It's interesting to note, though, that when those claims were first being made, it was by the con-artists who are in the "chem"trail hysteria "business", in order to keep it going. They resort to any number of lies and manipulations, in order to promote this scam, for their own personal benefit.
This got My attention. What is the motivation behind keeping the conspiracy going, if not to discredit conspiracy theorists and make them seem 'nutty'? Really. If what You say is true, they fed the rumour, then debunked it? Is this to deliberately discredit conspiracy theories? What other motivation would there be?
This is interesting. I recognize some of what I wrote, there. YOUR portion, I will re-quote below, for clarity:
This got My attention. What is the motivation behind keeping the conspiracy going, if not to discredit conspiracy theorists and make them seem 'nutty'? Really. If what You say is true, they fed the rumour, then debunked it? Is this to deliberately discredit conspiracy theories? What other motivation would there be?
You seem to be trying to say that there are active 'de-bunkers' acting as (the current Internet term is "POE")...as "poes" on the Internet, in order to discredit (as you call them) "conspiracy theorists"? Well....I'd say that conspiracy theorists discredit themselves quite well already, without any help needed!
I say this from some practice engaging with many such "theorists", on a variety of topics...topics which I either know already a LOT about (like aviation), or that I was already keen on (like Apollo, for example). I learn a LOT every time, as I learn how to better present the science, the rationality, the common sense reasoning.
AS TO the, as you asked, "other motivations"? There are at least two (possibly three) that I can think of, off hand.
1} Those who continue to promote this scam, this hoax of "chem"trails do so knowingly, and in full knowledge that they are "selling" a lie. This helps to perpetuate a, as I called it, "business" that involves the selling of books, and videos....for profit;
2} Those who are employed tangentially with #1, above, to act as agents, as "shills" if you please;
3} Those who are the "targets" of #! & #2 above...who are the "marks", the gullible, the "fish". This facet of society
includes those who truly are fooled, and through no fault of their own, are victims of this HOAX.
Hoaxes and scams exist everywhere, not only today, but are part of history. Think of the nonsense of "Seances", popular in the early 20th century (and that Harry Houdini campaigned against, until his death). In fact, speaking of Houdini...it is often true that those most skilled in the art of "fooling an audience" know very, very well how to spot the deceptions mounted by others, even if in unrelated fields. There are many, many more examples of Human capacity to be fooled, to be gullible, to simply "believe" what they are told, without taking time to critically examine it. I daresay..."religion" is one of the most egregious examples, but this begins to stray off-topic, and more to my personal convictions...and best discussed on the many forums devoted to it. Still, it is an aspect of Human nature...'gullibility', that is....and is undeniable.