There are plenty of real, intelligent, skeptical, thinking people here. Are there agents provocateur? Very likely. I have my suspicions about several people, even a couple of the mods. Most of the mods however (at least the ones I have personally interacted with, which is most of them) I am fairly certain are also real, intelligent, skeptical, thinking people.
Overall, I think it is a good place. I've never been banned, and I have been very... irreverent, in an expository way. Having said that, I have had a couple comments shadow banned (invisible to others, but not to me), which is a little disturbing, but it has only happened a couple times that I have noticed (not that it's super easy to notice, but I have been watchful ever since the first time I noticed it happen over a year ago).
I think GAW is infiltrated, but not overrun. I think the vast majority here are genuine, and will listen to good evidence when presented, no matter the topic or the potential cognitive dissonance.
As for whether or not we are being watched through this site, quite frankly, my investigation suggests there is no place that is safe from that. Assume "they" know everything, no matter where you are. I am still alive however, and still pumping out the red pills to thousands, which makes me think that "they" don't have the power that they used to.
Or I'm just not important enough (which is almost certainly true). :)
Either way, I don't think it gets better than this, or at least I don't know of any place that is.
I can only upvote you once on the system. Here is +51 for you.
Curious your take on this GAW website…? I was a goat - we were all funneled here. Honeypot.?
There are plenty of real, intelligent, skeptical, thinking people here. Are there agents provocateur? Very likely. I have my suspicions about several people, even a couple of the mods. Most of the mods however (at least the ones I have personally interacted with, which is most of them) I am fairly certain are also real, intelligent, skeptical, thinking people.
Overall, I think it is a good place. I've never been banned, and I have been very... irreverent, in an expository way. Having said that, I have had a couple comments shadow banned (invisible to others, but not to me), which is a little disturbing, but it has only happened a couple times that I have noticed (not that it's super easy to notice, but I have been watchful ever since the first time I noticed it happen over a year ago).
I think GAW is infiltrated, but not overrun. I think the vast majority here are genuine, and will listen to good evidence when presented, no matter the topic or the potential cognitive dissonance.
As for whether or not we are being watched through this site, quite frankly, my investigation suggests there is no place that is safe from that. Assume "they" know everything, no matter where you are. I am still alive however, and still pumping out the red pills to thousands, which makes me think that "they" don't have the power that they used to.
Or I'm just not important enough (which is almost certainly true). :)
Either way, I don't think it gets better than this, or at least I don't know of any place that is.