Posters for Hire?

Hi everyone.

I hope I put this in the right place, if not, Mods, please move it to where it goes. Also, I did search and couldn''t find anything on here about it.

I came across this info awhile back (im sorry, but i forgot to save the site I was looking on where I found it and now I can't find it).

Since I'm still fairly new to this site, I was wondering if this site has these 'editorial Intelligence' or Posters for Hire? You know like politicians or other powerful people that are hiring others out to post on here for them to get information, without anybody knowing they are doing that?

Anyways it just got me to thinking that if they in fact do that on here or other sites, is what we say on here safe?

Please forgive me in advance if I am way off base here or if what I am thinking is silly.

Below is the first thing I found.

'Many know (but there are more who do not) that an industry now exists around online 'opinions'
People are PAID to post in forums just like this and thousands of others
Sometimes, it's referred to as 'Editorial Intelligence' .. whereby companies solicit contracts from industry, government, manufacturers, authors .. you name it
For a sum, these 'editorial intelligence' organisations will provide x-number of people who will post in forums, for example, in favour of the client's product or agenda
In other instances, these 'posters-for-hire' will flood the Editorial columns of online newspapers
As a certain group controls virtually all media worldwide, they play along and select the supposedly 'genuine'(not genuine at all) comments-for-pay -- whilst removing those which do not cater to the client's agenda
Overall, these 'editorial intelligence' organisations PROMISE .. GUARANTEE ... that by utilizing 'posters-for-pay' and 'comments-for-hire', etc. (particularly online, these days) that they CAN and WILL ... 'shape and form opinions'.
Again ... they PROMISE they CAN and WILL SHAPE and FORM opinions .'


Here's another link thingy mabob...

Link

PS. Mods, I am definitely NOT saying that I think that you guys have these posters for hire... Just was wondering about The Powers That Be is all.

Anyone can come here for information...anyone

The same for most every site on the internet.

Anything you write on the internet should be written with the assumption that anyone in the world can read it, and yes, use it against you.

Always be aware of this anytime that you are giving ANY sort of information.

Does this site have paid posters? Don't know and don't really care, as I can do nothing about it.

I am paid, I admit it. Next question?

My pay is the satisfaction I get in opening another's eyes.

I do have an agenda, I believe anybody posting does, to get one's views across.

The challenge is in asking a poster why they have the view they do, if the poster starts to waffle BOOM their it is.

You may be right, check out this thread.
Why do People who Ridicule Conspiracy Threorists Hang out in 911 Forums and on ATS?

Maybe the answer is bc they are paid to do so???? Or they're really bored.

-E-

[edit on 16-9-2009 by MysterE]

I read somewhere craigs list hired people for just that purpose

to Troll websites.

reply to post by MysterE


Some might be bored, and others are paid to gather information, but sometimes I think its just to get people riled up about a topic.
I love the debates I see on here, when they aren't filled with hatred, etc.
Its funny, the thread you told me about, I almost posted one similar a couple of weeks ago.
Thanks for replying.

reply to post by endisnighe


Does the person that pays you, tell you what kinds of topics they are looking for? And are you trying to get their point of view across or yours?
Just curious.

reply to post by truth/seeker


Why is there a need to troll anyways? Shouldn't we be able to come on here with out wondering if the thread will be trolled?

I've been on ATS going on five years. I'm a moderator and a member of the staff. I have never received so much as a dime from this site for my time here or the opinions I have expressed.

I volunteer my time because I believe people should have a forum free from harassment and ridicule, so that they may express themselves in what ever way they feel they must. (within the T&C's of course.)

I've told things to my ATS family that I could never express to those that are related to me by blood. I feel it's an honor to be a part of this site.

To my knowledge, ATS does not pay for opinion pieces.

Edit to add: Hook a brother up with a few of those pay sites and I might push an agenda, if the pay is right.

[edit on 16-9-2009 by mrwupy]

I can see corporate entities paying someone to post on their behalf as a way to build public opinion, getting their brand identity out there, or even perform damage control.

reply to post by notsosweet


I was being facetious. My pay, like I said, is the satisfaction I get when opening eyes. So to answer, my views.

If you look at all my posts or my threads I am very "right wing". Fiscal conservative and strict constitutionalist. I believe the only GOOD Federal government is a weak one. Pre-emptive wars are evil, if it was up to me, anyone that voted for Iraq would be in Gitmo. So to say I am a repub would be totally laughable.

I Don't doubt it, I hate seeing the threads pop up one after the other, of how to transfer images on your Iphone and or Ipod.

I wish I got paid to post on here.

That, would be awesome!

reply to post by notsosweet


when people have a legitimate thread, these people take it off topic,

derail it, and take away from the information at hand, they at times

get abusive and start name calling, what ever it takes, its called

trolling!!

reply to post by mrwupy


Well, I really do thank you for this site, without this site my hubby would not be able to contribute greatly on so many of these threads that he writes and all the great replies.

I have learned so much from this site, things I never really thought much about, and I really do like it.

I hope you didn't think I was implying that you did pay. It just surprised me when I read that people pay others to post on these sites, and was just curious about it.

In some cases, Forum Trolls are even given College Credit for posting on Forums like ATS!

College Credit for Trolling the Web

University of Oregon Offering College Credit for Pushing Obama Agenda

But if people are being paid to post on ATS I want to know where I can sign up! With the Economy being down in the dumps and the Holiday Season not too far away, I could use some spare cash doing something I enjoy right about now!

reply to post by endisnighe


Ok. Thanks for telling me...YOu didn't have a little smiley guy, so didn't know you were being facetious....

I noticed supplement company's were doing this, ... though some were more obvious than others, .... I think its an underhanded low down freakin tactic, .... and as soon as I discover a company is paying for reviews I discontinue buying ANYTHING from that brand immediately, .... reviews should be unbiased and honest..... and it pisses me off that their invading that " right" of consumers to share and compare.

But mostly I think they only use these tactics for products, books, movies, even restaurants.

i wouldnt worry about too much on this site, ... nobody really pitches anything, cept zero energy generators, haha.

You are absolutely correct they do. A few years ago I got offer a job to write in some forum (back when I did not know what a forum was and to this day this site is only one I have used) that some video game I had never played and sounded stupid was great.

It is just another form of psychological warfare we call advertising one of many threads I am writing is about this.

It can be used in many ways. For example say a product is good.
Or you can pretend to be a Christian on an atheist forum and say idiotic things, makes the atheists rally.
You can say horrific things on a blog and people will rnadomly see it and there you get advert money (from seeing banners of the site).

I would not doubt the governments do it to for their policies, ie OBAMACARE IS GREAT! or something.

Of course there are posters for hire in every nook and cranny of the internet. After Obama won the election there were several whistle blowers for example that came forward anonymously and said that it was their responsibility in the campaign office (and many others like them) to "seed" the internet virally with "positive" brainwashing about Obama so as to make it look like Mccain was losing the face off. Mccain was in fact winning for a good while but such massive amounts of Obama campaigners were secretly paid to go into every single message board, forum, and other social venues like youtube and virally and surreptitiously seed the entire internet with propaganda about how Mccain was losing and Obama was the new president and about "change" and other brainwashing and obviously their plan worked beautifully.

Think about it.

It's a brave new world. Any company, political party, or cause that Doesn't use the www. to promote it's agenda is woefully behind the times.
There is very little difference from writing advertising copy for the print media to posting or starting threads on forums; both with the same intent; to change opinions in the targeted demographic.

There are squads of NLP adepts cruising ATS as we speak.