Interesting Article; Paid Internet Shill's Account of Astroturfing

http://consciouslifenews.com/paid-i...s-manipulate-internet-opinion-debate/1147073/

It's kind of disturbing to be honest. They apparently give their workers a cover story like the CIA or MI5 do their agents and have files on prominent members and staff of forums they're supposed to be a shill on that classify them as friendly, indifferent and hostile.

Not to mention specific information on how to cause memes and troll certain named sites. And teams working on social networks like Twitter and Facebook.

Personally, you know what I'd love to do? Get someone to join one, spy on the group from the inside and sabotage it. Heck, this could be an interesting topic for a TV show like BBC's Watchdog or Panorama to tackle, since they could send someone in undercover, take video footage of the whole operation and then expose the employees and companies involved on live TV. I think that could destroy many of these companies and organisations to be honest.

So what do you think of this article and these organisations supposedly paying people to shill for certain viewpoints and products on internet forums and social networks?

 

This is one of those stories that you know deep down to be true but you take with a grain of salt because it's none of your business and there is nothing you can do about it. You also don't know if what's going on is for the greater good or not. A lack of knowledge means you do nothing.

I'd make the perfect shill, I share opinions on any subject easily and can guide conversation with ease but I have been around long enough to know that it's not personal and there is a time to fight for good and a time to just do your job. The only person who will likely be negatively impacted by that article is the author, but he must have known that. If he truly didn't, he's about to find out.