List of Flogs, Astroturfing, Fake Blogs, and Drag Queens

Categories: Industry Index, Social Computing, Social MediaPosted on October 11th, 2007

(Left Picture: Like fake social media, although initially attracting, some may be duped, confused, or mad to find out their new friends are gender illusionists, picture taken from a visit to AsiaSF)

It’s important to analyze our mistakes, in hopes we don’t repeat them.

I’ve been asked by more than one individual and clients about some examples of unsuccessful social media or blogging examples, and nothing comes to mind more than the un-authentic blog.

For the average person, being duped into believing someone was betraying your trust by pretending to be something else is a betraying experience.

List of Flogs, Astroturfing, and Fake Blogs
We should note and praise the blogs that started out unauthentic and changed their ways.

Vichy: A French Makeup Flog that went from bad to good

Lonely Girl: Although we knew this was entertainment, it wasn’t obvious up front this was all acting on a set

Walmart: Walmarting Across America, two paid bloggers traveled the country, although they had ties to the company, commentary from BlogHer and Dave Taylor summarizes nicely.

Sony: All I want for Xmas is a PSP, a fake blog was exposed

Mackey, CEO of WholeFoods was not transparent in Yahoo Finance Chat rooms (link from Jeff)

On the internet, almost everything is traceable, from IP addresses, to PR firms, to executive admins giving away the secrets. Also check out Rick’s multiple posts on the topic.

Know of other examples? Leave a comment
This is a community collection, feel free to add other examples that you know of. I’m not looking for examples of character blogs, or splogs.

On this list? Want to repent?
Forgiveness is easy, by fixing the error of your ways, coming clean, asking the pardon of the community is easy. Sadly, many brands are inflicted with this stigma for some time. To repair the damage, come forward with an authentic blog, be real, and be human.

Wishing you the best of luck.

(Note: For those wanting to know, I visited AsiaSF with my wife on Halloween, a very entertaining time indeed. This restaurant is known to be frequented by SF’s elite, including George Lucas, who may get some inspiration for his creative movies. Those two gender illusionists (they’re really men) shown above are more transparent than many of the flogs listed above. Unlike flogs, at least I knew what they really were)

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HA - “That blog was a DUDE, dude…”

Posted by David Wescott on October 11th, 2007 at 1:11 pm

Good one David!

Posted by jeremiah_owyang on October 11th, 2007 at 2:14 pm

Well, flogs can vary from character blogs (which can be relatively benign, such as PBS’s blogs for Arthur or Dora the Explorer) or more, well, malignant flogs that are purposely out there to attack people (Strumpette, anyone?).

I fall on the side of character blogs as benign, and possibly good and fine (if they fit into the reasons of why are they being done). Otherwise, attack blogs do suck.

Posted by Jeremy Pepper on October 11th, 2007 at 2:19 pm

How about Mackey and Wal-Mart?

Posted by Geoff Livingston on October 11th, 2007 at 2:26 pm

Geoff

The CEO of Whole Foods? Ahhh good one.

Posted by jeremiah_owyang on October 11th, 2007 at 2:47 pm

Yup, too tired to be commenting I suppose… Wonder where Strumpette falls in this mix

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