Measuring coordinated versus spontaneous activity in online social movements

2021 ◽  
pp. 146144482110411
Author(s):  
Camille Francois ◽  
Vladimir Barash ◽  
John Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
True Nature ◽  
The Public ◽  
The World ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Mining Methods ◽  
Key Dimensions ◽  
Behavior Network ◽  
Tools And Techniques ◽  
Second Category

Social media platforms provide people all over the world with an unprecedented ability to organize around social and political causes. However, these same platforms enable organized actors to engineer fabricated social movements to advance their agenda. Such movements leverage a variety of tools and techniques, ranging from simple spam operations to sophisticated efforts involving numerous orchestrated accounts coordinated across linguistic and cultural clusters. While the former category is straightforward to analyze via data mining methods, campaigns in the latter category are engineered to mask their true nature from the public. We build on existing work to formalize a framework to detect coordination phenomena in the second category, based on anomalies in three key dimensions of participant behavior: network, temporal, and semantic. We test this framework on three case studies and find that, in all three cases, the framework enables us to detect coordination as behavioral anomaly.

scholarly journals Measuring coordinated vs. spontaneous activity in online social movements

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camille Francois ◽  
Vladimir Barash ◽  
John Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
One Dimension ◽  
True Nature ◽  
Behavioral Diversity ◽  
The World ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Human Operators ◽  
Tools And Techniques ◽  
Online Conversation

Social media platforms provide people all over the world with an unprecedented ability to organize around social and political causes. However, these same platforms enable institutional and organized actors to engineer fabricated social movements to advance their agenda. These “astroturfing” or “false amplification” phenomenons leverage a variety of of tools and techniques, ranging from fully automated bot activity to accounts manned by extrinsically motivated (e.g. compensated) human operators. These campaigns also range from simple spam operations to sophisticated efforts involving numerous orchestrated accounts, sometimes coordinated across linguistic and cultural clusters. While the former category is straightforward to analyze via data mining methods, sophisticated fabricated campaigns in the latter category are engineered to mask their true nature from the public.Working from the proposition that a large number of accounts controlled by a small number of coordinated entities will lack the behavioral diversity of a similar number of accounts controlled by uncoordinated individual actors, we propose a framework of signals (metrics) along three dimensions: Network: how accounts are connected to one another, and the clusters they form within the online conversation, Temporal: patterns of messaging across time in the online conversation, Semantic: an observation of the diversity of topics and meaning throughout the online conversation.We test this framework on three case studies: the online conversation on #ColumbianChemicals in the U.S., the international discussion of the #DopingLeaks event, and an analysis of political discussions in Venezuela. In all three cases, we find what we assess to be anomalous, fabricated behavior on at least one dimension.

Kim Kardashian: the Leader of the Influencers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laila Fariha Zein ◽  
Adib Rifqi Setiawan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
The United States ◽  
Armenian Genocide ◽  
The Public ◽  
Self Defense ◽  
Global Commerce ◽  
The World ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
International Issues ◽  
Global Influence

In today’s world, it is easier and easier to stay connected with people who are halfway across the world. Social media and a globalizing economy have created new methods of business, trade and socialization resulting in vast amounts of communication and effecting global commerce. Like her or hate her, Kimberly Noel Kardashian West as known as Kim Kardashian has capitalized on social media platforms and the globalizing economy. Kim is known for two things: famous for doing nothing and infamous for a sex tape. But Kim has not let those things define her. With over 105 million Instagram followers and 57 million Twitter followers, Kim has become a major global influence. Kim has travelled around the world, utilizing the success she has had on social media to teach make-up master classes with professional make-up artist, Mario Dedivanovic. She owns or has licensed several different businesses including: an emoji app, a personal app, a gaming app, a cosmetics line, and a fragrance line. Not to be forgotten, the Kardashian family show, ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ has been on the air for ten years with Kim at the forefront. Kim also has three books: ‘Kardashian Konfidential’, ‘Dollhouse’, and ‘Selfish’. With her rising social media following, Kim has used the platforms to show her support for politicians and causes, particularly, recognition of the Armenian genocide. Kim also recently spoke at the Forbes’ women’s summit. Following the summit, Kim tweeted out her support for a recent movement on Twitter, #freeCyntoiaBrown which advocated for a young woman who claimed to have shot and killed the man who held her captive as a teenage sex slave in self-defense. Kim had her own personal lawyers help out Cyntoia on her case. Kim has also moved beyond advocating for issues within the confines of the United States. As mentioned earlier, she is known for advocating for recognition of the Armenian genocide. In the last two years, her show has made it a point to address the Armenian situation as it was then and as it is now. Kim has been recognized as a global influencer by others across the wordl. We believe Kim has become the same as political leaders when it comes to influencing the public. Kim’s story reveals that the new reality creates a perfect opportunity for mass disturbances or for initiating mass support or mass disapproval. Although Kim is typically viewed for her significance to pop culture, Kim’s business and social media following have placed her deep into the mix of international commerce. As her businesses continue to grow and thrive, we may see more of her influence on international issues and an increase in the commerce from which her businesses benefit.

Conclusion

2018 ◽  
pp. 235-242
Author(s):  
Steven McKevitt
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
World Wide Web ◽  
World Wide ◽  
New Labour ◽  
General Election ◽  
Public Response ◽  
The Public ◽  
The World ◽  
Social Media Platforms

The Conclusion draws together the main findings of the study. Britain in 1997 was a far more emotional and expressive society. This is highlighted by two events: the public response to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, and the success of New Labour in the general election. The extent to which persuasion industries were responsible for bringing these changes about is discussed. There is a discussion of some areas for further study: the subsequent impact of the World Wide Web and social media platforms; persuasion aimed at children/juvenile consumption, and the development of single British brand throughout the period—for example, Virgin.

Political Technology as a Field

2020 ◽  
pp. 32-50
Author(s):  
Daniel Kreiss ◽  
Kirsten Adams ◽  
Jenni Ciesielski ◽  
Haley Fernandez ◽  
Kate Frauenfelder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Political Information ◽  
Entrepreneurial Ventures ◽  
The Public ◽  
Nature Of Technology ◽  
Commercial Technology ◽  
The World ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Political Technology

This chapter discusses how political technology grew into the field it is today. Political technology lies at the intersection of two male-dominated fields, and it also has a number of unique features for politics. The ever-shifting nature of technology requires campaigns and political parties to garner significant amounts of knowledge and expertise from the technology and commercial sectors. This means fluid careers as staffers move into and out of commercial, technology, and political jobs, seeding campaigns with new skills, knowledge, and ways of seeing the world. There are also rapid and continual changes in the technologies that are at the center of how contemporary politicians connect with the public, from social media platforms to political databases. For political tech staffers, this means continual learning and adapting to changes in how the electorate receives political information and communicates about politics. And it means many new opportunities for entrepreneurial ventures to bring talent, tools, and practices down-ballot and across election cycles.

The Emergence and Uncertain Outcomes of Prostitutes' Social Movements

2003 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilian Mathieu
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
The Public ◽  
The World ◽  
Uncertain Outcomes ◽  
First Time

This article is a comparative study of five prostitutes' social movements. The emergence of these movements is one of the major developments in the politics of prostitution: for the first time, prostitutes are politically organizing and expressing their claims and grievances in the public debate about prostitution — a debate from which they are usually excluded. But, as is the case for most stigmatized populations, this pretension to enter into the public debate is faced with many difficulties. Some of these are inherent to the world of prostitution, which is an informal, competitive and violent world, in which leaders face constant challenges to establish and maintain their authority and legitimacy. The article also emphasizes the crucial, but ambiguous, role played by alliances between prostitutes and people from other parts of society (especially feminists). Prostitutes' dependence on these supporters leads the author to consider their social movements to be heteronomous mobilizations.

scholarly journals Online public discourse on artificial intelligence and ethics in China: context, content, and implications

AI & Society ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yishu Mao ◽  
Kristin Shi-Kupfer
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Social Media ◽  
General Public ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
It Industry ◽  
The Public ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
The World ◽  
Ai Ethics ◽  
Social Media Platforms

AbstractThe societal and ethical implications of artificial intelligence (AI) have sparked discussions among academics, policymakers and the public around the world. What has gone unnoticed so far are the likewise vibrant discussions in China. We analyzed a large sample of discussions about AI ethics on two Chinese social media platforms. Findings suggest that participants were diverse, and included scholars, IT industry actors, journalists, and members of the general public. They addressed a broad range of concerns associated with the application of AI in various fields. Some even gave recommendations on how to tackle these issues. We argue that these discussions are a valuable source for understanding the future trajectory of AI development in China as well as implications for global dialogue on AI governance.

LGBTTQ Movements in Turkey: The People Living in “Other Side”

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 78
Author(s):  
Özgür Sarı
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Public Sphere ◽  
National Identities ◽  
The Public ◽  
The People ◽  
The World ◽  
Production Relations ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
New Social Movement

As well as all around the World, in Turkey, non-heterosexual (lesbian, bisexual, gay, transsexual, transgender, quir) oriented movements and identities are much more visible in public sphere. For LGBTTQ people, to be more visible in the public sphere, to manipulate policies and public opinion, to give voice for their freedom and rights, NGOs and initiatives based on sexual orientation out of hegemonic sexual identity have been improving rapidly in the World. Parallel to the global rise, in Turkey LGBTTQ movements and NGOs are more and more active today as a new social movement. In the parameters behind the development of LGBTTQ movements, totally eight LGBTTQ NGOs are active in Turkey’s cities Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Eskişehir and Diyarbakır. To transform the heterosexist, patriarchal and militarist public sphere in Turkey, the LGBTTQ NGOs prepare some activities, demonstrations and the most famous one “Istanbul Pride”. In this study, their propaganda techniques, media tools, projects to effect public opinion, and their relations to other NGOs and initiatives are seen as typically the items of new social movements. Behind the rise of sexual oriented social movements, the decline of national identities, the dissolution of citizenship, class identities and the decline of identities based on production relations play crucial roles.

scholarly journals Social Movements and Democracy in Spain: Review of Democracia, dignidad y movimientos sociales. El surgimiento de la cultura cívica y la irrupción de los «indignados» en la vida pública. Rubén Díez y Enrique Laraña

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 581-584
Author(s):  
Tiago Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Social Movement ◽  
Great Recession ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
New Parties ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Great Recession ◽  
Institutional Politics ◽  
The World ◽  
Occupy Movements

Over the last decade, Spain became one of the global hotspots for social movement contestation. The emergence of the 15M movement, or Indignados, was of significance not only in Spain, where it gave rise to the longest wave of mobilisation since the transition to the democracy but also internationally as its practices, repertoires and discourses became the blueprint for Occupy movements around the world. In Spain, the Indignados movement unleashed protest potential that transformed mobilisations between 2011 and 2014. The potency of these protests led to a shift in the public debate and the emergence of new parties such as Podemos and Ciudadanos. The 15M was not only a consequence of austerity under the Great Recession. It also transformed democracy, bringing to the fore new frames and repertoires that impacted institutional politics.

“All in a Garden Green”: Shakespeare's Staging of Garden Imagery

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-252
Author(s):  
Deborah Solomon
Keyword(s):  
Early Modern ◽  
Literary Tradition ◽  
The Public ◽  
The World ◽  
Audience Interaction ◽  
The Many ◽  
Green World

This essay draws attention to the surprising lack of scholarship on the staging of garden scenes in Shakespeare's oeuvre. In particular, it explores how garden scenes promote collaborative acts of audience agency and present new renditions of the familiar early modern contrast between the public and the private. Too often the mention of Shakespeare's gardens calls to mind literal rather than literary interpretations: the work of garden enthusiasts like Henry Ellacombe, Eleanour Sinclair Rohde, and Caroline Spurgeon, who present their copious gatherings of plant and flower references as proof that Shakespeare was a garden lover, or the many “Shakespeare Gardens” around the world, bringing to life such lists of plant references. This essay instead seeks to locate Shakespeare's garden imagery within a literary tradition more complex than these literalizations of Shakespeare's “flowers” would suggest. To stage a garden during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries signified much more than a personal affinity for the green world; it served as a way of engaging time-honored literary comparisons between poetic forms, methods of audience interaction, and types of media. Through its metaphoric evocation of the commonplace tradition, in which flowers double as textual cuttings to be picked, revised, judged, and displayed, the staged garden offered a way to dramatize the tensions produced by creative practices involving collaborative composition and audience agency.

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