Anyone nostalgic for the Obama campaign’s “Attack Watch” project will be heartened to know that the federal government plans to spend $1 million to create a “Truthy” database that will track “false and misleading ideas” on social media. The Washington Free Beacon reports:
The National Science Foundation is financing the creation of a web service that will monitor “suspicious memes” and what it considers “false and misleading ideas,” with a major focus on political activity online.
The “Truthy” database, created by researchers at Indiana University, is designed to “detect political smears, astroturfing, misinformation, and other social pollution.”
The university has received $919,917 so far for the project.
…
“Truthy” claims to be non-partisan. However, the project’s lead investigator Filippo Menczer proclaims his support for numerous progressive advocacy groups, including President Barack Obama’s Organizing for Action, Moveon.org, Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, Amnesty International, and True Majority.
https://twitter.com/OHCONSERVATISM/status/504022816451477506
https://twitter.com/OHCONSERVATISM/status/504024132653424641
Some on Twitter were anxious to get started populating the “Truthy” database.
https://twitter.com/RepRepublic/status/503997886666141696
Will first #Truthy be michaelbrown gentlegiant or islam religionofpeace? Or globalwarming or Benghazi vid or u can keep yr dr or not smidgen
— BarbaraMcMahon((?)) (@southsalem) August 25, 2014
https://twitter.com/neontaster/status/504000216471961601
Here you go #Truthy. This is what a suspicious meme looks like. https://t.co/gaBQdUJarD
— BT (@back_ttys) August 25, 2014
It's time to get serious and #ActOnClimate. pic.twitter.com/VqELsMFhe9
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 15, 2014
https://twitter.com/ChrisBarnhart/status/504004246854172672
Twitter is awash in sarcasm, & even human intelligence has difficulty detecting it. #Truthy will fail spectacularly in this area.
— BAH! Humbuggery… (@thehiredmind) August 25, 2014
https://twitter.com/CuffyMeh/status/504010946394996736
https://twitter.com/jimmiebjr/status/504019453789884416
Am I correct in assuming #truthy has to do with not? #caring
— Allan (@UnrealAllan) August 25, 2014
https://twitter.com/laurakfillault/status/504021381651378176
https://twitter.com/theshoebart/status/504027594879410176
https://twitter.com/theshoebart/status/504027695328792576
"Social pollution." Hmmph If that was the case the VMA show would have been cancelled. Emmy's, too, come to think of it. #truthy
— Wit'sEnd (@Nayrue) August 25, 2014
Because "mitigate subversive propaganda" doesn't sound like something a totalitarian police state would try to do #Truthy
— Michele Frost (@michelelfrost) August 25, 2014
Not so shovel ready jobs #Truthy
— Text Trump to 88022 ✝️??⭐⭐⭐ ?? (@K1erry) August 25, 2014
https://twitter.com/moderncomments/status/504021071956557825
https://twitter.com/GrantGambling/status/504027199553687552
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