The ISIS Twitter Census

November 24, 2015 11:47 PM

Defining and describing the population of ISIS supporters on Twitter Although much ink has been spilled on the topic of ISIS activity on Twitter, very basic questions remain unanswered, including such fundamental issues as how many Twitter users support ISIS, who they are, and how many of those supporters take part in its highly organized online activities. ... We set out to answer some of these important questions using innovative techniques to create a large, representative sample of accounts that can be clearly defined as ISIS supporters, and to attempt to define the boundaries of ISIS’s online social network. [SLPDF] [via]
posted by Elizabeth the Thirteenth (3 comments total)

When I read the executive summary, I thought it was a cold argument for selective censorship. Chilling because I have to agree with the exigency of censoring terrorist groups.

After I read the conclusions in part 4, it seemed more of a "how to" guide.

I have to disagree that the two largest stakeholders in social media are always the private sector and the government. Couldn't the users\the public be seen as equally large stakeholders?
posted by pynchonesque at 1:42 AM on November 25, 2015

Couldn't the users\the public be seen as equally large stakeholders?

They keep using this word, I don't think it means what they think it means. I don't think an "expert on extremism" is a stakeholder.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 8:16 AM on November 25, 2015

Inside Anonymous' Messy Cyberwar Against ISIS
Anonymous Divided: Inside the Two Warring Hacktivist Cells Fighting ISIS Online
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:25 AM on December 6, 2015