Knowledge Generation Bureau(KGB)

Ok, I was just watching TV with my brother and I saw a commercial for something called the Knowledge Generation Bureau. The commercial is of a man in a suit asking a woman a strange variety of questions. They are in a nondescript and otherwise empty room. The woman is answering all of the questions correctly and at the end of the commercial the man tells her "you'll do fine" or something to that effect. The screen then cuts to the words "Knowledge Generation Bureau" as a narrator says something like "Welcome to the Knowledge Generation Bureau".

The words are then shortened to: KGB and there is a website reference to KGB.com

Now, I did a lot of searches about KGB.com and the company in general, not really finding much out. I did find out that a lot of people said that the site tried to load malware onto their computers but this was after I had already been there without an attempt on my hard drive.

The site itself says that it wants to gather all the knowledge that is out "there" and place it all in one place. Kind of like wikipedia with links and has the categories: person, place, product or pleasure

Now, the commercial freaked me and my brother out just a little. I mean, why the hell would a company WANT to call themselves KGB? And when we went to the site there was a box that says "knowledge is everywhere. So is KGB".

I'm not saying I know exactly what the conspiracy is, but there is an alarmingly low rate of "knowledge" out there to find about this whole thing and the commercial did have some strange undertones to it...at least to me.

I looked for the video of the commercial but I couldn't even find that.

I saw the ad too. It was funny. My best guess is that it's a viral marketing campaign leading up to a Super Bowl ad.

Doing a Scroogle, it seems everyone is asking the same question you are. Most of the links are crap.

I don't think so. On the website it said that the company was started back in 2007, so it's not really "new" in terms of something just popping up the way it seems to have done.

reply to post by TasteTheMagick


Maybe you could post the link because I didn't find a solid link for it.

KGB

If you click on "about KGB" at the top of the page it says that it was started in 2007 as a directory assistance type of thing. However, if you actually try and do a search, there's a link in the results that says something like "How KGB works" and clicking there takes you to some more information.

What I'm more interested in is the "Knowledge Project" or why you'd want to associate yourself with that abbreviation.

i havent seen it yet (the ad)

but ya thats really bad form/taste

KGB?

very very bad form..
its very tacky

I think it is just smart 'outside the box' marketing. Come check out the 'KGB'. And your like did they really do that. No they didn't just do that. Dang now I am going to have to go see what it is all about. I wouldn't worry more than likelly just a marketing ploy. After all it made you go check and see what it was all about. Imagine how many other people done the same thing.

[edit on 7-1-2009 by Ant4AU]

reply to post by Ant4AU


This could be true, but a lot of people said that when they went there it tried to download malware. It's weird.

I don't know if I'm "worrying". But at the very least muzzleflash is right...tacky.

As I am computer illiterate, I do not no what malware is. my guess is that it is malicious. Somebody could have maliciously planted malware with the site just to be an [your explicit term here] but like I said I am really computer illiterate. My ignorance probably shows in what I just typed. I did good to just learn how to put my sig. up all by myself.

reply to post by Ant4AU


It's a very cute sig. Malware is short for "malicious software" so you inference is good. It's actually a term used for viruses and things like that aimed at damaging or disabling computer systems.

OOhoooo. Score one for me. Thank you for the education and the complament on my sig. And not making fun of me. But I guess that really could have been the plan. Find away to make shure a lot of people would go to a site and then just slam them.

reply to post by Ant4AU


It's cool. On a side note, that would really be a brilliant plan. Completely complicated, time consuming, and expensive...but damn brilliant.

reply to post by TasteTheMagick


so how much does it take to make a comercial. I am game as long as I don't have to do anything with computers.

Who cares if they called it KGB? Does that mean no one should go to the Culinary Institute of America or the Cleveland Institute of Art? Same difference, really.

If you go to their "kgb_web", it looks like a very vague Wikipedia. Their pages leave a lot to be desired.

I saw the ad tonight on VH1 during a show about the 40 greatest pranks on TV or something to that effect. It's a weird and stupid commercial, but so are Burger King and McDonalds commercials.

From their "about" section, it appears they are nothing more than a telecommunications company. The name and weird commercial were no doubt marketing ploys. Obviously it worked.

I clicked on the first link that came up and it DID try to load some crap on my computer that I had to end through the task manager... it would not stop and close even though I told it too... do not try and look this up... Someone or some company that wants to gather ALL of the information out there and put it in one place...NOT COOL..... you can have all the information you want... but you WILL NOT HAVE MINE!!!!!! too creepy bad marketing...even worse name. and even worse still acronym

reply to post by NovusOrdoMundi


I like your signature. I was just pointing it out, it is something to think on at least for a bit of amusement. As far as your CIA references, I think I'm coming from a different point of view.

Yes it does seem to be Wikipedia's dumb cousin, but there is just something bugging me about the Knowledge Project and all that.

Plus, I did a search on it here and didn't find anything else about it after all my own searches left me with a skimpy amount of actual speculation. I figured it would be nice to have something here.

The malware/knowledge project bit was the only thing that sparked a bit of a weird tone with me really.

reply to post by TasteTheMagick


I'm not sure what is up with the whole malware thing, but what I do know is the commercial appears to be professionally done, meaning it isn't like those awful local car dealership commercials we all can't stand.

So the commercial must have cost some money. That and I have now seen it on VH1 and Comedy Central, two major networks, which would also cost money.

They appear to be a real company, and a new one at that, which suggests to me they wouldn't get involved in malware until they have annoyed everyone and run their course like AOL.

reply to post by TasteTheMagick

What website??

it said the Knowledge Generation Bureau, which, after looking at Yahoo answers and about 15 seconds of the websites term and agreements, appears to be a texting Inquiry service. Maybe they could be playing on the old (KGB)-"Committee for State Security" name, or are they a functioning part of it?....


I used Verizon version like 7 times trying to find out where i could buy DVD's in a town i was staying in and it kept telling me it had no idea what i was talking about, but to be fair thats usually the same response i get here. maybe with the Kremlins Knowladge base they could hook you up with the awnsers?

But a "Ten minute" wait is too much...

[edit on 7-1-2009 by drsmooth23]

The last thing I want is a virus from this KGB site. I am not even going to the
link. But I will be checking in here for any developments.