Memories of a Crystal City

circa. 2002 - Microsoft once dominated the IT landscape like no other before - large enough to create masses of followers, devotees and handlers. Linux users stood out like a sore thumb. We were the geeks of the geeks, unwilling to return to the fold of popular culture as presented by Gates.
Apple had been brought to it's knees and kissed the ring. Sun and Java could barely manouver. Novell, the giant of the decade past, was defunct and just a gutted shell. All the players held Microsoft certifications like badges of honor, or like playhouse mystery rings. Clubhouses dominated the IT field - with groups mowing down other groups mercilessly. Akin to early city state rivalries, everyone kowtowed to the Beast. Gates had a monopoly. Unlike any before, or since. Kinda like what the financial behemoths of today experience.
Onto this stage walked a paralegal named Pamela Jones, PJ, and she begins writing in a blog about the machinations of Microsoft and its minions' attempt to annihilate Linux. Groklaw exposed the legal fight of SCO and Novell over the core pieces of the Linux kernel. Who owned what, who said what, who did what, who promised to open source and who pulled the strings. It revealed dirty deals and discoveries that everyone suspected, but couldn't prove - Long range plans made in dark rooms through holding companies create solely to take down Linux and the threat of open source. Every bit of subterfuge imaginable taken from a spy novel and acted out in a real court with real players.
IANAL was coined, IANAL/IMHO was echoed on post after post. Her blog became the cannibal central for Trolls and Pro-Trolls. More FUD was spread over this issue than any before it, and ever since. Until Bitcoin came along that is.

Bitcoin has Dragons

Just to let you know about the heavy pro-trolling at the Bitcoin forums on the weekend. Much of which was coordinated with the market correction (aka. crash).
Many of the handles used were recognizable to a seasoned commentator. It looks like they studied the forum message boards for several weeks to find weak points and newbie hangouts so they could create ultimate shock value. I spotted 10-15 matured (50+ posts) profiles that would create rapid-fire postings and quickly jump around filling other new posts created by newbie trolls (orcs) at a rate of 5-10 a minute. Some were point/counter-point style to appear as legit, some were rants to entice the vulnerable. Many were goading attempts to drag moderators and seasoned posters into endless tit-for-tat barrages. And then it got interesting...
New tactics of spoofing long-time posters, cloning moderators' profile look-n-feel, threats aimed at anyone stupid enough to reply. Wow, I knew the professionals had arrived when I saw our proudest, vibrant protagonists slowly backing out of the room. It was left a snarling, blackened mess. These people had a playbook created with forethought and malice. Trolls are one thing, these were Uruk-hai bending to the will of someone, somewhere.

Bitcoin v. Thunderous Mob

"Distant throbbing drums of TPTB guide the sudden assault on the commons of the forum. These trolls are well fed, property of men. Bent not on feeding, but on mayhem and destruction. Quick like silver, shift like shadows, sly like foxes, never presenting a target-side for a clear counter. These are well-trained, barbarous people descending on the gentle folk who once considered these forums their haven. Only bloody men (and women) now inhabit these parts. Gone are the halcyon days of rally, drift are dreams of exuberant youth. Bitcoin has dragons."
-source: Remarkable Remarks

As I visited the forums today to peruse reactions of the market correction, I noticed a large influx of professional trolls. Many handles are recognizable from other trolled sites. The language and tone are nothing short of spectacular, this was well-planned and coordinated.  Many bitcoiners are seasoned vets but I do believe even they are shocked by the aim and precision that each posting is intent on. Goading the moderators, finding legit threads to frazzle and fray. Muddying the waters beyond drinkable. Wow, and I thought my day was tough.
I wouldn't presume to know which group of professionals are behind this attack. There are professionals that discover and deal with these attacks. I don't think EFF will be setting up tent to help us anytime soon, but maybe some new justice will arrive to uncover the Who,What,When,Where,Why.