Back in the day, I saw a number of online communities be ruined by trolls. People with emotional defects wrecking things for no reason. Engaging with them was frustrating, and caused many valuable people to stop participating. Trolls were easy to spot, not intellectually capable, and the creation of newer moderated communities mostly solved that problem.
Over the course of the past 5-10 years, community ruining toxic trolls have been replaced by community ruining marketers. Engaging with them is similarly frustrating, but they are harder to spot and the good ones are intellectually sophisticated.
Moderation helps, but it does not cure. I wonder if the aggravation caused by marketeers causes people, valuable people like Durante, to pull back and eventually leave like trolls used to do in the past. I read a couple of Durante's posts about how the revealing of the viral marketers had made him angry and uncomfortable, which is a feeling I know. Aggravation and frustration leads to 'why bother' before long.
On the gaming side, I've noticed only two companies that engage in this behaviour in an obvious way: Microsoft and Square. I'm not saying, they are the only companies, just the obvious ones. Windows 8 threads are insufferable, I can't be bothered with those anymore. The Tomb Raider thread was likewise terrible, with Harlequin wrecking conversations.
Oh, and MS is a huge user of Astroturfing, as is Bill Gates personally. Public opinion is just another tool to be used, regardless of any negative collateral damage. Some more random links:
Microsoft and Nokia Caught AstroTurfing, Abusing/Attacking Genuine Posters
1/3 of Onlie Reviews are Fake (ny times)
Astroturfing Antitrust: How Microsoft is Crafting the Grassroots Case Against Google
Microsoft lobbying campaign backfires; even dead people write in support of firm
FUD
If anyone wants me to add some links, I will.
TLDR: Viral markets wreck forums and comments sections. :sadface:
PS Not in anyway gaming related, but this serves as a good example of just what lengths PR firms will go to for their clients:
Over the course of the past 5-10 years, community ruining toxic trolls have been replaced by community ruining marketers. Engaging with them is similarly frustrating, but they are harder to spot and the good ones are intellectually sophisticated.
Moderation helps, but it does not cure. I wonder if the aggravation caused by marketeers causes people, valuable people like Durante, to pull back and eventually leave like trolls used to do in the past. I read a couple of Durante's posts about how the revealing of the viral marketers had made him angry and uncomfortable, which is a feeling I know. Aggravation and frustration leads to 'why bother' before long.
On the gaming side, I've noticed only two companies that engage in this behaviour in an obvious way: Microsoft and Square. I'm not saying, they are the only companies, just the obvious ones. Windows 8 threads are insufferable, I can't be bothered with those anymore. The Tomb Raider thread was likewise terrible, with Harlequin wrecking conversations.
Oh, and MS is a huge user of Astroturfing, as is Bill Gates personally. Public opinion is just another tool to be used, regardless of any negative collateral damage. Some more random links:
Microsoft and Nokia Caught AstroTurfing, Abusing/Attacking Genuine Posters
1/3 of Onlie Reviews are Fake (ny times)
Astroturfing Antitrust: How Microsoft is Crafting the Grassroots Case Against Google
Microsoft lobbying campaign backfires; even dead people write in support of firm
FUD
If anyone wants me to add some links, I will.
TLDR: Viral markets wreck forums and comments sections. :sadface:
PS Not in anyway gaming related, but this serves as a good example of just what lengths PR firms will go to for their clients:
Toxic Sludge is Good For You: Lies said:
