Current Affairs published an in-depth editorial on recent revelations about a $1 million astroturfng campaign by Correct the Record:
Astroturfing makes me angry. It should make you angry. It should make you fucking well see red. It's marketing evolved into something incredibly scary, sophisticated, and evil. It's essentially thought warfare, or psychological warfare, which takes away much of what was supposed to make the internet a new and beautiful frontier of communication. Worse yet, if you actually identify and approach these operatives, they'll gaslight you and deny that they are such an operative. These are people who are paid to psychologically abuse you. Do you get this? It's an ugly and evil thing, and not only does it take away our ability to take information and fact at face value, but it takes away our ability to take opinions, feelings, and personal stances at face value as sincere and legitimate.
takyon: For some additional context, "Hillary-supporting super PAC invests $1 million to hit back at online Clinton critics":
Correct the Record, a super PAC supporting Hillary Clinton's bid to become US president, has promised to invest more than $1 million to respond to users criticizing its candidate on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, and other social media services. The super PAC says its new "Barrier Breakers digital task force" will to respond "quickly and forcefully to negative attacks and false narratives found online," in addition to thanking major supporters and "committed superdelegates" directly.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 26 2016, @01:41AM
> Gamergate isn't about women - it's about neoliberal political correctness.
> Gamergaters refuse to be emasculated to make the crazy people happy.
So, you've given up on ethics in game journalism then.
Also "neoliberal" - that word does not mean what you think it means.
(Score: 2, Flamebait) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday April 26 2016, @01:55AM
Your SJW's don't know what ethics are, so yes, I've given up on ethics in the businessworld in general. "Game journalism"? That's what it's called when adults can't find a job, and they spend their lives playing, talking, and writing about games, right?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 26 2016, @02:07AM
So now you are just randomly blathering whatever is on your mind.
How very trumpian of you.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 26 2016, @02:26AM
Your SJW's don't know what ethics are,
Au contraire, Mr. Texarkanan! SJWs invented ethics! What do you think the S and J stand for?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday April 26 2016, @02:31AM
Marketing buzzwords.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 26 2016, @03:47AM
That would be M and B.