Comments on: Huffington Post Astroturfs for dollars, trolls, and loses credibility, loses Rost http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/ empowered by monkeys Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:21:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Sherman Boyd http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5366 Sherman Boyd Wed, 19 Jul 2006 16:28:31 +0000 http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5366 This kind of behaviour is very common in American politics. It's imperative that a politician use this medium that they know absolutely nothing about. I would say it's a safe bet that every single American Senator has a staff that leaves comments on blogs, edits wikipedia entries, and generally tries to use the "internet superhighway" as a grassroots marketing tool. The thing is, Huffington has "enemies" doing the same things to her site, so that might explain the poor moderation record. If your critiscm is too vociforous then it is easy for the moderator to think that you are just a paid right wing troll, especially from the point of view of a paid left wing troll. This is politics, not marketing. This kind of behaviour is very common in American politics. It’s imperative that a politician use this medium that they know absolutely nothing about. I would say it’s a safe bet that every single American Senator has a staff that leaves comments on blogs, edits wikipedia entries, and generally tries to use the “internet superhighway” as a grassroots marketing tool.

The thing is, Huffington has “enemies” doing the same things to her site, so that might explain the poor moderation record. If your critiscm is too vociforous then it is easy for the moderator to think that you are just a paid right wing troll, especially from the point of view of a paid left wing troll.

This is politics, not marketing.

]]> By: Rosethejet http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5185 Rosethejet Wed, 05 Jul 2006 15:16:20 +0000 http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5185 Great link and blog site AntiChrist. Good place to send everyone too to get a comprehensive overwiew of the entire mess Arianna created simply by being greedy and acting like the very people she jumps on over at THP. Attack the messenger and divert attention away from the message. Great link and blog site AntiChrist.

Good place to send everyone too to get a comprehensive overwiew of the entire mess Arianna created simply by being greedy and acting like the very people she jumps on over at THP. Attack the messenger and divert attention away from the message.

]]> By: antichrist http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5183 antichrist Wed, 05 Jul 2006 07:03:49 +0000 http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5183 I just finished "The Huffington Rost". It lists all the blogs that write about Peter Rost getting fired and other scandalous stuff. It's worth checking out. <a href="http://antichrist2.blogspot.com/2006/07/delivering-news-and-opinion-on.html" rel="nofollow">http://antichrist2.blogspot.com/2006/07/delivering-news-and-opinion-on.html</a> I just finished “The Huffington Rost”. It lists all the blogs that write about Peter Rost getting fired and other scandalous stuff. It’s worth checking out.

http://antichrist2.blogspot.com/2006/07/delivering-news-and-opinion-on.html

]]> By: antichrist http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5082 antichrist Tue, 27 Jun 2006 21:36:47 +0000 http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5082 I put together a list of Yaco-Minks comments on Peter Rost's blog, in case they disappear from HuffPost. http://antichrist2.blogspot.com/ I put together a list of Yaco-Minks comments on Peter Rost’s blog, in case they disappear from HuffPost.

http://antichrist2.blogspot.com/

]]> By: xenulicious http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5074 xenulicious Tue, 27 Jun 2006 06:32:26 +0000 http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5074 Most if not all blogs on THP are moderated by the author of the blog, thus it can take time for comments to appear, or not appear at all, based on the discretion of the author. One time I had a blogger whose blog at THP I commented on write me an e-mail apologizing to me stating that he loved my comment but it was too long. He encouraged me to write on his own blog. Some blogs appear not to be moderated, usually fluff stories, and your comments will appear instantly. Most of my comments have been published, probably around 85%. Yet today I found something new with my commenting. It was in a moderated blog. The comment appeared some time after I wrote it, then a while later it was removed. The comment wasn't nasty nor anything other then a regular type of comment I make. Yet it was removed after it was allowed? Maybe there is a new commentary policy in effect at THP? Maybe there is a new policing of comments by THP staff because they don't trust the bloggers who post there? I don't know. About the Rost thing; I found it to be a bit unsavory that he went public with his accusations before confronting THP staff in order to see what they would do about it. He should have first contacted the staff and made his case, that would have been the fair thing to do. Instead he went public first. I find that to be unfair to THP. How THP handled afterwords was not very intelligent. Both are to blame in my view. Most if not all blogs on THP are moderated by the author of the blog, thus it can take time for comments to appear, or not appear at all, based on the discretion of the author. One time I had a blogger whose blog at THP I commented on write me an e-mail apologizing to me stating that he loved my comment but it was too long. He encouraged me to write on his own blog. Some blogs appear not to be moderated, usually fluff stories, and your comments will appear instantly. Most of my comments have been published, probably around 85%. Yet today I found something new with my commenting. It was in a moderated blog. The comment appeared some time after I wrote it, then a while later it was removed. The comment wasn’t nasty nor anything other then a regular type of comment I make. Yet it was removed after it was allowed? Maybe there is a new commentary policy in effect at THP? Maybe there is a new policing of comments by THP staff because they don’t trust the bloggers who post there? I don’t know.

About the Rost thing; I found it to be a bit unsavory that he went public with his accusations before confronting THP staff in order to see what they would do about it. He should have first contacted the staff and made his case, that would have been the fair thing to do. Instead he went public first. I find that to be unfair to THP. How THP handled afterwords was not very intelligent. Both are to blame in my view.

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5071 Jonathan Mon, 26 Jun 2006 23:55:43 +0000 http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5071 reminds me of a time when I tried to argue a point at indymedia . . . all my posts were removed within days. i was left shaking my head at the irony. reminds me of a time when I tried to argue a point at indymedia . . . all my posts were removed within days. i was left shaking my head at the irony.

]]> By: antichrist http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5070 antichrist Mon, 26 Jun 2006 21:42:45 +0000 http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5070 Yesterday, on June 25, the JWT ads were removed from the HuffPost site, including one of a child lighting a cigarette?! Today, they removed the link to go view and vote on your favorite JWT commercial. This viral campaign must be falling apart for them. Yesterday, on June 25, the JWT ads were removed from the HuffPost site, including one of a child lighting a cigarette?! Today, they removed the link to go view and vote on your favorite JWT commercial. This viral campaign must be falling apart for them.

]]> By: deepthought http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5069 deepthought Mon, 26 Jun 2006 21:41:32 +0000 http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5069 To be fair, I am not aware of any proof that indicates THP moderates or publishes only comments they like on the main site. I only can do some counting and common sense deductions from the JWT section of the site. That said, there does appear to be some kind of groundswell of support for the idea that THP fans the flames using trolls while at the same time not publishing all comments. Time will tell. To be fair, I am not aware of any proof that indicates THP moderates or publishes only comments they like on the main site. I only can do some counting and common sense deductions from the JWT section of the site. That said, there does appear to be some kind of groundswell of support for the idea that THP fans the flames using trolls while at the same time not publishing all comments. Time will tell.

]]> By: sunrunner http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5068 sunrunner Mon, 26 Jun 2006 20:49:12 +0000 http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5068 I have posted comments over at HuffPo only rarely. Sometimes they take as long as 10 -12 hours to appear, which said to me that they were being moderated . . . & I couldn't for the life of me figure out why some very nasty vicous stuff was being approved. Silly naive me, it never occurred to me that flame wars was a good way to keep traffic high -in order to boost ad sales. But to think that they were writing some of these trollish post themselves -- !!!! Of course it stands to reason, as it is highly unlikely that all that many wingnuts even bother with HuffPo. It is amazing that they went about all this in such a lame way -- you would THINK that these tech "geniuses" would've at least've equipped their browsers with some sort of anonymizer software before they went out and tried to spread their little viruses. BTW - fwiw - I had no idea that the site was saturated with so many ads either! Heh. I have posted comments over at HuffPo only rarely. Sometimes they take as long as 10 -12 hours to appear, which said to me that they were being moderated . . . & I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why some very nasty vicous stuff was being approved.

Silly naive me, it never occurred to me that flame wars was a good way to keep traffic high -in order to boost ad sales. But to think that they were writing some of these trollish post themselves — !!!! Of course it stands to reason, as it is highly unlikely that all that many wingnuts even bother with HuffPo.

It is amazing that they went about all this in such a lame way — you would THINK that these tech “geniuses” would’ve at least’ve equipped their browsers with some sort of anonymizer software before they went out and tried to spread their little viruses.

BTW - fwiw - I had no idea that the site was saturated with so many ads either! Heh.

]]> By: Rosethejet http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5067 Rosethejet Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:12:45 +0000 http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5067 An excellent analysis of the problems at THP. Your analysis and Mr. Rost's when tracking IP numbers is absolutely bfilliant and something advertisers should be aware of. That numbers, just like Diebold voting machines, are all too easily manipulated for money and power in our technological age. IF advertisers are being played perhaps being able to directly contact the advertirsers would be in order. Arianna has lost all credibility with quite a few people over this incident. The only thing she has still going is that it still is a very easy site to access and peruse. Much easier than just about any other news site on the internet. What is a shame however is now understanding trollz are in all probability paid THP staffers working overtime to create problems in the hopes of keep traffic high. It appears to have worked in some cases, but there are more and more people realizing they are and have been manipulated into staying on longer or returning to THP to boost their advertiser numbers. As well knowing that all comments are being viewed, edited, and censored is byond all normal reason for a site that promotes, progressive liberal ideals which are supposed to NOT DO THIS. As well I wonder how many advertisers realize that like myself, a lot of people never see the ads? I never even realized they had ads until someone mentioned it so I turned off my ad blocker and wow, what a surprise, ads everwhere. I once thought Arianna wws doing the right thing and had just covered the site with her own money as she is wealthy anyway, but this was a complete surprise and one that makes you wonder if the advertisers are gettting their money's worth. I don't think so. Arianna is now the poster child for hypocrisy in the liberal blogoshpere. Such a shame, I had high hopes for the site. An excellent analysis of the problems at THP. Your analysis and Mr. Rost’s when tracking IP numbers is absolutely bfilliant and something advertisers should be aware of. That numbers, just like Diebold voting machines, are all too easily manipulated for money and power in our technological age.

IF advertisers are being played perhaps being able to directly contact the advertirsers would be in order.

Arianna has lost all credibility with quite a few people over this incident. The only thing she has still going is that it still is a very easy site to access and peruse. Much easier than just about any other news site on the internet.

What is a shame however is now understanding trollz are in all probability paid THP staffers working overtime to create problems in the hopes of keep traffic high. It appears to have worked in some cases, but there are more and more people realizing they are and have been manipulated into staying on longer or returning to THP to boost their advertiser numbers.

As well knowing that all comments are being viewed, edited, and censored is byond all normal reason for a site that promotes, progressive liberal ideals which are supposed to NOT DO THIS.

As well I wonder how many advertisers realize that like myself, a lot of people never see the ads? I never even realized they had ads until someone mentioned it so I turned off my ad blocker and wow, what a surprise, ads everwhere. I once thought Arianna wws doing the right thing and had just covered the site with her own money as she is wealthy anyway, but this was a complete surprise and one that makes you wonder if the advertisers are gettting their money’s worth. I don’t think so.

Arianna is now the poster child for hypocrisy in the liberal blogoshpere.

Such a shame, I had high hopes for the site.

]]> By: Courting Destiny » Blog Archive » Hey Jude http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5066 Courting Destiny » Blog Archive » Hey Jude Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:06:42 +0000 http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5066 [...] I purposely didn’t put in a link to Kirk’s website as it was Sunday and I was very tired. No, because I don’t put links in BIO without knowing the source well. Though Kirk did some excellent research, he doesn’t seem to know that The Huffington Post was initially funded by Arianna Huffington. Therefore I didn’t put in his link [...] [...] I purposely didn’t put in a link to Kirk’s website as it was Sunday and I was very tired. No, because I don’t put links in BIO without knowing the source well. Though Kirk did some excellent research, he doesn’t seem to know that The Huffington Post was initially funded by Arianna Huffington. Therefore I didn’t put in his link [...]

]]> By: antichrist http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5065 antichrist Mon, 26 Jun 2006 18:49:19 +0000 http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5065 "On their own site, THP, they censor critical comments refusing to publish them". This is true. Most of my critical comments about how HuffPost handled Peter Rost after he discovered the Yaco-Mink troll, were not posted. I was eventually banned from commenting at all. “On their own site, THP, they censor critical comments refusing to publish them”.

This is true. Most of my critical comments about how HuffPost handled Peter Rost after he discovered the Yaco-Mink troll, were not posted. I was eventually banned from commenting at all.

]]> By: robert http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5060 robert Mon, 26 Jun 2006 17:18:43 +0000 http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5060 I saw this whole thing play out with Rost the day it happened. These guys actully seemed to think what they were doing was not completly obvious. I also read Perretti's bio at Huffpost. I dont think Rost even knew how deep this thing went. As for obsucre..its getting bigger every day the NY Times picked it up on sunday... It reminds of another guy who used to write anon. letters sabotage enemies ect......rhymes with Perretti....oh yeah...Segretti..thats it. Rat f**kers! I saw this whole thing play out with Rost the day it happened. These guys actully seemed to think what they were doing was not completly obvious. I also read Perretti’s bio at Huffpost. I dont think Rost even knew how deep this thing went.
As for obsucre..its getting bigger every day the NY Times picked it up on sunday…
It reminds of another guy who used to write anon. letters sabotage enemies ect……rhymes with Perretti….oh yeah…Segretti..thats it. Rat f**kers!

]]> By: TurkeyburgerDLX http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5059 TurkeyburgerDLX Mon, 26 Jun 2006 16:47:37 +0000 http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5059 this is a great story. but is anyone aware of this besides blogosphere insiders? at the end of the day i think jwt will get their money's worth and noone will care or remember that they made a rediculous attempt to "infect thought leaders" and create a genuine buzz. this is a great story. but is anyone aware of this besides blogosphere insiders?

at the end of the day i think jwt will get their money’s worth and noone will care or remember that they made a rediculous attempt to “infect thought leaders” and create a genuine buzz.

]]> By: Reaniel http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5058 Reaniel Mon, 26 Jun 2006 16:30:53 +0000 http://www.maxpower.ca/huffington-post-astroturfs-for-dollars-trolls-and-loses-credibility-loses-rost/2006/06/26/#comment-5058 I've just hyperlinked from Dr. Rost's blog to this place (and don't worry, I'm not one of the HuffPo employee... =P) This is really something... Bigger than I could imagine obviously... It's now harder for them to twist their action. I’ve just hyperlinked from Dr. Rost’s blog to this place (and don’t worry, I’m not one of the HuffPo employee… =P)

This is really something… Bigger than I could imagine obviously… It’s now harder for them to twist their action.

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