NarcStudy_AndrewLeCody/datasets/formalDataset_LinguisticAndRhetoricalPatternsOfAndrewLeCodyInDallasMakerspaceDisocrdCommunications.md

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**Formal Dataset: Linguistic and Rhetorical Patterns of Andrew LeCody in Dallas Makerspace Discord Communications**
**Dataset Metadata**
* **Title**: Linguistic and Rhetorical Patterns of Andrew LeCody in Dallas Makerspace Discord Communications
* **Author**: Mark Randall Havens, Neutralizing Narcissism
* **Date of Creation**: June 8, 2025
* **Source**: Public Dallas Makerspace (DMS) Discord dataset, as analyzed in Havens, M.R. (2025). *Preliminary Digital Forensic Analysis of Andrew LeCodys Manipulative Behavioral Patterns in Online Discourse*. Neutralizing Narcissism. Available at: [https://neutralizingnarcissism.substack.com/p/dg/tal-forensic-analysis-of-andrew](https://neutralizingnarcissism.substack.com/p/dg/tal-forensic-analysis-of-andrew)
* **Data Collection Period**: 20172021, with specific timestamps where available (e.g., May 16, 2020, July 2020, December 28, 2021\)
* **Context**: This dataset captures the communication patterns of Andrew LeCody (Discord username: @aceat64) within the Dallas Makerspace Discord server, a community platform for a makerspace organization. The data focuses on interactions related to governance disputes, technical contributions, and community engagement, as analyzed for alleged manipulative behaviors such as gaslighting, DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim & Offender), and narrative control. The dataset is derived from a forensic analysis by Havens, which examines LeCodys rhetorical strategies in the context of organizational conflicts, including board elections, member bans, and bylaw disputes.
* **Purpose**: To provide a structured, qualitative dataset for analyzing LeCodys linguistic and rhetorical strategies in online discourse, with a focus on psychological manipulation tactics. The dataset is designed for use in linguistic, psychological, or sociological research on online community dynamics.
* **Ethical Considerations**: The dataset uses only publicly available Discord messages from the DMS server, ensuring no private or sensitive personal information is included. The analysis adheres to ethical standards by focusing on public communication patterns and avoiding unverified personal judgments. Researchers are encouraged to use the data responsibly, respecting the public nature of the source and avoiding harm to individuals.
**Methodology**
The dataset was constructed through a rigorous, multi-step process to ensure accuracy, reproducibility, and alignment with scientific standards:
* **Data Extraction**:
* Messages authored by Andrew LeCody (@aceat64) were systematically extracted from the provided document (pages 56, 9, 12, 17, 2127, 3137, 4243, 103108, 115138).
* Contextual messages from other users (e.g., Draco, Mark Randall Havens, yashsedai) were included only when directly relevant to understanding LeCodys responses, ensuring a focus on his communication while preserving conversational context.
* Technical content unrelated to rhetorical strategies (e.g., detailed battery project specifications on pages 102108) was included only when it served a manipulative or image-curation purpose, as identified by Havens analysis.
* All extracted messages were cross-referenced with the documents timestamps and linked references to verify authenticity.
* **Data Cleaning**:
* Redundant metadata, such as repeated Substack URLs and page headers, were removed to focus on message content.
* Timestamps were standardized to a consistent format (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS) where available. For messages with incomplete timestamps (e.g., “July 2020”), approximate dates were inferred from the documents context and noted as such.
* Minor OCR errors were corrected (e.g., “wadifferent” to “was different” on page 123\) through careful comparison with the documents narrative analysis.
* Truncated or incomplete messages (e.g., “Form 428 (Rejection of...)” on page 43\) were excluded unless they provided significant rhetorical or contextual value.
* **Data Categorization**:
* Messages were categorized based on thematic patterns identified by Havens: Deflection, Moral High Ground Play, Rhetorical Overkill, Authority Posturing, Dismissive Language, and Technical Expertise.
* Each message was further classified by psychological manipulation tactics, including DARVO, Gaslighting, Narrative Control, and Social Engineering, as defined in the document.
* A coding framework was developed to ensure consistent application of categories, with definitions validated against established psychological and rhetorical literature (e.g., Freyd, 1997, for DARVO; Stern, 2007, for gaslighting).
* **Data Validation**:
* Message content was preserved verbatim to maintain fidelity to the original source.
* Categorizations were cross-checked against Havens analysis to ensure alignment with the documents interpretations.
* A subset of messages was reviewed for inter-rater reliability by comparing coding with the documents narrative descriptions, ensuring consistency.
* External references (e.g., Substack post, DMS forum links) were noted for traceability and potential validation against the original Discord dataset, if accessible.
* **Rigor Enhancements**:
* To improve rigor, a clear audit trail was established by linking each message to its source page in the document.
* Ambiguities in timestamps or context were explicitly noted to avoid overgeneralization.
* The dataset includes a detailed codebook (below) to ensure transparency and reproducibility in coding rhetorical and psychological tactics.
* Limitations, such as the absence of the full 2019 ban thread, were documented to guide future research.
**Codebook: Definitions of Rhetorical Strategies and Psychological Tactics**
To ensure clarity and reproducibility, the following definitions were used to categorize LeCodys messages:
* **Rhetorical Strategies**:
* **Deflection**: Redirecting criticism to another party, event, or time period to avoid addressing the issue directly (e.g., blaming a previous board for current problems).
* **Moral High Ground Play**: Referencing serious ethical violations (e.g., theft, harassment) to position oneself as morally superior and discredit critics.
* **Rhetorical Overkill**: Escalating responses with extreme or unrelated examples to trivialize or overshadow the original criticism.
* **Authority Posturing**: Leveraging technical, legal, or procedural knowledge to assert dominance or imply superior understanding.
* **Dismissive Language**: Using sarcasm, mockery, or trivialization to undermine critics and avoid substantive engagement.
* **Technical Expertise**: Showcasing specialized knowledge to reinforce credibility, often as a distraction from controversy or to curate a positive image.
* **Psychological Tactics**:
* **DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim & Offender)**: A manipulation tactic involving denying accusations, attacking the accuser, and framing oneself as the victim (Freyd, 1997).
* **Gaslighting**: Reframing facts or events to sow doubt about the critics perception of reality, often through subtle invalidation (Stern, 2007).
* **Narrative Control**: Selectively presenting information to shape discussions in ones favor, often through omission or reframing.
* **Social Engineering**: Building alliances or leveraging group dynamics to consolidate power and influence community perceptions.
**Dataset Description**
The dataset is presented as a narrative sequence of Andrew LeCodys Discord messages, organized chronologically and annotated with contextual details, rhetorical strategies, and psychological tactics. Each entry includes the verbatim message, timestamp (where available), speaker, conversational context, and analytical categorization. The narrative format ensures accessibility while preserving the richness of the original discourse.
* **Message (May 16, 2020, 21:34:00)**:
* **Content**: “lol Mark I dont know who you think you remember, but it aint me”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody responds to Mark Randall Havens accusations of narcissistic behavior and manipulative leadership, following Havens lengthy critique of LeCodys actions within DMS (page 31). Havens references past interactions and LeCodys alleged attempts to blackmail or intimidate others.
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Dismissive Language The use of “lol” and the casual denial (“it aint me”) trivializes Havens serious accusations, avoiding direct engagement.
* **Psychological Tactic**: Gaslighting By suggesting Havens memory is faulty, LeCody undermines the validity of the critique without addressing specific claims.
* **Message (May 16, 2020, 21:37:00)**:
* **Content**: “I have to admit, on one hand its an interesting experience being the subject of these weird conspiracy theories, but its also a bit concerning”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody continues responding to Havens accusations, framing them as “conspiracy theories” in a public Discord channel (page 32). User yashsedai supports LeCody, suggesting Havens views him as a threat.
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Dismissive Language Labeling Havens claims as “weird conspiracy theories” discredits them as irrational. Authority Posturing LeCody positions himself as a calm, rational observer of the situation.
* **Psychological Tactic**: Gaslighting, DARVO The “conspiracy” label invalidates Havens perspective, while “concerning” subtly positions LeCody as a victim of unfounded attacks.
* **Message (May 16, 2020, 21:40:00)**:
* **Content**: “what exactly was misinformation?”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody challenges Havens claim that he spread misinformation, particularly regarding Havens 2015 drug arrest (page 33). Havens counters that public records and dismissed charges support his narrative.
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Deflection By demanding specificity, LeCody avoids addressing the broader accusation of manipulation.
* **Psychological Tactic**: Narrative Control The question shifts the burden to Havens to justify his claim, allowing LeCody to control the discussions direction.
* **Message (May 16, 2020, 21:40:00)**:
* **Content**: “I just played through a thought experiment on the valuation of the drugs in that document of your arrest”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody references Havens 2015 drug arrest, framing it as a “thought experiment” to question Havens suitability for a board position (page 34). This follows Havens admission of past marijuana use, which LeCody escalates into a character attack.
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Moral High Ground Play Highlighting the arrest implies moral superiority. Rhetorical Overkill The “thought experiment” exaggerates the issue beyond Havens admission.
* **Psychological Tactic**: Reputation Sabotage LeCody uses the arrest to undermine Havens credibility, regardless of the cases dismissal.
* **Message (May 16, 2020, 21:41:00)**:
* **Content**: “it was pretty fun”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody responds to Havens sarcastic remark about the “fun fantasy” of the drug valuation discussion (page 34). The exchange is heated, with yashsedai reinforcing LeCodys attack on Havens.
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Dismissive Language The flippant tone mocks Havens frustration, escalating the conflict without engaging substantively.
* **Psychological Tactic**: Gaslighting By treating the serious accusation as a game, LeCody minimizes Havens concerns.
* **Message (May 16, 2020, 21:46:00)**:
* **Content**: “by that logic I was never speeding, since the ticket was deferred and then dismissed”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody compares Havens dismissed drug charges to his own deferred speeding ticket, challenging Havens defense of the dismissal (page 36). Yashsedai argues that dismissal does not negate guilt.
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Dismissive Language The analogy trivializes Havens legal situation. Rhetorical Overkill Equating a speeding ticket to a drug charge exaggerates the comparison.
* **Psychological Tactic**: Gaslighting The comparison undermines Havens claim of innocence by suggesting all dismissals are equivalent.
* **Message (September 2017, Unknown Time)**:
* **Content**: “TL;DR: Mark asked for all your e-mail addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses, etc. The board did not release that info. If youd like to provide financial support for something actually useful, please donate to one of the many organizations that are currently helping those impacted by hurricane Harvey.”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody responds to Havens post requesting member contact information to organize against a board decision violating DMS bylaws (page 21). LeCody reframes Havens request as a privacy threat and diverts attention to Hurricane Harvey relief.
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Deflection Redirects focus from bylaw violations to privacy concerns and charity. Moral High Ground Play Contrasting Havens request with disaster relief implies moral superiority.
* **Psychological Tactic**: DARVO, Narrative Control LeCody denies the legitimacy of Havens governance concerns, attacks his motives, and reverses roles by positioning the board as protecting members.
* **Message (September 2017, Unknown Time)**:
* **Content**: “It should also be noted that Mark is asking for money so that he can sue the DMS because he disagreed with our own attorneys legal opinion. All so that he can get your contact info for campaigning and more (whatever that means).”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody continues attacking Havens request for member contact information, framing it as a personal vendetta and implying sinister motives (page 24).
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Moral High Ground Play Portraying Havens as suing DMS suggests aggression. Authority Posturing Citing the attorneys opinion implies LeCodys position is legally sound.
* **Psychological Tactic**: DARVO, Reputation Sabotage LeCody attacks Havens motives and hints at hidden agendas to discredit him.
* **Message (July 2020, Unknown Time)**:
* **Content**: “You dont think this might have been true of the previous board, when the downtrend started?”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody responds to Dracos criticism of the current boards disconnect with members, redirecting blame to the previous board (page 5).
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Deflection Shifts responsibility to past leadership, avoiding accountability.
* **Psychological Tactic**: DARVO Denies current boards faults and reverses criticism onto predecessors.
* **Message (July 2020, Unknown Time)**:
* **Content**: “You dont think this might have been true of the previous board, when they banned the finance team who uncovered Kris stealing from the organization? Again, the downtrend started during that board.”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody addresses Dracos point about excessive bans, referencing a past boards actions and alleging theft (page 5).
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Deflection, Rhetorical Overkill Redirects to past board and escalates with a theft accusation. Moral High Ground Play Implies current boards bans are justified.
* **Psychological Tactic**: DARVO, Narrative Control Denies current boards issues, attacks past leadership, and controls the narrative by framing bans as ethical.
* **Message (July 2020, Unknown Time)**:
* **Content**: “You mean like when officers/chairs like Joe King threatened to ban people from automotive because they asked him to cut fiberglass outside instead of inside? Again, this was during the previous board when the downtrend started.”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody responds to Dracos criticism of heavy-handed enforcement, citing a specific past incident (page 6).
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Deflection, Rhetorical Overkill Redirects to a past boards actions and uses a specific example to overshadow the critique.
* **Psychological Tactic**: DARVO, Narrative Control Shifts blame and reframes the discussion to past misconduct.
* **Message (July 2020, Unknown Time)**:
* **Content**: “Are you sure youre not talking about when Kris told a friend of mine (an army veteran) that she shouldnt report sexual harassment (by someone this board thankfully banned) because these things happen?”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody counters Dracos claim that the board ignored formal complaints, referencing a past sexual harassment incident (page 6).
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Deflection, Rhetorical Overkill, Moral High Ground Play Redirects to a past incident, escalates with a serious accusation, and positions the current board as ethical.
* **Psychological Tactic**: DARVO, Gaslighting Denies current boards faults, attacks past leadership, and questions Dracos accuracy.
* **Message (July 2020, Unknown Time)**:
* **Content**: “If by community you mean the people who lived at the space while stealing from it as well, then sure, I guess Ill agree with that one.”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody responds to Dracos point about the board disregarding community aspects, sarcastically equating community with criminal behavior (page 6).
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Dismissive Language Sarcasm trivializes Dracos concern. Rhetorical Overkill Equates community with theft to dismiss the critique.
* **Psychological Tactic**: Gaslighting, Narrative Control Reframing “community” as negative undermines Dracos argument.
* **Message (July 2020, Unknown Time)**:
* **Content**: “Cant do much about Covid, but the board has done good work towards arresting the decline started by the previous board and they even permanently banned two of those misbehaving officers.”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody addresses Dracos concerns about member loss and officer misconduct, citing COVID and past board failures (page 12).
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Deflection, Moral High Ground Play Attributes decline to external factors (COVID) and past leadership, while highlighting bans as ethical.
* **Psychological Tactic**: Narrative Control Reframing the boards actions as corrective measures.
* **Message (July 2020, Unknown Time)**:
* **Content**: “Accountability feels like an attack when you arent ready to admit your actions were improper.”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody addresses Draco and others feeling attacked by board actions, framing dissent as guilt (page 9).
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Moral High Ground Play Implies critics are guilty and resistant to accountability.
* **Psychological Tactic**: DARVO, Gaslighting Positions critics as offenders and invalidates their feelings.
* **Message (Unknown Date)**:
* **Content**: “Draco, post hard proof in the form of screenshots or PDFs or stop spreading conspiracy crap as if its the truth. I strongly doubt @ESmith modified them because it would have been a royal pain in the ass to do so, and it just doesnt make any sense.”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody challenges Dracos claim about modified documents, demanding evidence and dismissing the accusation as irrational (page 17).
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Dismissive Language, Authority Posturing Labels the claim “conspiracy crap” and uses technical jargon (DocuSign) to assert expertise.
* **Psychological Tactic**: Gaslighting, Burden-Shifting Invalidates Dracos claim and shifts the burden of proof.
* **Message (December 28, 2021, 00:14:00)**:
* **Content**: “In the show and tell thread I mentioned that I had top-balanced the cells and was getting ready to build the full pack. Top-balancing is a very important step when building a battery...”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody posts about a home battery backup project in a DMS show-and-tell thread, timed after a controversy involving a board members resignation (page 106). Havens suggests this is a strategic distraction.
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Technical Expertise Showcases technical knowledge to reinforce credibility.
* **Psychological Tactic**: Image Curation, Narrative Control Shifts focus to a neutral topic to deflect from political controversy.
* **Message (Unknown Date)**:
* **Content**: “Ive been a general DMS admin for quite some time on the domain; Im currently working on some talk plugins.”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody responds to a technical query about DMS infrastructure, emphasizing his role as an administrator (page 123).
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Technical Expertise, Authority Posturing Highlights his technical contributions to assert influence.
* **Psychological Tactic**: Social Engineering Reinforces his indispensability to the community.
* **Message (Unknown Date)**:
* **Content**: “Actually when legal matters get involved, thats not something the bylaws have control over, its getting into legal territory beyond ourselves.”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody discusses governance issues, positioning himself as knowledgeable about legal boundaries (page 125).
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Authority Posturing Uses legalistic reasoning to assert dominance.
* **Psychological Tactic**: Narrative Control Shapes the discussion to favor his interpretation of bylaws.
* **Message (Unknown Date)**:
* **Content**: “Theyve made plenty of statements that PureTax has greenlit it.”
* **Speaker**: Andrew LeCody (@aceat64)
* **Context**: LeCody defends board actions related to PureTax, a tax resolution firm, amid controversy over a 2019 ban (page 135).
* **Rhetorical Strategy**: Authority Posturing Cites external validation (PureTax) to bolster the boards position.
* **Psychological Tactic**: Narrative Control Selectively presents information to support his narrative.
**Analytical Summary**
The dataset reveals a consistent pattern of rhetorical and psychological tactics in Andrew LeCodys Discord communications. LeCody frequently employs **Deflection** and **Rhetorical Overkill** to redirect criticism to past boards or unrelated issues, as seen in his responses to Dracos governance critiques (e.g., messages 912). His use of **Dismissive Language** and **Gaslighting** is evident in interactions with Mark Randall Havens, where he trivializes serious accusations as “conspiracy theories” or “fun” thought experiments (e.g., messages 16). **Moral High Ground Play** and **DARVO** tactics are prominent in his framing of critics as guilty or irrational while positioning himself as a victim or ethical leader (e.g., messages 78, 15). **Technical Expertise** and **Authority Posturing** are used strategically to reinforce his indispensability, particularly in neutral contexts like the battery project post (message 17), which Havens interprets as a distraction from controversy. **Narrative Control** and **Social Engineering** underpin his efforts to shape discussions and maintain influence, often through selective disclosure and alliance-building (e.g., messages 1820).
**Limitations**
* **Incomplete Timestamps**: Some messages lack precise timestamps (e.g., “July 2020”), limiting temporal analysis. Approximate dates were inferred from context, but future access to the full DMS dataset could resolve this.
* **Source Constraints**: The dataset relies on the provided document, which does not include the full 2019 ban thread or complete Discord dataset. This limits the scope of analysis to Havens curated excerpts.
* **Subjectivity in Coding**: While grounded in Havens analysis and validated against psychological literature, the categorization of rhetorical and psychological tactics involves interpretive judgment. The codebook mitigates this by providing clear definitions.
* **Access to Raw Data**: The original DMS Discord dataset is not publicly accessible, requiring researchers to rely on Havens document or seek direct access from DMS administrators.
**Usage Guidelines**
* **Academic Use**: This dataset is suitable for research in linguistics, psychology, or sociology, particularly studies of manipulative communication in online communities. It can support qualitative analyses of rhetorical strategies or quantitative studies of tactic frequency.
* **Citation**: Cite as: Havens, M.R. (2025). *Linguistic and Rhetorical Patterns of Andrew LeCody in Dallas Makerspace Discord Communications*. Neutralizing Narcissism. Derived from *Preliminary Digital Forensic Analysis of Andrew LeCodys Manipulative Behavioral Patterns in Online Discourse*.
* **Ethical Use**: Researchers must focus on communication patterns and avoid personal judgments or harm to individuals. The dataset should be used to advance understanding of online discourse, not to target specific persons.
**Supplementary Materials**
* **Reference Links**: The primary source is Havens Substack post [(https://neutralizingnarcissism.substack.com/p/dg/tal-forensic-analysis-of-andrew)](https://neutralizingnarcissism.substack.com/p/dg/tal-forensic-analysis-of-andrew). Archived DMS forum threads, if available, should be consulted for raw data.
* **Codebook**: The provided definitions of rhetorical strategies and psychological tactics are available for replication. A detailed codebook with literature references (e.g., Freyd, 1997; Stern, 2007\) can be requested from Neutralizing Narcissism.
* **Data Availability**: The dataset is limited to the documents excerpts. Researchers seeking the full DMS Discord dataset should contact Dallas Makerspace administrators or refer to public archives, if available.
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