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Redditor claims MS employees monitoring Reddit; making positive posts about the Xbox1
- Thread starter zakislam
- Start date
It's good people are at least wising up to this a little bit, even if it's at the cost of falsely accusing some people.
We all know viral marketing isn't anything new, but anyone who thinks this should be an acceptable practice is misguided.
When I go onto an internet forum, I'm hoping to have an honest and reasonable discussion about the topic at hand. I'm posting and replying to other people as if they are being serious (although with the widespread knowledge of trolls many posters will be skeptical of certain posts). I'm writing my honest opinions and I'm considering what are supposed to be the honest opinions of others.
If you can't see why having people post completely biased and misleading opinions on a topic, not even because they actually believe them but because they're PAID to, could damage the integrity of discussion and community on an internet forum then I don't know what you come to forums for.
We all know viral marketing isn't anything new, but anyone who thinks this should be an acceptable practice is misguided.
When I go onto an internet forum, I'm hoping to have an honest and reasonable discussion about the topic at hand. I'm posting and replying to other people as if they are being serious (although with the widespread knowledge of trolls many posters will be skeptical of certain posts). I'm writing my honest opinions and I'm considering what are supposed to be the honest opinions of others.
If you can't see why having people post completely biased and misleading opinions on a topic, not even because they actually believe them but because they're PAID to, could damage the integrity of discussion and community on an internet forum then I don't know what you come to forums for.
Tyrant Rave
Banned
Not surprising at all.
Zabant
Member
They do, back in 09' when I browsed /v/ there were multiple "tell all" posts from marketers complete with evidence that they had been paid to swing threads a certain direction after their job had been finished. Turns out they felt they could come clean and were guilty after the fact, that's what you get when it's an anonymous imageboard I guess.
The reason I stopped visiting was when these marketers became apparent, no discussion could ever take place without someone who disagreed with an opinion shouting "VIRAL"
Metalmurphy
Member
This story reads like it never happened.
Aquamarine
Member
Many people define their opinions on a product based on consumer sentiment.
By paying people to generate artificial positivity for the system, Microsoft is clearly deceiving people by trying to falsify reaction to it.
All of that energy that could have been used to make their product pro-consumer is now being spent trying to deceive ignorant people.
Not only is doing stuff like this harming their reputation when they get caught, but anyone who genuinely defends the XBone is going to be accused of being a shill and their opinions dismissed and arguments thrown out. It's crazy how much Microsoft is digging this hole while Sony just keeps quiet and looks better by comparison. Strange times.
A Sentient Keyboard
Member
Okay, so how do we know this is not just a fabricated story to provide another argument for use in console wars?
Example:
'I like the Xbone.'
'You are on MS's payroll, I can disregard anything you say.'
Playing the devil's advocate here, but this could easily turn into a witchhunt. There is nothing the accused can say to prove they are innocent.
Example:
'I like the Xbone.'
'You are on MS's payroll, I can disregard anything you say.'
Playing the devil's advocate here, but this could easily turn into a witchhunt. There is nothing the accused can say to prove they are innocent.
Please don't accuse me of reputation managing D:
Coolbgdog12
Member
Doesn't matter how good they spin this, the facts speak for themselves.
No sense in trying to be sleazy about it, the stuff people are speaking out against came from the horse's mouth.
No sense in trying to be sleazy about it, the stuff people are speaking out against came from the horse's mouth.
scar tissue
Banned
Sounds like something a corporate shill would say.
I totally agree. Nothing new, nothing to get mad about. Ban them when they rear their ugly heads and be done with it.
Aquamarine
Member
We don't have any proof. Many times, when a piece of negativity comes out that supports your side in an argument, you tend to support it without proof.
But regardless if this particular story is true, it's just common sense to think that Microsoft would be hiring people to make positive posts about the Xbox One. It's quite a common strategy and employed by a good amount of companies.
Even GAF has been confirmed to be a victim of these strategies.
mugoldeneagle03
Member
I'm like 40 posts away
On topic, how much worse can it get for Microsoft...honestly...The more information we've got the worse it gets. Not good.
crooked spin
Member
This is gonna end up like that scene in The Thing where they go around the room testing each other's blood...
Hari Seldon
Member
This is MS. Make a shitty anti-consumer product like Win8 and xbone, spend insane money tricking people into buying it.
digoutyoursoul
Member
You know something is wrong when you have to get people to post positive comments on social networks
badcrumble
Member
I hope and expect that the NeoGAF mods, at least, would clamp down extremely fucking hard on witch-hunting. And they generally do heavily discourage (via banning, if I recall correctly) unfounded accusations of being viral marketers (just as they ban people if it's confirmed that they are viral marketers).
In the short term, though, E3 season is already guaranteed to be incredibly ugly, so a heavy amount of forum acrimony can be expected for about the next two weeks at least. Expect the same when sales reports start trickling out this fall.
I believe it.. this is the world we live in, where people need internet opinion to form their own opinions, making it a very effective way of dealing with vocal minorities.
I would assume they are all at it though..
Be nice if GAF had of released the e-mail / username list, that would have allowed us to see which companies where behind it all..
I would assume they are all at it though..
Be nice if GAF had of released the e-mail / username list, that would have allowed us to see which companies where behind it all..
ambientmystic
Member
Fantasia? I think some of these are satire.
wastewater
Neo Member
Aww shit i'm a new junior, have i mentioned how shit the xbone is? no? well, it's shit. Y'know how some things are so bad they're kinda good? This is just shit.
It's misleading. It's like embedding an article in the New York Times supporting something without disclosing that you work for the company you are championing. It's sleazy.
can't tell if it's just a deluded fanboy or a corporate shill...maybe both?
scrapplejoe
Banned
Looks like Sony has it's reputation marketers working overtime right now at reddit:
http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming
http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming
Zombie James
Banned
Did he just claim Madden and CoD as XBONE exclusives?
D
Deleted member 8095
Unconfirmed Member
B-b-b-but my favorite corporation would never do this. They aren't in it for money, they just love video games.
Edit: it happens and it's annoying as hell.
Edit: it happens and it's annoying as hell.
It's good to remember now and then that some of the people supporting this nonsense are paid.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, wow, this one's not even trying
JetBlackPanda
Member
Wii U anyone??
ZombiePlatypus
Member
No, no. Let's give the benefit of the doubt to the company that has made all the wrong decisions instead.
ambientmystic
Member
I once proposed that we should identify,tag and then let those shills run free to post on GAF for our amusement.
demosthenes
Member
Madden and COD exclusive to XB1!!
I'm not justifying the act, I agree that it's pretty sleazy. Just saying that it's common practice among most companies and nothing new, not Microsoft being the sole big bad villian.
Is that real? Hilarious.
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