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LotusElise
6th February 2007, 10:34
I have a strong suspicion that a certain poster is a "plant" for a company who is using some of their posts to try and promote said company on the sly.
What is the official stand on this?

(I'm quite sure they are a "plant" becasue in the industry I work in, this kind of thing is very common and it's quite easy to recognise.)

Mark
6th February 2007, 10:46
Please report the post that you suspicious of and we'll look into it.

LotusElise
6th February 2007, 13:12
I just tried but I'm not sure if it worked.

Mark
6th February 2007, 13:13
It did, thanks.

At the moment there isn't anything conclusive to suggest any abuse of the forum. But an eye will be kept open ;)

tinchote
6th February 2007, 23:07
Now I got curious about this. Are we important enough for something like that to happen?

RaceFanStan
7th February 2007, 00:18
tc, it's time to go undercover ..... http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/smi/spy.gif




http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/laff/tm.gif

AndySpeed
7th February 2007, 02:49
I can't ever imagine someone using such a small audience as this forum for that?

I'm just off to have a nice NESCAFE and KIT KAT before bed ;)

Storm
7th February 2007, 08:30
Remember rollo and all the Yorkie stuff ? :erm:

tinchote
7th February 2007, 13:18
Remember rollo and all the Yorkie stuff ? :erm:

Not really. What was that?

Hazell B
7th February 2007, 20:29
I can't ever imagine someone using such a small audience as this forum for that?



Doesn't cost them much, though. They'd just employ some nerd to sit at a computer all day joining forums for minimum wage. That's more than any of us are on :p :

In the hope of gaining some form of thank you gift for my advertising efforts ..... I'm just going to nip and get my new Apple computer out of the Aston ;)

janneppi
7th February 2007, 20:30
Hell, i'd stay away if someone payed me enough money for it. :)

ArrowsFA1
8th February 2007, 09:20
Viral marketing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_marketing) is said to be very effective :dozey:

tinchote
8th February 2007, 09:30
Viral marketing (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_marketing) is said to be very effective :dozey:

That could be true. But it is hard to imagine in the case of these forums, which have a significant international flavour. I think that there are few products from few companies which are sold/advertised in exactly the same way in many countries. They usually change brands and other characteristics, and that would render advertising on these pages very inefficient.

LotusElise
8th February 2007, 15:37
In the industry I'm currently in, videogames, it's very common. It costs next to nothing and doesn't require many marketing assets or any skill.
All of the major (and some smaller) gaming forums are targeted, although users are getting better at spotting the plants and ridiculing them.