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Phorm Tries To Polish Up Wikipedia Entry
'We were a little over zealous in our efforts..'
by Karl Bode Tuesday 08-Apr-2008 tags: privacy · world
British behavioral advertising firm Phorm has been trying hard to sell consumers on the idea of letting ISPs track and sell their browsing habits. The company has had an uphill climb, given their former history as a purveyor of spyware and rootkits. Their PR team works hard (they've popped up in our news comments), but the Register reports they may be working a bit too hard. The company was busted this week for shining up their Wikipedia entry, and admits to the Register they got carried away:

We let you know yesterday that we had proposed amendments to the Phorm entry on Wikipedia – there were several factual inaccuracies that were pointed out to us. Having reviewed our suggested changes with hindsight, we accept that we were a little over zealous in our efforts to make those corrections and that we erroneously removed some relevant items in the editing process. These were quickly reinstated by Wikipedia’s editors. We will endeavour to make sure that this does not happen in the future.

Yeah, whoops.

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SilverSurfer1

join:2007-08-19

Dumbasses

What savvy pc user who possesses even half a clue is going to agree that Phorm is as amazing as their PR dpt wants consumers to believe?

DiscardedVet
Premium
join:2005-04-06
Sturgis, SD

Wikpedia Statement

Wikpedia has included this "oops" on the page itself, as the subheader of "Marketing Team Admits Tampering With Wikipedia Entry"

LMAO !!!
--
Bush is the Prez....Think Patriot Act II....This outspoken dissident....In jail I'll be soon.

mod_wastrel
iamwhatiam

join:2008-03-28
kudos:1

Which?

"We will endeavour to make sure that this does not happen in the future."

Getting "over zealous" with updates?
Or getting caught?

jester121
Premium
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL

Marketing = idiots

Apparently someone somewhere wrote a book or an article that Wikipedia is a great form of advertising and PR, because I've had about 4 clients mention it in the past 6 months. I'm sure it can't hurt, but the whole point of Wikipedia isn't marketing, it's information.

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02
kudos:33

Re: Marketing = idiots

Wikipedia isn't marketing, it's information.
people in marketing believe those two terms are synonymous...
SilverSurfer1

join:2007-08-19

Re: Marketing = idiots

said by Karl Bode:

Wikipedia isn't marketing, it's information.
people in marketing believe those two terms are synonymous...
And not so coincidentally, most who work in marketing whether for Phorm or Wiki are astonishingly clueless.

jjoshua
Premium
join:2001-06-01
Scotch Plains, NJ
kudos:3

You know what they say

You can't polish a turd.
satellite68

join:2007-04-11
Louisville, KY

Re: You know what they say



Why, sure you can! Just ask 'ol W!

n2jtx

join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY

Translation

quote:
We will endeavour to make sure that this does not happen in the future.
Translation: We will endeavour to not get caught in the future.
--
I support the right to keep and arm bears.

chrisretusn
Retired
Premium
join:2007-08-13
Philippines
kudos:1

Image Problems?

This certainly improves their image as a fine and upstanding company.
--
Chris
Living in Paradise!!

Wikiwatcher

@situltimo.net

Phorm is not alone

Users "polishing up" their own biography article is not new. What is really annoying is that there appears to be no uniform standards and a lot of hypocracy when it comes to biography rules. It seems people just don't want others to know about their past yet they are quit willing to force wikipedia to do so, and cover it up:

»en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?tit···01303946

»en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?tit···01413613

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