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Samsung agency is buying off StackOverflow users

delyan.me

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Re: Samsung agency is buying off StackOverflow users

#101

Post by darkchasma »

ksec wrote: post #85
natch wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? Come on. To be fair, since the immediate comparison that jumps to mind is between Samsung and Apple, let's put it right on the table: I don't think Apple does this.

I am sorry if this comment spark off any other pointless debate and argument or offended any Apple Fan boys or Samsung Fan boys. But the truth is, pretty much every company does this.. except Apple. Ans Samsung are at the top of this game. They are number 1 in spending on advertising and they spend double the advertising budget compared to 2nd in place. ( And their Rate are pretty awesome too compared to others ) You…

If you don't write favorably about Apple, then they don't invite you to the press releases. So their hands are no cleaner, just far more transparent and public.

Re: Samsung agency is buying off StackOverflow users

#102

Post by mwfunk »

I really hate the practice of astroturfing, but what's even more annoying is when someone accuses someone else of doing it in an online forum. For every time someone maybe, possibly legitimately calls someone out for being an astroturfer, it seems like there are 100 or 1000 instances of someone doing it just because they disagree with what the other person is saying, and they're too immature or whatever to realize that reasonable people can come to different conclusions about things without one person being paid to do so.

Astroturfing is one of those things that by itself probably has limited impact, but a much worse side effect: fueling paranoia in online communities and giving dumb people one more tool in their flamewar toolbox.

Re: Samsung agency is buying off StackOverflow users

#103

Post by bdcravens »

GrinningFool wrote: post #89
damoncali wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've gotten brisket in the mail. It is surprisingly good considering it was shipped accross the country. http://www.rudysbbq.com/store/c-10-smoked-meats.aspx

Came across Rudy's during a visit to TX a few years back. Last year I finally ordered one of their briskets shipped - it was nearly as good delivered. (Even as the last of its dry ice evaporated upon arrival.)

I suppose it's appropriate to rub in the fact that there's a Rudy's 10 minutes from my house. What you call a special occasion, I call lunch :-)

Re: Samsung agency is buying off StackOverflow users

#106

Post by rsynnott »

ksec wrote: post #85
natch wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? Come on. To be fair, since the immediate comparison that jumps to mind is between Samsung and Apple, let's put it right on the table: I don't think Apple does this.

I am sorry if this comment spark off any other pointless debate and argument or offended any Apple Fan boys or Samsung Fan boys. But the truth is, pretty much every company does this.. except Apple. Ans Samsung are at the top of this game. They are number 1 in spending on advertising and they spend double the advertising budget compared to 2nd in place. ( And their Rate are pretty awesome too compared to others ) You…

Samsung _advertise_ a lot. That doesn't mean you'd expect them to astroturf; it's an illicit practice in many countries.

Re: Samsung agency is buying off StackOverflow users

#107

Post by rsynnott »

petenixey wrote: post #78

Why is this so bad? Samsung know that developers are the key to apps and so they go to help promote them by getting questions asked on Stack Overflow. They didn't specify exactly what the questions should be, they didn't say that they had to link to a particular site. I often hear devs bemoan the fact that the OS/hardware combo they love isn't used by anyone and how despite the fact that it's THE best platform/hardwa…

This is astroturfing; that is, a form of marketing where the advertisement is disguised as natural behaviour. Most countries have laws to limit or ban it. It's not normally considered legitimate marketing.

Samsung was recently fined by Taiwanese authorities for an astroturfing campaign there, though, so it's not like it's new.

Re: Samsung agency is buying off StackOverflow users

#108

Post by drzaiusapelord »

ebbv wrote: post #43

Anyone who finds this shocking, I have news for you; every large company has been and is doing this type of astroturfing all over the internet for well over a decade now. I guess it can be surprising when you get asked to participate in it directly, but every type of site that's driven by "the public" (Slashdot, Digg, reddit, Twitter, Stack Overflow, etc.) is going to be a target for this type of activity. It's usual…

Except those sites are driven by votes and comments float to the top via lots of anonymous voting. Which is both a boon and a bane. It helps drown out the crap but also helps to promote idiotic groupthink and censor dissent.

Re: Samsung agency is buying off StackOverflow users

#109

Post by rsynnott »

_pmf_ wrote: post #27

What's up with the blatant Samsung bashing recently? Does Apple have to fall back on these kinds of tricks?

Sorry, pointing out Samsung's use of unethical marketing is "bashing"? What?

> Does Apple have to fall back on these kinds of tricks?

Are you suggesting that Apple is pretending to be Samsung and soliciting shills? That's impressively tinfoil-hat-y, especially given that Samsung has been caught practicing questionable marketing techniques before (http://www.techspot.com/news/52274-samsung-admits-to-posting..., http://brianford.newsvine.com/_news/2012/08/12/13234078-sams..., http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/samsung-sor...)

Re: Samsung agency is buying off StackOverflow users

#110

Post by rweba »

What is so difficult about promoting it via the usual channels? Advertisements, (legitimate) posts on appropriate forums, mailing lists, blogs, etc. Assuming they are presenting an attractive value proposition I don't see why it would be hard to get the message to the right people without resorting to this kind of thing.

This subterfuge only seems to make sense if what you are promoting fundamentally sucks or if you have a very limited budget.

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