> "Manipulative" is carrying a lot of work in this discussion though. Yeah, that's a very fair criticism. I'm struggling to find internally-consistent definiti

> "Manipulative" is carrying a lot of work in this discussion though. Yeah, that's a very fair criticism. I'm struggling to find internally-consistent definitions that simultaneously: * Allow small creators to talk about their work, while condemning large corporations that try to instill demand or desire where none would previously have existed * Allow fans of a product to (spontaneously, without incentive) talk about the product If you simply condemn any creator _ever_ talking about their work (and only permit fans/consumers, without incentive, to offer reviews), then that makes it nigh-impossible for anyone to discover new products. If you condemn only paid advertising (which would allow small creators to blog, to provide demos, etc.), then that unfairly advantages megacorporations who can advertize "for free" by utilizing their other properties.