willie Rennie, whose party has 5 seats in the Scottish parliament decides he’s speaking for the whole of Scotland when he says we can’t have another independence referendum whilst in the same breath says the UK can have another EU referendum.
ALL of UK voters are ‘allowed’ to ‘change their minds’ when it comes to UKexit but none of Scotland’s voters are ‘allowed’ to ‘change ‘their’ minds’ when it comes to Independence.
Someone should set up a group called Bots For Independence, then invite Leask and Jones to join. Freak ’em out!
Great piece calling out these alleged experts, who are actually trolls to the Indy support.
Jones was very sneaky, doing screenshots of people I follow. It’s underhanded, because you have no idea someone has been creeping about taking pics of your Timeline. When someone quote Tweets you directly, you know they have used your tweet, and you have a chance to respond.
So this person has no intention of giving anyone a right of reply. I’m sure that just doesn’t fit the narrative.
#DissolvetheUnion was no. 6 in the UK just 5 mins ago. Now adding #McBot to tweets as well.
Embrace the batshit!
If you deny you are a bot then you are because that’s what a bot would do. Look, all your friends are bots. You retweeted a bot. You are all attacking a woman, albeit a particularly stupid one, therefore you are all misogynist bots too. And so it goes on. After Corbynites had a light shone on their nasty internet practices Leask had to find another way to smear Independence users – we are all bots or manipulated by bots or something. ‘Russia!’ he yells into the void.
With experts like these, our cyberspace is safe and secure, God help us all.
Tell me if my tin foil hat is showing, but I see a pattern emerging.
Whenever a Pro-Independence Initiative seems to be gathering impetus and momentum, the Propagandists are onto it like a shot.
Dissolve the Union becomes a popular hashtag, it’s immediately discredited as a bot.
Alex Salmond secures access to broadcasting on RT, he is smeared as a Russian stooge.
Alex Salmond successfully takes the BBC to task over its copyright gaffe, and suddenly Alex is smeared as a sex pest.
The BritNats are shitting bricks whenever anything pro-Scotland gathers momentum. Distort, disrupt, manipulate… but there is too much coordination behind this for it to be random. This “propaganda entity” we are dealing with has a central nervous system.
I haven’t heard anything more about the British bugging the EU’s confidential talks, but I wonder what counter surveillance precautions are being taken closer to home.
I don’t use twitter though I occasionally look at Stu’s from his link on this page. I do use facebook and often add a hashtag…my usual is #ScotRef ASAP but sometimes #WeAreScotland #IStandWithNicola #ScotlandTheBrand or similar depending on what the comment is about. Today I have added #DissolveTheUnion to everything! Wee smiley face!
I always love the way The Rev calmly joins all the wee dots to expose the havers and posturings of These Types.
“Loony Tunes Leask is on Pluto most of the time it seems.”
Think he’s further out than that, Andy-B.
Nibiru’s my best guess.
Oops, – independence Twitter users! Now he’ll think we are all substance users as well although some days, the thought of that Indy high is just too good!
May sanctioning and starving vulnerable people. On a jollie to Africa. The British stole everything they could from Africa.
Well dissected Rev. What a lot of shite they produce.
Dearie me, we are bots now, really!
I dinnae think I’m a bot, but mibbies that’s just my imagination, how would I know.
Is Mr Leask not well, it’s seems that he is maybe to be pitied more than laughed at. As for Dr Jones, good grief, I think you need to go back to school. Not even an analysis, just gibberish.
Something got these Britnats well and truly spooked. Do you think that they realise that their game is a bogey and we’re winning. Their smears against AS are not working as expected. Is there a GE or and Indyref2 or something in the offing.
How very dare we bots no believe whit the MSM are telling us.
I am MacBotticus!
Leask said soonest ended.
The man’s fabulous salary for daily works of fiction depend on him creating this crap.
It also helps unemployed former students who will say just about anything to bolster their benefits payments.
Sorry to say he will have a wonderful pension when he finally repels the last reader from what was once a newspaper.
He is a danger to reality and the well being of this country.
Anonymity is required in many cases in order to protect the individual from prospective employers using their political leanings to pass them over other potential candidates.
I have been refused an offer of employment due to my political activities being known.
Political bigotry still exists!
I joined twitter and started following wings due to the last time they tried this kind of pish.
Think I’ll use #DissolveTheUnion when apt now.
@Jamie Arriere 12:38
“…bot-whispering lady” has a nice ring to it
A Leask professional in every sense when measured by the required background demanded by the Herald
so funny so sad
our own bond villain
against
nosferatu lookalike and onetime benny hill tryout
and
apprentice cat-lady-in-waiting
worst mismatch since marvin hagler v alan minter
(ken500 needs a new handle tho’)
Why doesn’t he just write about the price of oil especially now that it’s more than $70 a barrel and likely to soar abov $100 a barrel soon
#DissolveTheUnion now trending in Glasgow.
First time I’ve ever seen this #tag trending.
I would have thought that as a bot it would be impossible to deny that you are a bot. Shirley the very definition of a bot is an algorithm you set in motion to fill the internets full of pish. It doesn’t think or respond.
Leask and Co are confusing bots with witch hunting. It goes without saying that a witch denies being a witch and therefore that is actual evidence that they are a witch…”burn her anyway”. Obviously if they confess to being witch that is also evidence that they are a witch.
Leask and Jones the witchsmellar pursuivants
@bobajock says: 28 August, 2018 at 11:33 am:
” … But hey ho – back to my bot lifestyle.”
What is it with these, (cough!), self- proclaimed, “Professional Journalists”, who come from academia, still covered in the chalky dust of that educational establishment. Never having done an honest day’s productive work in their entire lives that seems to have prevented them from understanding the workings of the internet?
An internet that will, without doubt, be an essential element in their journalistic careers. An element that if misunderstood will without doubt see a premature end, not only to their personal careers, but the decline of whatever media these self proclaimed, “Professional Journalists”, have chosen to defile with their self-opinionated claptrap and fake news.
It isn’t either the internet, nor is it Social Media journalism, that is killing off the state controlled dead tree press and the state controlled broadcast medias. It is the total lack of understanding these people have of how the internet actually works.
The main thing being that the, (cough!), “Professional Journalists”, cannot now get away with telling lies, distorting facts or the many, many sins of omission.
@Lollysmum says: 28 August, 2018 at 11:53 am:
” … Anyone else having problems with site-comments not appearing?”
No but I have with comments going AWOL while still typing them and the incomplete bits never turning up anyway.
Brilliant takedown, just brilliant.
A cursory look at Twitter this morning gave me enough of an outline to know the whole article was garbage but the Rev has gotten right to the bottom of the disgusting cesspool that this whole story is mired in. And in a very short space of time.
Don’t they employ real journalists in the MSM? (Rhetorical-sigh)
It would seem a reasonable proposition that significant expenditure, such as could be afforded by governments or large corporations, would allow the development to artificial intelligence ‘bots’ capable of commenting, responding, debating on social media. The purpose, of course, would be to alter opinion across a wide audience.
Does anyone really believe the Yes movement is capable of deploying such technology?
How about states acting to destabilise the UK indirectly by ‘assisting’ the Yes cause? Totally unnecessary … the UK has a Tory government to do that, and quite possibly to also do the bidding of dark forces.
I have a feeling that there’s more to this than mere journalistic idiocy. This may be the deliberate shaking of a hornets’ nest. Trying to use the strong feelings of people in the Yes movement against indy, by “demonstrating” to their remaining neutral readers that an independent Scotland would be a very nasty place where any dissent would be rooted-out and punished.
Remember, the primary objective must always be “hearts and minds”. To convert previous “no” voters into “yes” voters. Injured feelings are secondary, no matter the provocation.
Twitter can be a pit of vipers, so should be used with great care. Personal abuse is a mistake. Making a mockery of provocations and turning it all into a good laugh is the way to go.
Dearie me. Paranoia afflicts the No side.
This is a complete demolition but I’m not sure it really helps . She’s just a young women, maybe doesn’t need to be eviscerated to this extent. It’s one article.
Also mistakes there sure are in their piece but it would be interesting to understand if there are any smoke to the russia/Iran attempts.
Beediemacskyebot reporting for duty, my AI has been reprogrammed dor #DissolveTheUnion
@ Lollysmum – Comments sometimes take up to 20 mins to appear. I think it may tbe the super sensitive spam filter slowing things down but I don’t really know. I just refresh every so often till they appear. Or read Stu’s twitter, or read other blogs, or do the ironing.
I can see him outside M&S in Argyle St by the end of the year, robot dancing to this painted in silver & attracting a bigger crowd than his pish ramblings. He ain’t no friend and he ain’t electric.
Sad that a man who calls himself a journalist cannot grasp the fact that the Union which he served in the navy, is actually crumbling before his eyes. He is fighting a rearguard defence in an attempt to justify why this is happening and can only conclude it is some forms of conspiracy that is influencing the Scottish people.
In his limited view we should be thankful to be part of the UK, for all the reasons thrown at us during indy. Sorry Leask we have moved on ,and perhaps it is time you removed the rule Brittania sunglasses from your eyes and saw what we actually see.
Rather than a professional journalist,he is a professional Unionist, and still serves them by chucking out stones from the walls of his castle, hoping to cause damage. Fool.
To borrow a refrain from a brilliant, brilliant singer/songwriter:
Because something is happening here
But ya’ don’t know what it is
Do you, Dr Jones?
Maybe he’s a Bobot too
I mean it easy to criticise the journo, but is he not just a product of his working environment ? or should the question being asked be, for example “why is the PE teacher, teaching chemistry ?” Or is he is really Keizer Soze ?.
And is this not how we end up large quantities of Fools Gold (the polite term for bullshit)…..”to make a contented slave,it is necessary to make a thoughtless one.It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason”.
It is after all, sometimes difficult to think, in these ‘enlightened’ times….don’t you think ?.
Fine piece of “analysis” once again. Thanks for this.
I am happy that they are so desperate, but I wonder how many will read the article in the Herald (a dwindling number, thankfully) and believe this nonsense.
@Morgatron –
dear wingers,
here’s a query – has any one been having trouble with their newsfeeds on facebook? I have used fb to post WoS posts recently and now my newsfeeds show nothing. i have checked all settings over last fortnight but nothing. I think they have a policy on political posts in that they have proscribed postings. or am i just a diddy and paranoid?
Will the last person leaving the Herald offices, please switch off the fax machine and put the cover on the Olivetti!
LOL
link to twitter.com
Let’s hope she got bunged a packet of Tayto cheese’n’onion crisps and a can of Fanta from Herald Britland for her trouble.
This once proud Thunderer is reduced to giving any SNP BAD amateur scribbler column inches.
Why not cut and paste a couple of dozen pages from the Glasgow Telephone Directory to plump the pages of this pale imitation of a news journal instead?
Is Jones just a female equivalent of Tomkins or Darling.
Pretending to be one thing politically as a front for their real views.
Cos this portion of her selfdescription does seem at odds with the bollocks she wrote for the Herald
“I have a passion for alternative and community media, working with art, educational and community groups across the UK to develop media and digital literacies and are interested in media activism around events and participatory media as an educational tool.”
link to archive.is
Re Bob Mack
I often wonder if die hard Unionists like this guy ever ask themselves a simple question;
“What is it that they can see that I cannot?” Where “they” are supporters of Independence.
I see a failing UK, falling away in unmanaged decline, and the way things are going, soon to be in freefall. I don’t want to be a part of this and want better, with the knowledge that Scotland can be and will do better.
paul mccormack says:
28 August, 2018 at 3:24 pm
You are neither. It has been happening to me too. Sometimes it is not even overtly political but still does not appear. Also noticed a fall-off in posts from friends who post on similar topics to me.
@ Ian Brotherhood
?
Mike Cassidy @ 3.49 pm
Her business address is given as :- ‘Glasgow: United Kingdom’ in her ‘Experience’ blurb.
Pro independence? Doh!
I tweet #dissolvetheunion between 3 and 10 times a day.
I don’t have a profile pick of me and my real name is not Thane of Luncarty.
But everybody who knows me knows I am not a bot.
It is rubbish, and thousands of twitter folk are like me.
Boy oh boy, I’ve been a hypocrite.
Shinty says:
LOL indeed, #DissolveTheUnion
I genuinely think we’ve reached a tipping point where the activities of the loyal BritNat media are becoming counter productive to their own cause. It’s all become so farcical and unbelievable that fewer and fewer people will take their output seriously. And that must include folks who are pro Union.
Hopefully it will develop into a tarnished by association situation. Those supposedly promoting the continuation their Union will look like a bunch of incompetent clowns, and what must that say about their cause itself? Is all this cheap and most uncheerful nonsense the best evidence they can present as a positive case for their UKOK?
mike cassidy @ 15:49,
Jack collatin @ 16:05,
Nice one, Jack.
“working […] across the UK”.
The clue’s also right there.
Do I detect a sulphurous whiff of Scotland in Union again here…?
legerwood at 3.55
thanks for letting me know . i may not be alone then. i just wondered if they had proscribed WoS from being posted by then simply slowly closing down posters. i have been checking my settings this last fortnight and currently recent items and top stories = nada nowt zilcho.
Dr Jennifer Jones’s analysis includes the sentence:
“These accounts claim that they must be anonymous to protect their political views from their employer.
However I don’t imagine it is unusual, or a sackable offence to take a pro-independence stance these days.”
You have to assume then that she has not bothered to “analyse” the recent news about SNP councillor Chris McEleny sacked from his job as an electrician at Faslane who won his case at an employment tribunal and was written about in the Herald just 9 days ago.
AN SNP councillor has claimed he has been “blacklisted” by the UK Government after he was blocked from taking up an influential European Union committee place by a Conservative minister.
The MOD withdrew his security clearance after he stood for the role of Deputy Minister of the SNP, then he was sacked.
In the same article he also claims of being “blacklisted” by the UK government from an EU committee place representing Scotland just this month, his place instead was given to a Labour councillor. This was of course a decision taken by a Tory:
“Lord Callanan, a Minister of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU).
link to archive.fo
Wish I could get a job as an “Independent media researcher” which looks like money for old rope. Just write any old tripe and that’s fine as long as it has Indy/Yes/SNP Supporters Bad in it and Leasky will publish it.
Love the sad sad robot song by the way, a top Indy hit
@Morgatron –
I found your 2.55 comment amusing. Hence the smileys…
Just had an OT thought.
The Tories and EU may well cobble together a Withdrawal Agreement by using some mutually acceptable words on Ireland, and an accompanying non binding future relationship statement of woolly words,
This is now supposed to go before WM so MPs can vote. I have little doubt the options will be accept/reject.
The SNP MUST reject because their will be no binding commitment to a close future relationship with the EU.
Rejection by WM as a whole might mean a leadership contest, or a general election. All this of course depends on what Labour do.
Should Labour vote for the EU/TMay’s WA and Relationship Statement, and it is accepted by WM, the the SNP MUST call IndyRef2 immediately, having voted to reject it.
Alternatively, should the agreements fail to pass WM but the Tories stumble on towards a No Deal Brexit, then the SNP MUST also call IndyRef2.
The probability of getting past November without an outcome necessitating IndyRef2 seems low.
On the subject of incompetent clowns how about the Maybot’s crazy dance routine in SA.
Hignfy will surely use it regularly.
paul mccormack says:
28 August, 2018 at 3:24 pm
dear wingers,
“here’s a query – has any one been having trouble with their newsfeeds on facebook? I have used fb to post WoS posts recently and now my newsfeeds show nothing. i have checked all settings over last fortnight but nothing. I think they have a policy on political posts in that they have proscribed postings. or am i just a diddy and paranoid?”
It’s now pretty much out in the open (by which I mean RT, online etc) that Facespook is now openly censoring, blocking and banning accounts that don’t kow tow to whatever the mainstream narrative is on anything, no doubt including Scottish independence.
Ask yourself do I really need a FB account? If not dump it.
Would people please help this fundraiser?
Check it out –
link to igg.me
How the hell do you become an expert in the equivalent of the Turing Test when you don’t have any sodding evidence to show that you’re claimed ability to detect bots works? There’s absolutely no scientific basis even if you allow the mushy squishy soft social sciences. This is just as valid as homeopathy.
Jesus Wept, it’s a Bladerunner type voight kampff on a repeat loop where these idiots get shot down on a regular basis.
Aye bot Nea bot
BottyMcSporran
Tarbot
Hell Bot
Tatties and Halibot
Borrowed not Bot
Bot an innin aen n aw
Bot n Sold fir English Gold
Don’t let the bot set in
Bottie together
Bot the Ayes and Cross the T’s
Will stop now;)
@ galamcennalath 4:36pm
Alternatively, Nicola could just have a word in the Maybot’s lug and tell her, in no uncertain terms, that Scotland IS NOT LEAVING the EU. The people of Scotland voted to REMAIN and to remove us from the EU against our expressed sovereign will is tantamount to stripping the people of Scotland of our human rights.
“We’re no’ leaving the EU, Treeza. End of. Deal wi’ it.”
Further to WM advice to stock up on food and medicines should the Scottish Government not be stocking up on Tar and Feathers plus one way tickets to the south?
This one is classic:
link to twitter.com
Pointing out that an account with “this is a Retweet Bot” in the bio, is a bot – aye, no shit Sherlock. Hardly evidence of a Russian conspiracy though eh lad?
Ross @ 2.41
She’s not a young woman Ross
She’s a grown woman and one with a university education at that.
If a woman of the same age no matter how poorly educated made errors in filling in a form…
She would soon find out that she was an adult and responsible for any claim she made being true.
She would be punished, by the law not just shown for a fool on a blog!
Proud Cybernat @ 16:46,
Something like that. Once the HoC gives Brexit the clearance (as it will, whatever the deal), bring the whole Engexit-trampling-over-Scotland issue to a head, and appeal for the people of Scotland to rally behind her, regardless of party politics, and over the heads of the craven collaborationist media.
May the spirit of Thomas Cochrane be among us all. (Read the great article in today’s National.)
Westminster will do anything to keep control of Scotland there is much worse to come some will be absolutely shocking.Controlling the media is just westminsters peacetime ploy their underhand tactics will worsen significantly in the period immediately before Scottish independence.They will use the police and armed forces on the streets and threaten our livelihoods then after independence the will attack Scotland’s economy they did these same things when other countries took independence and it is plain fact that lives were lost Westminster had the armed forces shoot people dead simply because they could.This is the age old evil regime of Westminster government.It never ends as you can se in the curren news about Westminster trying to bully countries that in the past took independence from the so called U.K.
There has never been unity it has always been and still is about enriching England at the expense of anyone and everyone else
Froggy does not ‘do’ Twitter but frogesque has been my tag for some 20 years on various sites and fora during all those years going right back to my time on ( ptoo!) AOL. There is also a website kicking around that I must update when I can be arsed.
Not too difficult to source who I really am rather than my alter ego.
I find many tags by others both inventive and ammusing. We live alternative lives on the web and not everyone wants an angry or even a fan mob at the front door.
Live with it and get over yourselves. If it bothers you, tough!
On perusal of the Torygraph I see that a cycling event called ‘The Tour of Britain’ is scheduled to take place from 2/9 to 9/9.
Looking at the itinerary I see that there is something missing – the nearest it gets to Scotland is The Lake District.
Controlling my rage at this blatant slight against Scotland surely it is high time that we had a Tour of Scotland – with our wonderful scenery and the use of drones TV coverage would be spectacular and a great boost for tourism.
O/T
Anyone see the tweet by Dr.Phillipa Whitford? It’s a film of Bernard Jenkins Tory MP saying, ‘we let them vote in OUR referendum’. Meaning Scotland and NI, having said both countries VOTED to stay in the UK.
Also a mosque in Edinburgh has been firebombed. It’s getting serious now, the false flag is starting as well, attack a mosque, ensure Scotland looks insular, racist and unwelcoming, expect a retaliation false flag folks, of some sort.
This all since the EU have indicated Scotland has some ammount of support for independence. The Britnats are running scared.
Always thought that the Yes movement must provide a reasonable amount of trade for the 77th Brigade’s Support Group, concerned with “Media Operations and Civil Affairs”.
We are all enemies of the (British) State, are we not?
link to en.m.wikipedia.org
The Bots My Father Wrote
@leaskbot – randomly selects accounts that have used a trending hashtag and tweets You are a Russian bot at them
@yoonbot – takes every tweet made by accounts on the wings blocklist, appends WATP No Surrender FTP and tweets it back at them
@mcbot – same as @yoonbot but this time appends FREEEDOM!!!!
@partickthistlenilbot – accurately retweets all the football scores except when it gets to Patrick Thistle’s result changes it to 0.
@nattymcnatface – posts responses in support of a petition set up to have Sir David Attenborough renamed to Sir William Geronimo Wallace
@icantbelieveitsnotbot – uses a sophisticated algorithm to determine when someone is definitely *not* a bot, and then alerts @leaskbot to tweet at them
@ Ian Brotherhood.
Sorry , the question mark was intended to be a smiley face to say ta . It bloody changed to a ? . Apologies my friend if I appeared to be be a twit!
While Leask’s efforts are always amusing, this one – publicly accusing people without evidence – also has the stink of McCarthyism about it.
OMG I drive my daughter to college with all the emotional carry on that brings, then, I find that some nutter on twitter has alleged there are more nutters on twitter!!!!
Haud me back someone, I am no sad robot!
I think I’ve met Jennifer Jones.
A while back I was invited to the “launch” of the Ferret Fact Service. I traipsed up to Glasgow, hoping to hear something interesting and informative about what they did.
Instead, there was a “panel” of 4 or 5 luvvies, talking about how wonderful the media in general and they themselves in particular were. I’m almost certain JJ was one of them; she announced at the start that she had just been awarded her PhD. I have a vague feeling one of the others might have been Ian Small – there was definitely a man from the BBC, but the name was not familiar to me, so it could have been someone else.
The Q&A session revealed that the entire audience, apart from me and a couple of others, consisted of their pals, who asked nice friendly non-questions. So it was a total waste of my time – until now, when I can at least assert that Jennifer Jones is not a bot, because I’ve seen her in the flesh.
@Morgatron –
It’s cool! I was a bit confused, but that’s nowt new!
?
? 
Agree with Galamcennalth at 0436 pm . If there is a “Chequers deal “ it cannot be acceptable to the SNP as no SM/CU . Same obviously with “ No Deal” . Consequently , any HOC vote has to be rejected ( out of the EU and SM/CU both “ deals”). Indyref 2 must take centre stage.
If HOC accepts then TM survives and will focus all on her “ precious precious union” will continue to deny and delay section 30 . If she “ bites the bullet” and agrees to 2nd vote then obviously “ all out blitz by state controlled media propaganda apparatus “ will ensue. Possibly she will continue to “deny and delay”. Will our government use all avenues under “ self determination” and appeal to EU / higher authority / courts ? If in the instance ( 2nd vote is agreed) and it begins to look that “ Yes” could win , will the U.K. “ backstop” be an “ emergency HOC vote on 2nd EU vote “?
However, if TM loses HOC vote then surely GE must be outcome.
Obviously the usual option of Labour 2nd eleven reserve government with possible commitment to stay in SM/CU (,to head of FM call for Indyref2 ), is not so likely due to ongoing “ smear campaign” against Corbyn ( obviously US and Israel don’t want a “ pro “Palestine Labour PM in no. 10) . Hence the likelihood of Propaganda channels to “ get behind Tories with new leader” in GE campaign.
Would our FM consider in these circumstances consider “ single issue mandate” for GE in view of section 30 denial ? Ie. Majority of SNP Westminster MP’s a mandate for the commencement of negotiations to end the union ?
Yes perhaps the “ haar might clear by end of November”
@crazycat
Interesting story re the attendees, thanks for sharing.
1110100100011…
But…but…but, like, journalists, y’know? And journalism! Yeah, journalism! Protect and, like, investigate stuff, democracy stuff and that. They need effing support against, like, fake news. And stuff. Like, y’know…?
Fairly simple as far as I see it @North chiel says and @Galamcennalth says.
I agree with @Proud Cybernat says at 4:46 pm
“Nicola could just have a word in the Maybot’s lug and tell her, in no uncertain terms, that Scotland IS NOT LEAVING the EU. The people of Scotland voted to REMAIN”
The FM advises Elizabeth, Queen of Scots not to grant Royal Assent on behalf of the Sovereign People of Scotland as they voted against leaving the EU.
The FM should also withhold the use of the Great Seal of Scotland on this legislation.
The removal of Scotland from the EU against the expressed will of the People of Scotland = End of Treaty of Union.
Elizabeth, Queen of Scots should be in no doubt that she is Queen by contract with the sovereign people of Scotland, and if the crown does not serve the people it can be removed by the will of the people.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
@ artyhetty,
I’m sure I read that it was an Indian Temple, rather than an Islamic Mosque.
Hi Patrick Roden.
Yeah, you’re right. While Hardeep Singh Kohli is standing up for Scotland on “Celebrity Big Brother”, this is going on…
link to edinburghnews.scotsman.com
A little less Schadenfreude over unemployed PhD please Rev. In the modern world PhD students are simply cheap labour. Much cheaper than paying a PostDoc salary. You also get to pick their agile young minds for your own research. Postdocs having had their own minds picked are more reticent with an eye on their own research should a miracle happen and they get a lectureship instead of being paid piecework to lecture.
The destinations of PhD graduates is of little concern to the universities or their supervisors. The problem, shame and financial problems come with failed PhD’s so all effort is put into getting them over the line. In one lab I was in one guy’s thesis was largely written by one of the other Postdocs as the candidate’s English wasn’t up to the task.
I have also seen an increasing number of modern science PhD’s with three experiments in them. Three data chapters an introduction and a discussion. That’s a Masters thesis.
Regarding pro indy users having problems on Faceache and Twitter etc, maybe its about time the Pro Indy movement moved over to MeWe as a form of social media , just like IndyCar Gordon did yesterday, its a lot better platform just not widely used yet and no sin bin
Brilliant piece Stu, the headline did make me chuckle slightly. The terrible thing being that its true, how low are these bastards prepared to stoop too ? I fucking love this blog.
Just saw this post by Craig Murray:
link to craigmurray.org.uk
Realised that is just main page and article will slip down out of sight in a while. Direct link to article:
link to craigmurray.org.uk
Ooops. Just noticed my link is already at the end of the Rev’s post. What I get for skimming through things. Still maybe someone else will have missed it too and it will direct them there.
That scatalogical etymology for the word “analysis” had me laughing out loud.
You think the Aug 1st launch deadline whizzed by? The website had been ‘coming soon’ since May 2016!
link to mediaforcommunities.org
So it seems that this anti-Salmond, anti-independence Herald story was paid for by the UK government.
link to moonofalabama.org
Who would have thunk it?