Will Y!A do anything to stop HIV-denialist trolls?
The STD and Infectious Disease answer boards are being trolled by a team of HIV denialists who go into any question about HIV and post responses denouncing HIV as the cause of AIDS. They tell users that condoms are TOXIC, and that AIDS isn't caused by viruses, much less contracted by unsafe sexual practices or injection drug use.
I am in favor of differing opinions, but in this case, the disinformation spread by these people can potentially KILL people. As a private enterprise, I think Yahoo! should do something to prevent this dangerous and misleading content from being spread.
So, are you, as users of the Health Answers board, fed up? And will Y!A do something about the problem?
Lastly, notable trolls include: PaulKing, Vivian K and anyone else who posts links to virusmyth.
2007-03-26T17:26:10Z
Free Speech: Does free speech exist unencumbered in a PRIVATE corporate environment, like on Y!A? If Y!A can be held liable for dangerous content, wouldn't it be in their best interest to act against the trolls?
I'm only posting this to draw it to people's (and possibly Y!A) attention. There are people spamming and trolling the boards with information that can kill people.
I flag the trolls, but Y!A is slow to act on these cases. They shouldn't be, though, because this info is more dangerous than garden-variety objectionable speech.
2007-03-27T08:53:08Z
Didn't take long for the trolls to find this post. See, spammers don't hurt anyone. They're annoying, but the junk they advertise might not get anyone killed. Why shouldn't Y!A be more proactive in treating the trolls more like spammers?
Phillip D2007-03-27T14:48:00Z
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Paul King asked the MSN Dissident Action Newsgroup to begin action here at Yahoo! Answers. Paul and his friends have been very active since then. That was March 5, 2007.
Paul King and his MSN groups have plotted attacks against all sources of information about HIV and AIDS. They don't have any science on their side, so they use political action to convince people that HIV does not exist, and that condoms are dangerous.
Y!A is self-moderated, so it is up to other users to report abuse. This is 'democracy' in action.
The users of this and other websites SHOULD be aware that not everything you read is fact. Therefore, it is up to each of us to simply use the web and other media as resources for our own research. Just because someone says they know something, or they are a "Top Contributor" doesn't mean that their word is the absolute authority on the subject.
People on here debate the existence of God, similarly to how these people are debating the existence of HIV/AIDS. Similarly, you can find numerous opinions and debates on religion, abortion, ADHD, gay marriage, politics and the war, etc. So this site makes it clear that there are many opinions out there and that in life, we all have to find our own answers.
"At present, there is no recognized standard for establishing the presence or absence of antibodies to HIV-1 and HIV-2 in human blood."
This statement comes from the Abbott Laboratories test insert for HIV. It doesn't matter what side of the fence one fights for when a little literacy is all it takes to comprehend the disclaimer. Whether HIV causes AIDS, obesity, or disco fever is irrelevant when the test kits clearly state there is no standard on how to interpret the results. Since the WHOLE HIV/AIDS theory rests on how these tests work, you'll have to excuse my skepticism. You will find similar disclaimers on any of the assays used for HIV.
Ill now take this special time to call out a previous poster on his apparent lack of scientific research. Yes there have been research of mice being infected with genetically-engineered HIV but Id love to see the citation of the paper claiming ANY mouse ever came down with AIDS. In fact, apes and monkeys do not develope AIDS either when infected with HIV.
Onto the needle stick comment. 20-50 times more people die from LIGHTNING strikes as compared to the number of reported infection from needle stick injuries.
My email is open if you wish to provide me with citations or engage in debate.
Wow. I can't believe how many trolls answered your question because the word "HIV" was in your post. Unbelievable!
I actually watched my uncle pass away from HIV/AIDS when I was only 12 years old!! He wasn't even on any medication! So for the people that say "drugs are the killer, not HIV/AIDS", how is that possible??
I don't wish HIV/AIDS on anyone, but I really wish sometimes people like this watched as someone they truly cared for and loved DIED from HIV/AIDS. They really have no CLUE how it feels like to watch someone you love parish from such a horrible disease! I will NEVER get to see my uncle EVER again and it is because of a disease that these trolls think "doesn't exist". Please! They need to get over themselves and think of something better to do with their time then post these outrageous claims.
PS - Prof Sam is another troll to add to the list.
I agree that if possible, something should be done. I have read all the information put under this question, and looked at the sites linked away, and I must say I'm shocked. The evidence given against HIV causing AIDS is so weak its unbelievable. Literally. We give mice AIDS by infecting them with the HIV virus. These mice do not take any other drugs or enage in homosexual acts and they get AIDS. Needle stick incidences of AIDS are reported every so often: in upstanding drug free people.