Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#1

Post by alok-g » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 7:56 PM UTC

Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web
techspot.com

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#2

Post by umsm » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 8:44 PM UTC

It's sad that samsung would do this... Is it commonplace for companies to do this?

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#3

Post by orangethirty » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 8:48 PM UTC

umsm wrote: post #2

It's sad that samsung would do this... Is it commonplace for companies to do this?

More than you think.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#4

Post by hosay123 » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 8:53 PM UTC

umsm wrote: post #2

It's sad that samsung would do this... Is it commonplace for companies to do this?

You decide.. https://news.ycombinator.com/submitted?id=infoman

The domain was registered one day after the HN account was registered, first post wasn't made for 14 days (aka. when the username no longer appears in green). In his defence, if he is a shill, he's not very good at it.

Edit: hnsearch picked up a hellbanned post (it should appear on the front page, but it doesn't) at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5567259 that mentions a couple more accounts

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#5

Post by Geee » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 8:57 PM UTC

umsm wrote: post #2

It's sad that samsung would do this... Is it commonplace for companies to do this?

It's exactly what you would expect from a company like Samsung.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#6

Post by orangethirty » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 8:59 PM UTC

hosay123 wrote: post #4

umsm wrote: post #2

It's sad that samsung would do this... Is it commonplace for companies to do this?

You decide.. https://news.ycombinator.com/submitted?id=infoman The domain was registered one day after the HN account was registered, first post wasn't made for 14 days (aka. when the username no longer appears in green). In his defence, if he is a shill, he's not very good at it. Edit: hnsearch picked up a hellbanned post (it should appear on the front page, but it doesn't) at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=55…

Google has a little spammer loose on HN. Neat.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#7

Post by lutusp » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 9:01 PM UTC

The title is a bit misleading -- the story is not that Samsung used devious marketing methods, the story is that they were caught. Any number of companies hire shills to post phony endorsements, the trick is not to get caught.

In fairness to companies like Samsung, if everyone is doing it, to stand on principle is to risk being trounced by those who don't.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#8

Post by rhizome » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 9:01 PM UTC

Marketing-fraud.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#9

Post by betterunix » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 9:02 PM UTC

umsm wrote: post #2

It's sad that samsung would do this... Is it commonplace for companies to do this?

It is so commonplace that I am not even surprised to hear about it anymore.

Re: Samsung admits to posting fake user reviews on the web

#10

Post by Kylekramer » Wed, Apr 17, 2013, 9:09 PM UTC

orangethirty wrote: post #6

hosay123 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You decide.. https://news.ycombinator.com/submitted?id=infoman The domain was registered one day after the HN account was registered, first post wasn't made for 14 days (aka. when the username no longer appears in green). In his defence, if he is a shill, he's not very good at it. Edit: hnsearch picked up a hellbanned post (it should appear on the front page, but it doesn't) at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=55…

Google has a little spammer loose on HN. Neat.

Seems much more likely to be the people behind glass-apps.org than Google.