Astroturfing: take action against or stay quiet?

November 25, 2008 1:25 PM

What should I do, if anything, about my former company's astroturfing?

In October, I left the manufacturing company I had been working for over the past ten years.

About 3-4 years ago, the CEO of this company began astroturfing at several high traffic, consumer level, industry specific web forums (many of them are for-profit websites, if that matters). He is also using so-called customers ("so-called" as they never paid above wholesale for any product they received) to support this "campaign". More recently, he expanded the deception by baiting his competition under false identities through email. I'm certain he is still currently doing these things.

Would I be a scumbag if I did something about it, and if not, what should I do about it?

posted by Brocktoon to work & money (8 comments total)

ManufacturingCompanyXSucks.com ?
posted by Spurious at 1:40 PM on November 25, 2008

Let it go. Not your problem anymore.
posted by Class Goat at 1:53 PM on November 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

If every business that did at lest some of the things you describe was busted for it, it might be a good thing, consumer-wise, but there'd be very few businesses left, I think. I think millions of business use "friendly" customers, usually ones who get a special discount, as references or testimonials. Your old employer also sounds sort of petty and silly. The "baiting" is almost funny, actually.

But for you to "do something about it" (why?) sort of sounds to me like you'd be stooping to his level of pettiness here for no good reason. Worst case you end up looking like a stereotypical "bitter ex-employee" who nobody ever believes anyway. So yeah, let it go.

Also, this is dangerously close to using AskMe to help you plan revenge, which I think is counter to the rules.
posted by rokusan at 2:15 PM on November 25, 2008

Why do you care? If it is actually something you feel strongly about for ethical reasons rather than revenge (e.g. he makes pacemakers and is making false claims), then complain anonymously to admins on the commercial boards.
posted by benzenedream at 2:18 PM on November 25, 2008

Unless this is a public safety issue then I would let it go.

>so-called" as they never paid above wholesale for any product they received

That's not different from tech companies giving reviewers free stuff. Those wonderful reviews you read for your hunk-of-junk electronics from Taiwan came from them.

If you make a fuss no one will care, except now you have this company on your resume and if any potential employers call and find out you were a whistleblower that might hurt your chances for future success.

Even you pled your case, its hard for most people to get worked up over potentially disingenuous internet reviews and forum postings. If this was about wasting taxpayers money or dumping poisons into our drinking water then by all means blow that whistle.
posted by damn dirty ape at 4:00 PM on November 25, 2008

Behavior like this is detrimental to society. Call bullshit when you see bullshit.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 5:58 PM on November 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Behavior like this is detrimental to society. Call bullshit when you see bullshit.

So is petty revenge. Pick nobler battles.
posted by rokusan at 12:06 AM on November 26, 2008

There is nothing in the original post which indicates he left the company under bad circumstances, thus needing "revenge." The desire to stop un-ethical behavior can be pretty noble.

The biggest problem I see is that there may no way to blow the whistle without any risk that the former employer may figure out who's tattling and then decide to get revenge on the former employee (potential lawsuit or at least ruined reference).
posted by D.C. at 1:15 AM on November 26, 2008