3 ms·

> Companies do actually employ shills to go on forums and try to sway public opinion I'm inclined to believe you, but sources please. Especially interested if

> Companies do actually employ shills to go on forums and try to sway public opinion I'm inclined to believe you, but sources please. Especially interested if you (or anyone) have anything on Google in this respect.

cheschire 7y ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/shills/ https://www.reddit.com/r/shills/ It's not going to be entirely legitimate but there's going to be some eye opening items in there for you I suspect.
- mffnbs 7y ago
  Reddit investigators are not sources.
- caiocaiocaio 7y ago
  Remember when Reddit investigated the Boston Marathon bombing and discovered that it was Sunil Tripathi? And then Mr. Tripathi went missing and his body was discovered several weeks later? Thank God we have Redditors to break the case.
  - targonca 7y ago
    >And then Mr. Tripathi went missing False. He went missing a month before the bombings: >Soon after, another redditor named Sunil as a plausible suspect after asserting a resemblance between the suspects in the FBI's pictures and Sunil, who had gone missing a month before the bombings. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunil_Tripathi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunil_Tripathi
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
prophesi 7y ago
Not exactly a company, but if https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party is a thing, I can't imagine that it's not also happening in a corporate context.
dredmorbius 7y ago
The Microsoft v. Novell case documented numerous examples and instances of a specific FUD campaign. The book Merchants of Doubt highlights the practice across decades and industries. Ralph Nader was subject to corporate smear tactics and surveillance in the 1970s. The idea that companies would suddenly stop using these tactics the moment they become divinely powerful defies all reason. Reddit's /r/shills and /r/HailCorporate highlight some modern instances.
oarsinsync 7y ago
Amazon employees what it calls "FC Ambassadors". These people have openly admitted that they are paid by the hour to tweet about the company[0]. Full thread in a nicely readable format at https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2019/08/15/amazon-ambassadors-takedown-hilarious-terrifying-equal/ https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2019/08/15/amazon-ambassadors-take... [0] https://twitter.com/rulesObeyer/status/1161758672973811712 https://twitter.com/rulesObeyer/status/1161758672973811712
ColanR 7y ago
Monsanto is a good example. Paid internet shills: https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/monsanto-paid-internet-trolls/ https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/monsanto-paid-internet-trolls.... Influenced research about its Roundup products: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/01/business/monsantos-sway-over-research-is-seen-in-disclosed-emails.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/01/business/monsantos-sway-o....

cheschire 7y ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/shills/ https://www.reddit.com/r/shills/ It's not going to be entirely legitimate but there's going to be some eye opening items in there for you I suspect.

mffnbs 7y ago
Reddit investigators are not sources.
caiocaiocaio 7y ago
Remember when Reddit investigated the Boston Marathon bombing and discovered that it was Sunil Tripathi? And then Mr. Tripathi went missing and his body was discovered several weeks later? Thank God we have Redditors to break the case.
- targonca 7y ago
  >And then Mr. Tripathi went missing False. He went missing a month before the bombings: >Soon after, another redditor named Sunil as a plausible suspect after asserting a resemblance between the suspects in the FBI's pictures and Sunil, who had gone missing a month before the bombings. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunil_Tripathi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunil_Tripathi
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]

prophesi 7y ago

Not exactly a company, but if https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party is a thing, I can't imagine that it's not also happening in a corporate context.

dredmorbius 7y ago

The Microsoft v. Novell case documented numerous examples and instances of a specific FUD campaign. The book Merchants of Doubt highlights the practice across decades and industries. Ralph Nader was subject to corporate smear tactics and surveillance in the 1970s. The idea that companies would suddenly stop using these tactics the moment they become divinely powerful defies all reason. Reddit's /r/shills and /r/HailCorporate highlight some modern instances.

oarsinsync 7y ago

Amazon employees what it calls "FC Ambassadors". These people have openly admitted that they are paid by the hour to tweet about the company[0]. Full thread in a nicely readable format at https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2019/08/15/amazon-ambassadors-takedown-hilarious-terrifying-equal/ https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2019/08/15/amazon-ambassadors-take... [0] https://twitter.com/rulesObeyer/status/1161758672973811712 https://twitter.com/rulesObeyer/status/1161758672973811712

ColanR 7y ago

Monsanto is a good example. Paid internet shills: https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/monsanto-paid-internet-trolls/ https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/monsanto-paid-internet-trolls.... Influenced research about its Roundup products: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/01/business/monsantos-sway-over-research-is-seen-in-disclosed-emails.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/01/business/monsantos-sway-o....