On the Internet everyone can hear you Wilhelm scream

[fingertrouble]

I find this quite funny - not so much the 'expose' as the 'shocked' comments from people saying HOW DARE YOU fake arguments and posts - wake up call, the internet is not the ivory academic tower it never was; it's full of commercial interests and if you don't look behind every  'controversy' for the strings not only are you roadkill, you probably believe the likes of Blair and Bush are always telling the truth and are actually really nice guys.

I read that list and apart from the paid-for-blog, which he did flag as being slightly dodge, it seemed fair enough and happens quite often with names many of you'd recognise. I wish people would open their eyes and stop thinking the Net is full of innocent happy campers with no agendas - everyone has one. This idea that communities are somehow inviolate and protected is idealistic at best, you can't control or protect them, best to arm people with scepticism and questioning about why things are posted, from viral campaigns to The Times.

Comments

[viridescence]

I can't believe that people are shocked by this. Are they really that naive? Maybe it's because I'm generally very skeptical anyway (and because I worked for a website with video content), but this isn't even news to me.

[djmadadam.livejournal.com]

And, that includes LJ communities, as well. I mean, myself included, WHO would create and moderate an LJ community if he did not have some sort of ulterior motive or perceived benefit from doing so? Some of the benefits are for everyone, and some of them are exclusively for those "in charge".

[djmadadam.livejournal.com]

But, I would so tackle Dan Ackerman-Greenberg and rim him.