● 07.16.09
●● Microsoft Propaganda (PR), Embargo, and New Convictions for AstroTurfing
Posted in Fraud, Marketing, Microsoft, Office Suites at 3:42 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: Microsoft manages the press in order to hype up Office 2010 and it can be fined severely for AstroTurfing now that laws and enforcement are in place
AS WE pointed out some days ago, Microsoft is likely to be breaking the law when it sends full-time workers to promote Microsoft products in other people's blogs, without disclosure. As the links at the bottom show, our encounter is not an isolated incident and as part of “perception management” [1, 2] Microsoft is looking to control how journalists cover Office 2010. It uses embargoes to limit what they know about the product and how it gets covered. One person spilled the beans on what Microsoft did for Office 2010 coverage.
Well, perhaps. It’s only Office, after all. But then the official Microsoft twitter account @MicrosoftEMEA twittered a link – with a smiley – to the embargo breaker’s copy. A hack twittered back, saying “Thanks for applauding someone breaking the embargo” only to get a direct message saying “I’m not sure if you taking the Michael? :)”. A similar tweet from me got a “me, “official”,??? I couldn’t possible endorse that kind of behaviour.”Hard to see as MS holding up its end of the embargo deal.
Yes.
Witness how to the so-called “reliable press” actually works. It is an orgy of influence, selling people “perception” (or selling privileged audiences to corporations). That would be Microsoft's PR department. Returning to the subject of illegal AstroTurfing, according to the following report (there are many others), Microsoft can probably be fined millions or even billions for its practices.
The online journal gave a chatty account of a problem-free face lift. “You will never regret it,” the patient wrote.But the seemingly satisfied customer actually was an employee of the firm behind the Lifestyle Lift, writing as part of a company campaign to plant plugs for the procedure online, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said in announcing a $300,000 settlement with the company Tuesday.His office said the settlement appeared to be one of the first to address so-called astroturf marketing, or creating a bogus grassroots buzz about a product.
People should complain about Microsoft because it is doing the same thing at a massive scale and there is plenty of evidence. Andrew Cuomo may be known for his anti-USENET stance, but he would at least be valuable if he could also put an end to Microsoft AstroTrufing (or “astroturf marketing” as the article above calls it… our server administrator calls it “Internet Astroturfer”). █
Related:
LawMedia Group May be Another Confirmed Microsoft AstroTurfing AgencyThe Microsoft Connection with Dewey Square Group and DCI/New MediaMicrosoft ‘Bribes’ Mac Bloggers to Slam Apple, Gartner Hosts Google FUDMicrosoft, TCS, DCI, Edelman, and Those Fake Letters About IP/SCO/MonopolyJames Plamondon: Microsoft GuerrillaFullSIX and Mr. Youth LLC May Be Ruining the Web (AstroTurfing) on Microsoft’s BehalfMicrosoft: 800 lb. GuerrillaAstroturfing Examples: Learning How Microsoft Tames the InternetWaggener Edstrom, Maureen O’Gara and Other Microsoft ShillsPartial Index: Summary of Bribed Sites, Journalists, and Bloggers (Vista 7)Waggener-Edstrom Behind the 2008 Laptop Bribes, Edelman Behind 2006′sManipulation, Astroturfing, and What Governments Can DoBeware the OOXML AstroTurfer: “The Wraith”, “multivac1”, “hAl”, Among Other NymsMicrosoft May Have Bribed India for OOXML PressureMicrosoft Has Been Rigging Votes/Polls for AgesGary M. Stewart (aka “Flatfish”) About Microsoft AstroTurfing: “It’s made me A LOT of money….”Former Microsoft Shill Openly Confesses, Alleges Microsoft Still Does ThisRespecting AstroTurfers?Some New (But Very Old) Microsoft AstroTurfing ExamplesJoe Barr, Linux.com Editor – My ObituaryJoe Barr Knew Microsoft’s Tactics All Too Well66 Pages of Microsoft EvilnessAnother AstroTurf Scam Exposed?Quick Mention: Sony is AstroTurfing, Just Like MicrosoftMemo to Novell: Leave YouTube AloneMicrosoft Blast from the Past: Ads Banned for Spurring ViolenceIs YouTube’s “NovellVideo” a Novell AstroTurfer?Microsoft/Munchkin ‘Breaks’ the Web to Break Open Document Standards (Again)Rob Enderle Guarantees “Amazing Numbers”, Show E-mails to MicrosoftMicrosoft Agents from Waggener Edstrom Airbrush Wikipedia, Glorify PaymasterMicrosoft Unleashes Proxies at Journalists to Defend Vulnerable VistaMicrosoft’s OOXML Viral Marketing Reaches YouTube
“I’m a huge fan of guerrilla marketing.”
–Joe Wilcox, Microsoft Fan
Share in other sites/networks: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Permalink Send this to a friend
----------
➮ Sharing is caring. Content is available under CC-BY-SA.