As some on this site are aware, I am an archaeologist. I’ve got a Ph.D., teach at a major university and have written books and articles on the subject. When it comes to archaeology, I am what you would call an expert. So what I am about to say may come as a bit of a surprise to many.
I usually can’t determine if an archaeological artifact is a fake or not. Sure, I can tell the easy ones (e.g., The Soper Frauds), but the well-done frauds—not a chance. The folks who make good frauds are extremely skilled at what they do. They use acid washes to artificially age things, they actually find old paper and wood on which to make their frauds. They make paints and inks that match the paints and inks used in antiquity. They may even take a low-quality artifact, scrape off the designs, and “improve” on them to sell as more valuable antiquities. The point is, that the counterfeits are of such a high skill, that I (a trained expert) cannot tell they are fakes just by looking at them.
I do know how to do various scientific tests on artifacts to make sure they are real (e.g., carbon dating). But, I really don’t bother with that, since I actually dig up my own material, and I almost never find anything that collectors would find valuable. In theory, any of these tests could be done on any antiquity at your local dealer, but the truth is that the tests are expensive (and often destructive) and only worthwhile if the artifact is worth more than about $10,000.
So how do you know that the artifact you are buying at the local “antiquities” dealer is authentic? You, as a smart shopper, should know that there are many frauds out there—so how do you know you are dealing with a ‘reputable’ dealer? If you go to antiquities stores, you will be shown ‘certificates of authenticity’ demonstrating that the artifact is real. Let me ask you a question. If someone has gone to the trouble of effectively forging a vase from ancient Greece, how fucking hard would it be for them to forge a ‘certificate of authenticity?’ Also, what exactly does an authentic ‘certificate of authenticity’ look like and what are the names of the leading, reputable authenticators? Don’t know, then how could you possibly know that the certificate isn’t forged? I have even been to antiquities shops where the owner shows me a book (from a reputable publisher) where the very artifact for sale is pictured as proof of its authenticity. Of course, any decent forger could easily forge the artifact pictured in the book or just forge to goddamn book itself.
So, how can I know that an artifact is genuine? I can’t, and I am a trained expert. What are the chances that you can? Not to rain on anybody’s parade, but anytime you see an alleged expert pick up an artifact and proclaim its authenticity, you know that expert is full of shit (and yes, that includes all the assholes on Antiques Roadshow).
So what does the all have to do with shills, and why do I bring this up today?
Over the last week many folks at DKos have become concerned about shills coming to Daily Kos to disrupt things, lead people astray, or otherwise convince people of things that are not true. Several folks have proposed that all diarists should report their political allegiances or campaign positions. This, some argue, will help reduce the prevalence of shills, and keep Daily Kos a place for the genuine expression of political opinions and dialogue.
Here’s my point. People are suckers and shills can be very smart. They will list fake affiliations. They will link to bogus websites in which they are listed in ‘official’ positions. They might even come out as the most anti-shill folks on the site. It would be very difficult to identify a skilled shill on a blog in which people are required to use their real names. On a blog that allows people to choose their own screen names and remain anonymous, the identification of a skilled shill would be damn near impossible. People are suckers, people forget that if someone is willing to lie about who they are, they are just as likely to lie about their affiliations and even create supporting material to back up their claims. Shills can even have sock-puppets vouch for them.
So, how can we know that a diarist is genuine? We can’t. Not to rain on anybody’s parade, but anytime you see anybody on DKos claiming somebody is a shill, you know the person making the claim is full of shit. We just can’t know. Sure, we can figure out the obvious shills (AKA, trolls), but a skilled shill--not a chance.
So…next time you are reading DKos, and you hear someone suggest that someone else is a secret shill, just know that the person making the claim is just like the ‘expert’ at the local antiquities shop. That is, they are either lying or deluded.
PS I really am an archaeologist...really...you can trust me. Ask some of the folks that know me here, they'll vouch for me.