Has Astroturfing invaded MMO Champion?

[Chingylol]

If you don't know what it means:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing

"On the Internet, astroturfers use software to mask their identity. Sometimes one individual operates over many personas to give the impression of widespread support for their client's agenda.[1][2] Some studies suggest astroturfing can alter public viewpoints and create enough doubt to inhibit action.

Another technique is the use of sockpuppets, where a single person creates multiple identities online to give the appearance of grassroots support. Sockpuppets may post positive reviews about a product, attack participants that criticize the organization, or post negative reviews and comments about competitors, under fake identities.[12][23] Astroturfing businesses may pay staff based on the number of posts they make that are not flagged by moderators.[18] Persona management software may be used so that each paid poster can manage five to seventy convincing online personas without confusing them with one another."

Everyone knows MMO Champion is the number one site for WoW, and I wouldn't be surprised if it got more or just as much traffic as the main WoW site forums. It's very valuable to Blizzard that this website succeeds and get alot of traffic.

Recently there was a post about how prices are going up in the EU for faction changes, name changes, etc etc and I was surprised that people were defending it. Why would someone defend something and write out huge paragraphs over something that's blatantly an increase just to make money.

Basically, do you think Blizzard actually hires people in say... Asian or other countries to literally just sit on these forums/main WoW forums/Twitter/FB and defend them thru the thick and thin to make people think "Well, if these people are justifying increased costs, then screw it. Let it be".

[Darsithis]

I wouldn't be surprised if any company does something like that. I don't think it's a big issue here, though. We have way too many posters who are very vocal of their dissatisfaction over the people who are happy.

[Sageofthe10paths]

I don't think Blizz would care enough about these forums to use Astroturfing to influence players on their forums on the MMO-C forums. I think maybe players of WoW and other games would do it on here to influence people. Why? People tend to not have a life on the internet and they would stoop to really small petty nerdy things like astroturfing to feel like they have some kinda power online.

[Daetur]

No, I don't.

I think MMO-Champion is a smaller bubble community than you perceive. Only a very small fraction of Blizzard's subscribers frequent this forum- I simply don't think there's any incentive for that sort of activity on Blizzard's part, regardless of whether I agree with them or not.

It's not so impossible that people would "defend" blizzard on any subject- whether that's moving to 20m only Mythic raiding or increasing their prices- that they'd need to "resort" to astroturfing in order to have people arguing in favor of their policies and direction.

People will defend things that they like or feel strongly about, or that affect them on a personal level.

[Heladys]

If anything i'd be more apt to believe there's a team of people hiding behind some of the more consistently vocal complainbots just to keep up the massive volume of spew they produce.

[arcaneshot]

If you stayed here long enough you'd find more people pushing for you to play Wildstar than Warlords of Draenor.

[Milkyz]

Plot twist:

All MMO-C users are working for the same astroturfing company. Team A is being paid by Blizzard to defend it, Team B is being paid by other publishers to attack it.

[OzoAndIndi]

Hmm...

Well, having four months ago started using a service run via Amazon to make a little money on the side and seeing the various tasks the "requesters" come up with (a lot of them surveys, studies from universities, etc., but some of them not), I wouldn't be surprised if any company stooped to buying positive feedback, traffic or whatever. Usually via third person to a company that's using Amazon's service to outsource, and some of it against Amazon's terms.

I have never personally seen any that are requesting people to post to any forums anywhere however. And personally I would not since I believe that is against the terms. (Sadly I never really even come across game related surveys as it is. ) Though I wouldn't be surprised if there were other similar services were people got away with paying people to do that.

[Captainn]

I've wondered... But I don't know. I think there are SOME who could very well be paid by companies to defend their stuff, but honestly, why? It's a drop in the bucket comparatively.

[NuLogic]

Maybe some people get annoyed when others blow things out of proportion. We blow money on a luxury so a small price increase isn't going to kill WoW for us.

[Gothicshark]

.

Basically, do you think Blizzard actually hires people in say... Asian or other countries to literally just sit on these forums/main WoW forums/Twitter/FB and defend them thru the thick and thin to make people think "Well, if these people are justifying increased costs, then screw it. Let it be".

No need, WOW Fanboys dominate these forums and will defend Blizzard even if they start WW3.

I wouldn't be surprised if any company does something like that. I don't think it's a big issue here, though. We have way too many posters who are very vocal of their dissatisfaction over the people who are happy.

Actually many companies do this. Also many political groups do it as well, Blizzard doesn't need to because Blizzard Fanboys tend to be almost Religiously devoted to Blizzard and their products.

[Kaleredar]

This is the internet.

When people believe you are being stupid, they will come out in droves to smack you down.

Which is why people "defend" Blizzard so often... Because people flip their shit over the things Blizzard does and lose perspective quite easily, and need constant reminding Blizzard is just a damn video game company. And so lots of people come in to try and "politely" tell you how you're flipping your shit, why you should stop, and how 9/10 it doesn't really effect you or anything you'd do anyway, because they probably don't care about it.

There ya go champ.

In fact, I'd say this "conspiracy theory" about Blizzard botting a fan forum to try and "make themselves look better" qualifies as "flipping your shit over nothing."

[Netherspark]

I find it a little depressing that the initial response to using logic to explain the actions of a company's finance department is to assume some sort of conspiracy...

[docterfreeze]

Plot twist:

All MMO-C users are working for the same astroturfing company. Team A is being paid by Blizzard to defend it, Team B is being paid by other publishers to attack it.

This. I'm raking in the big bux.

[shoc]

Shit guys, this jig is up. We're all sitting in an Indian call centre, posting nothing but positive things about Blizzard, constantly defending them after every decision they make, regardless of how awful it is.

In fact, you're the only one that's a normal user. Everyone here works for Blizzard, even the people who spout negativity towards the game. We have those guys just to make sure this all looks like an ordinary community.

[The Glitch]

So because people disagree with other peoples opinions, they are suddenly doing the shady? o.O Seriously these forums.. the topics... the conspiracies... *head explodes*

[Luofu]

Plot twist:

All MMO-C users are working for the same astroturfing company. Team A is being paid by Blizzard to defend it, Team B is being paid by other publishers to attack it.

mind blown.

MMO C is so much more than a normal news/gathering site/forum for games.

very big the diversity in topics. mmoc as best community site for wow is already known. aswell as gathering for different class wizards.


thought many topics deserve double/triple/double again and quadruple FACEPALM.

[Ornias]

Good job asking for the opinions of the ignorant. They have many.

How would anybody here, including you, even know what goes on internally in any given company? - Rhetorical question.

Pointless question which will receive no solid answer here.

[BoysBoysBoys]

I don't see why a company would have to do this on a fansite (mostly) dedicated to their game. It makes sense on general forums such as what recently happened with Curse moderators on Blizzard subreddits, but chances are if someone is on a website they're aware of the game and it's current situation.

[Zaelsino]

I doubt it. Unofficial sites are a good way to garner honest opinions.