And you all thought I was a psychotic bad-tempered paranoid.

_blank_

Zommmmbieeeee threeeaaaaad.

I thought Hallowe'en was over?

WhiteWashMan

DesF wrote: »

Zommmmbieeeee threeeaaaaad.

I thought Hallowe'en was over?

+`1

SimpleSam06

DeVore wrote: »

An Anti-Shiller forum might be the way to go.

Might there not be a happy medium that could be reached? A good example of this would be google; people go there looking for information, but also get shown advertisements in context, related to what they are trying to find. These are not ads which upset anyone, or anyone I've ever heard of anyway.

So why not give the shills a sandpit to play in? Set up a business directory linked to boards, listing a load of businesses, and let people write up reviews for businesses on it. You could charge per listing, if you wanted to, a few hundred a year and your business is on the top, and make sure that all references to any businesses mentioned on boards or in sigs are directed only to their listing in the directory. Rotate the listings within their categories, and not only do the shills have their playpen, you have a significant profit generator for boards!

Just a thought.

Shiminay

I hope all shills die of horrible drawn out painful diseases for the way they've turned what is potentially the most incredible means of communication and information exchange into another tool for thier twisted means. There are ways and means of supporting communities and generating income but they don't do that. They are leeches who give nothing to the people who create these community and that can never be forgotten.

Blowfish

SimpleSam06 wrote: »

Might there not be a happy medium that could be reached? A good example of this would be google; people go there looking for information, but also get shown advertisements in context, related to what they are trying to find. These are not ads which upset anyone, or anyone I've ever heard of anyway.

So why not give the shills a sandpit to play in? Set up a business directory linked to boards, listing a load of businesses, and let people write up reviews for businesses on it. You could charge per listing, if you wanted to, a few hundred a year and your business is on the top, and make sure that all references to any businesses mentioned on boards or in sigs are directed only to their listing in the directory. Rotate the listings within their categories, and not only do the shills have their playpen, you have a significant profit generator for boards!

Just a thought.

Sure, but it's naive to think that that would stop them from shilling as they are now.

I would love it if there was a complete list made of the companies that shill, so that I could use their own WoM tactics against them, bad mouthing them, and telling people to avoid them at all costs. I already do this with the ones I am aware of.

Blowfish

I don't know if anyone has read it yet, but it looks like the EU have actually taken a step in the right direction regarding this. Link. This paragraph was the most interesting:

The directive is not just aimed at online activity, and a number of commercial practices will be unfair in all circumstances. This black list of practices includes "falsely claiming or creating the impression that the trader is not acting for purposes relating to his trade, business, craft or profession, or falsely representing oneself as a consumer". In other words, companies will not be able to pretend to be someone else, without clearly stating who they actually are.

I'm in no way a legal expert, but I seriously hope that that law will extend so that it applies to forums too.

Talliesin

SimpleSam06 wrote: »

Might there not be a happy medium that could be reached? A good example of this would be google; people go there looking for information, but also get shown advertisements in context, related to what they are trying to find. These are not ads which upset anyone, or anyone I've ever heard of anyway.

So you're suggesting that if perhaps it was relevant to a real thread and someone was up-front about their associations, then they should be allowed to mention the goods or services they provide?

Fantastic idea.

/me uses time-machine to go back in time and make this the rule that has always been in force.

DeVore

Wow.... look at this thread grope for braaaaains.

Good to hear about the EU stuff but its going to be hard to enforce. All the same it means if we find someone like Univershill pulling that stunt again we can at least go after them in the courts.

The only thing these "people" care about is their brand, until the populace reacts strongly negatively to the brand as a result of shilling, they will keep doing it even if they get fined.

DeV.

Evil Phil

I think an anti-shill forum would be a great idea, working in the web industry I could point clients in its direction when they start talking about the benefits of astro-turfing.

We could also use it to name and shame.