Timeline for Should ServerFault loosen its tie and start allowing "Shopping" questions?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
7 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2014 at 15:19 | comment | added | Parthian Shot | ...In other words... You're right. Smart vendors are probably already using shills and not being so obvious. | |
| Aug 1, 2014 at 15:16 | comment | added | Parthian Shot | @Bill For example, if I were doing marketing at Microsoft, since they seem to be circling the drain, I'd up the number of IE, C#, VB, and Office questions and answers on the SE sites using sockpuppets and mechanical turks so that people would see those as trending or "hot" technologies they should learn and use. And when it does catch on... yay! Market share. Of course, I'd also fund "think tanks" to come out with "research" disparaging Linux- which they've already done. That's on the public record. Marketing is not an ethical profession. | |
| Aug 1, 2014 at 15:13 | comment | added | Parthian Shot | @Bill You underestimate the complexity of the thought process, and the lack of concern for fair play, behind viral marketing tactics. | |
| Aug 1, 2014 at 15:11 | comment | added | Parthian Shot | @Bill On the other hand, I doubt that doesn't already happen. There are plenty of non-product-recommendation questions where it would be appropriate to say something along the lines of "I use X with Y, and have it configured so Z. Since Z is what you seem to want to make happen, X might be what you're looking for". You can already subtly advertise your product on SE if that's really what you want to do. Or you can ask leading questions, like questions about your product. Ask enough such questions, you can make a tag for your product, a bunch of people see your product as popular. | |
| Jul 29, 2014 at 16:17 | comment | added | BillRobertson42 | A smart vendor would use shill accounts and not be so obvious. | |
| Jul 28, 2014 at 15:34 | comment | added | TheCleaner | Probably...but they also run the risk of getting boo'd in public. The voting system and comments would allow others to say "yeah, your product rocks" or "your stuff sucks...downvote!" But yes, I concede that even if we try and prevent those users from "anonymously" recommending their own product, it would happen. | |
| Jul 27, 2014 at 13:19 | history | answered | BillRobertson42 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |