Abstract

Anecdotal evidence suggests that discussions in extremist forums are overwhelmingly driven by a minority of extremely active contributors or “super-posters”. Using an extensive dataset of 19 extremist forums and 2 non-extremist ones, the present study tests whether these observations generalize across ideologies (far-right, salafi-jihadist, incel, christian fundamentalist) and forum size. Using a two-dimensional methodology to accurately measure the level and nature of super-posting (Gini coefficient and network analysis) delivers key insights on the interaction dynamics structuring extremist forums, and assesses whether this phenomenon is a hallmark of extremism or a by-product of internet forums in general.

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