[abacadaba]

Also to note, we've been hearing non-stop about puppet accounts taking over social media for the last few years. As mortal users on this and other sites, most of us don't have the tools or information available to us to reliably distinguish between puppet accounts and someone who genuinely holds stupid views. Some suspicion along these lines is to be expected.

[dang]

I agree, but the suspicion is not cost-free. When people accuse each other recklessly of being astroturfers, shills, spies, or otherwise fakes, they do real damage to this community. If that becomes the culture here—which frankly it feels on the cusp of—it could kill the community. Therefore we need users to exercise some self-control and not simply vent their suspicions incontinently into the threads out of frustration at how wrong they feel someone is. If after that they still feel there's cause for suspicion, they are welcome to email [e-mail] so we can look for actual evidence.