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I don't think this is accurate. People call out astroturfing, sure. But when do they call it out? When it's obvious.

by klodolph 4y ago

rchaud 4y ago
Sometimes the callouts won't be apparent. Someone will PM the moderator, the mod will review and remove that post.
rockostrich 4y ago
Obviously, I only have anecdotal evidence. But I see it regularly happen on the subreddits I'm a part of.
- klodolph 4y ago
  Equally anecdotal--I've seen lots of examples of astroturfing that hasn't been caught. People who run social media marketing accounts have occasionally explained exactly how they create their marketing accounts and how they make marketing posts. The account will have legitimate Reddit activity--basically, because somebody will be using it as a personal account. And when someone asks for recommendations for hiking boots or whatever? "I've been using X for a while now, they seem pretty reliable." Anyone looking at the comment history or post history will see what looks like a normal Reddit account. How much of the astroturfing is called out? 10%? 90%? Certainly nobody thinks it's 100%...
  - JohnBooty 4y ago
    The account will have legitimate Reddit activity--basically, because somebody will be using it as a personal account. And when someone asks for recommendations for hiking boots or whatever? "I've been using X for a while now, they seem pretty reliable." This would definitely work, but it seems like a large amount of work for a single organic-looking "I've been using X for a while now, they seem pretty reliable" post.
  - mox1 4y ago
    But at what point is "marketing" just engaging with the community? If you go out and develop a suberb product that some niche reddit community might love, you post it...and they like it... OK, good for you? What I am saying is, if your product / marketing is sooo good that it passes the smell test of the relevant subreddits..maybe your not shilling / astroturfing but helping? Similar to how a lot of SEO advise is: "Create good content". Where is the line here?
    - tapland 4y ago
      Just like it's really helpful for a waiter at a restaurant to suggest you get the <product with largest margin that is about to expire> if they, without you knowing, get a cut of the savings for doing so! How great
mox1 4y ago
If you are a member of these forums over time you see the same products / etc. get recommended. For example, the /r/coffee forum always recommends 1-3 particular espresso machines. People are posting hacks where they add arduinos, etc. to control it better. There are github repos to describe all of this. Either its an incredibly elaborate marketing ploy (to sell a couple more $500 espresso machines..) or its organic content. Also, redditers are incredibly harsh when shilling, etc. is discovered. In the /r/diablo2 forums, a moderator started a Discord for everyone (to play and trade items for Diablo2 Resurrected). He posted an ad (in the Discord) for a site to buy items (frowned upon in /r/diablo2). Redditors did a thorough investigation and kicked this guy out of the sub. So his $100 of profit from that ad lost him a moderator spot and his Discord community. The risk/reward of sneaky marketing on Reddit is just not there (for many scenarios, I'm sure it still happens sometimes).
- stiltzkin 4y ago
  > redditers are incredibly harsh when shilling, etc. is discovered. Ehhh that depends the subreddit, big corporate products as Disney are highly astroturfed and get downvoted in to oblivion if you call them out. That's why you see alternate subreddit as r/saltierthancrait and r/freefolk. Their astroturfing gets more agresive as they lurk and comments on those subreddits too.

I don't think this is accurate. People call out astroturfing, sure. But when do they call it out? When it's obvious.

rchaud 4y ago

Sometimes the callouts won't be apparent. Someone will PM the moderator, the mod will review and remove that post.

rockostrich 4y ago

Obviously, I only have anecdotal evidence. But I see it regularly happen on the subreddits I'm a part of.

klodolph 4y ago
Equally anecdotal--I've seen lots of examples of astroturfing that hasn't been caught. People who run social media marketing accounts have occasionally explained exactly how they create their marketing accounts and how they make marketing posts. The account will have legitimate Reddit activity--basically, because somebody will be using it as a personal account. And when someone asks for recommendations for hiking boots or whatever? "I've been using X for a while now, they seem pretty reliable." Anyone looking at the comment history or post history will see what looks like a normal Reddit account. How much of the astroturfing is called out? 10%? 90%? Certainly nobody thinks it's 100%...
- JohnBooty 4y ago
  The account will have legitimate Reddit activity--basically, because somebody will be using it as a personal account. And when someone asks for recommendations for hiking boots or whatever? "I've been using X for a while now, they seem pretty reliable." This would definitely work, but it seems like a large amount of work for a single organic-looking "I've been using X for a while now, they seem pretty reliable" post.
- mox1 4y ago
  But at what point is "marketing" just engaging with the community? If you go out and develop a suberb product that some niche reddit community might love, you post it...and they like it... OK, good for you? What I am saying is, if your product / marketing is sooo good that it passes the smell test of the relevant subreddits..maybe your not shilling / astroturfing but helping? Similar to how a lot of SEO advise is: "Create good content". Where is the line here?
  - tapland 4y ago
    Just like it's really helpful for a waiter at a restaurant to suggest you get the <product with largest margin that is about to expire> if they, without you knowing, get a cut of the savings for doing so! How great

mox1 4y ago

If you are a member of these forums over time you see the same products / etc. get recommended. For example, the /r/coffee forum always recommends 1-3 particular espresso machines. People are posting hacks where they add arduinos, etc. to control it better. There are github repos to describe all of this. Either its an incredibly elaborate marketing ploy (to sell a couple more $500 espresso machines..) or its organic content. Also, redditers are incredibly harsh when shilling, etc. is discovered. In the /r/diablo2 forums, a moderator started a Discord for everyone (to play and trade items for Diablo2 Resurrected). He posted an ad (in the Discord) for a site to buy items (frowned upon in /r/diablo2). Redditors did a thorough investigation and kicked this guy out of the sub. So his $100 of profit from that ad lost him a moderator spot and his Discord community. The risk/reward of sneaky marketing on Reddit is just not there (for many scenarios, I'm sure it still happens sometimes).

stiltzkin 4y ago
> redditers are incredibly harsh when shilling, etc. is discovered. Ehhh that depends the subreddit, big corporate products as Disney are highly astroturfed and get downvoted in to oblivion if you call them out. That's why you see alternate subreddit as r/saltierthancrait and r/freefolk. Their astroturfing gets more agresive as they lurk and comments on those subreddits too.