amigo_boy
join:2005-07-22
Tempe, AZ
 ·Cox HSI
 ·magicjack.com
| MagicJack spam campaign?
I just saw this on the other MJ Support forum. I thought it would be worth mentioning here because, if I recall correctly, DSLR/BBR did a story about Belkin getting in trouble for doing the exact same thing.
If you google for this exact phrase:
"Over the last few months I’ve been closely following the blogs and growing media coverage on the MagicJack, the coolest product to hit the marketplace in a very long time." You'll get 4 pages of sites. Here is the search link:
»www.google.com/search?q=%22Over+···filter=0
Of course, who knows if that's the only exact phrase that's been used.
Mark |
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Msradell
join:2008-12-25
Louisville, KY | Very interesting discovery. What kind of trouble did Belkin get in for doing it? In my opinion it's rather sneaky but not really illegal. |
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amigo_boy
join:2005-07-22
Tempe, AZ
·Cox HSI
·magicjack.com
| said by Msradell  :Very interesting discovery. What kind of trouble did Belkin get in for doing it? In my opinion it's rather sneaky but not really illegal. I only recall there was a story about Belkin on DSLR/BBR. In the past 3-4 months. If I recall correctly it involved employees disclosing that this was an internal practice for employees to leave favorable customer reviews. I don't recall what trouble they got in (if it was official trouble, or just negative press).
I agree that it looks bad. I'm sympathetic to a startup with no advertising budget who has to get its name out there. Joining forums and saying "hey, I just saw this product and it's great." But, robotic user comments in response to stories is different.
In fairness, MJ generates a lot of "true believers" who act like it's a religion. It could have been one of them who spammed the user comments. But, Dan's other behaviors (like the "hurry, offer expires tomorrow" every day) make this look like his handywork.
Mark |
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DrStrange
Technically feasible
Premium
join:2001-07-23
West Hartford, CT
 ·Stephouse Networks
·magicjack.com
·EarthLink
| reply to amigo_boy
Thanks for the info.
I'll have to check on that when I get some free time. I had a look via Google myself, and there does seem to be a discernible odor of astroturf around those comments. It looks like the same wording was used, but the order in which the phrases occurred was changed. I'd like to run the other phrases through Google et al. to see if there might be a wider array of phrases where only a portion are used in each comment.
I'm going to reserve judgment until such time as I can determine whether or not there is an astroturf campaign. |
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dbmaven
There's no shortage
Premium,Mod
join:1999-10-26
Sty in Sky
clubs:
·VOIPo
·magicjack.com
·Optimum Online
Host:
Filesharing Software
No, I Will Not Fix..
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| reply to amigo_boy
If you start looking at the dates of the posts on those blogs, they're very old (2008 or earlier).
This probably was an astroturf campaign - the text is pure copy/paste.....
But it's really ancient history.
--
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.
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pandora
Premium
join:2001-06-01
Outland
·ooma
·Future Nine Corpor..
·Comcast
|  reply to amigo_boy
I got 11 unique hits on the exact phrase. While that means someone is posting the same stuff over a bit ... 11 copies of the same paste doesn't exactly scare me.
2 of the 11 were one on dslreports (this thread) and one on broadband reports (this thread).
So outside of your post, I'm counting 9 unique hits.
I use strict filtering, sites in english as my google preferences.
--
"People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." |
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BlueMagic
join:2008-03-30
1 edit | reply to amigo_boy
What, pray tell is wrong for magicJack spamming forums? It my opinion, it is perfectly acceptable behavior in war and business IS war. The only thing that is important is maximizing the bottom line.
As you know, when I was a SunRocket affiliate I spammed many many forums.
If I were Dan I would hire a couple of teenagers, put them in an air conditioned room with plenty of coke and snacks and make them vice presidents in charge of the spam marketing department. It would be a great summer job for young people and teach them the basics of business war. When my children were young, I taught them to greet me by making the sign of the dollar in the air, they still do it. Greed is good and so is spam, it works.  |
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amigo_boy
join:2005-07-22
Tempe, AZ
·Cox HSI
·magicjack.com
| said by BlueMagic :What, pray tell is wrong for magicJack spamming forums? It my opinion, it is perfectly acceptable behavior in war and business IS war. You've already said that you thought lying was perfecting acceptable too. So, I think we know where you stand.
Mark |
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BlueMagic
join:2008-03-30 | I have never lied. I may have come close however I have never lied. In addition, spamming a forum is not lying, it is marketing. |
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amigo_boy
join:2005-07-22
Tempe, AZ
·Cox HSI
·magicjack.com
| reply to BlueMagic
Re: MagicJack spam campaign?
said by BlueMagic :I have never lied. I may have come close however I have never lied. ... Ok. But, I was referring to:
Mark |
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