"AMD's role in Stealth Viral Marketing - Q&A" source ABT link inside

[Idontcare]

Yes, a good thread from China. Where anyone repeating the $300 price tag was automatically banned.

:thumbsdown:

From what I have gathered, the "chiphell/NV viral marketing" is snakeoil as well, completely unfounded unsubstantiated claims of a symptom-and-disease. :hmm:

I am glad we had a chance to discuss the premise of both topics here in VC&G, but I hope folks' memories are NOT short-term and the next time this sort of baseless witch-hunting starts to ramp up again people will remember just how pointless (but easy to generate) it can be. :|

 

[T2k]

For the love of God, Idontcare, close this junk topic already.

 

[GaiaHunter]

OK, you guys busted me. I'm a viral marketer. I haven't performed any viral marketing activities yet since I wanted to blend into these forums first. To put some distance between registering and the start of my viral marketing activities. Now that carefully laid out plan and been put to waste. I shall hang my head in shame.

Yeah, but who are you shilling for?

AMD, NVIDIA, Intel, some high-end hardware shop or the "I can't control the urges to spend my money" recovery clinic?

The folks over at 3dfx aren't going to be happy once I tell them I've been discovered.

EDIT: 3dfx, that is NVIDIA - I knew it!

 

[ultimatebob]

Let me go on record stating that my brand loyalty IS for sale, AMD and Nvidia!

If you send me a top of the line gaming rig with two or three of your latest video cards in SLI/Crossfire, I promise that I'll give it a glowing review and tell everyone here how awesome your product is!

Hell... if you send me another gaming rig with your competitor's products in it, I'll even try to find a few bad things to say about it for good measure.

So, do we have a deal, guys?

Hoping to be your future corporate Shill,
Ultimatebob

 

[railven]

Interesting...let me put my tin foil hat on:

All it goes to show is that viral marketing is carried on by "friends" - friends of someone in marketing at Nvidia or at AMD - someone trusted. And Rollo was poisoning ABT's relationship with Nvidia just as a viral shill or shills at ATF VC&G has done between ABT and AMD recently.

i trapped Rollo as i could tell what was happening. i started posting weird stuff about Nvidia on ABT's forum. i said Nvidia was "on shaky ground" - but my context clearly showed that i was talking about Nvidia's HQ and their foundry TSMC both being on a major earthquake fault. And my Nvidia PR contact actually quoted that to me in an email as he was wondering what the hell was happening with me. They actually cut us off just as AMD is doing now - because they believed their friends who monitor the tech site and forums for them.

i was lucky to be able to appeal to a far higher official inside Nvidia who considered the evidence and Rollo never came back. And relations improved between ABT and Nvidia.

Makes me wonder if he's trying his luck again. He's already stated this is going to go on the main site:

Sure - all they need to do is make their Viral Marketing to the tech site forums transparent. AMD would then also meet the standard of ethics of advertising responsibly. i would love to make this our article's conclusion and we could just leave the finished or unfinished article on the forum instead of publishing it on the main site.

Add to the fact - I haven't seen this being discussed any where else BUT ABT and ATF. You'd figure if a journalist has a scoop they'd spread the word, more interest, more chance of it getting it's message across.

Unless I don't visit enough tech sites/forums.

Fish expedition - seems like it. Let's see if he catches a big one.

 

[Grooveriding]

From what I have gathered, the "chiphell/NV viral marketing" is snakeoil as well, completely unfounded unsubstantiated claims of a symptom-and-disease. :hmm:

I am glad we had a chance to discuss the premise of both topics here in VC&G, but I hope folks' memories are NOT short-term and the next time this sort of baseless witch-hunting starts to ramp up again people will remember just how pointless (but easy to generate) it can be. :|

Wrong.

The chiphell thread is based on one of the people who run Chiphell having said they had to remove users and posters based on what they felt was suspicious posting styles from newly joined members. It was also relevant enough that two other mainstay hardware tech sites picked up on it and reported it. I see no site anywhere paying the trash this thread is the subject of any interest, just this one, in a forum thread no less.

This thread is a troll thread by a poster here who has displayed a continued need to post this same topic here time and again. With links to the ravings of what seems to be a nut making direct accusations against the members of the forum here, with no evidence.

On the surface you can say they are the same because they are both related to viral marketing, but underneath the surface they are completely different. Your lumping together is irresponsible and ignoring the context.

I don't like the sounds of your wording and it sounds like 'well we'll get rid of this refuse laden thread created on hyperbole but we're going to have to get rid of this other one because it keeps things fair' This thread deserves no balance or respect in process and should of been nuked from orbit long ago.

Just look at it, this is reminiscent of a Rollo thread with the number of people who have expressed their disgust with it and gotten infractions for what were correct sentiments.

In fact looking at this thread there is no one who saw any worth in the OP. It's almost universal disdain except from a few posters, almost all of who seem to be the ones who are also posting on ABT and participating in this garbage.

 

[notty22]

From what I have gathered, the "chiphell/NV viral marketing" is snakeoil as well, completely unfounded unsubstantiated claims of a symptom-and-disease. :hmm:

I am glad we had a chance to discuss the premise of both topics here in VC&G, but I hope folks' memories are NOT short-term and the next time this sort of baseless witch-hunting starts to ramp up again people will remember just how pointless (but easy to generate) it can be. :|

I agree, so another forum, a foreign one that is in Chinese banned someone.
We have people hanging on and interpreting mish mash badly translated garbled sentences and turning in to their FACTS.
edit: I could live without any more threads from chiphell, but there have been a couple more already. It's impossible to guage from badly translated sentences what is solid/good information.

 

[96Firebird]

Blah blah blah...

Wrong. Just because two other sites wanted to get hits too, does not make it true. Chiphell banned on assumptions with no proof, and you know what happens when you assume...

 

[Grooveriding]

Wrong. Just because two other sites wanted to get hits too, does not make it true. Chiphell banned on assumptions with no proof, and you know what happens when you assume...

Your posts are worthless and you clearly are aware of that yourself as I've seen you many times just edit out completely someone's comments so you can respond without and sort of intelligent or properly formed rebuttal. Not going to give any weight to the replies of someone who needs to give themselves a handicap when trying to refute someone else.

In short, continued logic fail and total fail as always from you.

 

[96Firebird]

Your posts are worthless and you clearly are aware of that yourself as I've seen you many times just edit out completely someone's comments so you can respond without and sort of intelligent or properly formed rebuttal.

In short, continued logic fail and total fail as always from you.

Lol, you seem to have a problem with me telling you straight. It will continue as long as you're wrong.

And nice try on the deflection.

I don't like to quote whole blocks of worthless text, saves forum space.

 

[Grooveriding]

Lol, you seem to have a problem with me telling you straight. It will continue as long as you're wrong.

And nice try on the deflection.

I don't like to quote whole blocks of worthless text, saves forum space.

So once again you confirm exactly what I've said and continue down your path of obtuseness. You make it too easy.

 

[chimaxi83]

Your posts are worthless and you clearly are aware of that yourself as I've seen you many times just edit out completely someone's comments so you can respond without and sort of intelligent or properly formed rebuttal. Not going to give any weight to the replies of someone who needs to give themselves a handicap when trying to refute someone else.

In short, continued logic fail and total fail as always from you.

+10 to this, super annoying that what people are responding to gets deleted in the quote, but its still quoted. What's the point? Thought it was only ignorant children who use "blah blah blah" to argue their points.

Its pretty obvious here that the ABT team is all who cares about any of the ramblings of the "article" author. Amazed this is still open when there's been nothing of substance from OP or apoppin, literally from page 1.

 

[MrK6]

Lol, you seem to have a problem with me telling you straight. It will continue as long as you're wrong.

And nice try on the deflection.

I don't like to quote whole blocks of worthless text, saves forum space.

Wait, people are wrong in your world because they actually post an opinion and not some drivel?

Having evidence and choosing to not make it public are two very different things. The ABT posting is clearly a hissy fit and despite trying to heal a bruised ego from being rejected, just ends up looking more pathetic. Chiphell didn't sensationalize anything, and the fact that their cleaning house is news shows their importance in the community.

Also, can we get this locked already?

 

[96Firebird]

+10 to this, super annoying that what people are responding to gets deleted in the quote, but its still quoted. What's the point? Thought it was only ignorant children who use "blah blah blah" to argue their points.

Its pretty obvious here that the ABT team is all who cares about any of the ramblings of the "article" author. Amazed this is still open when there's been nothing of substance from OP or apoppin, literally from page 1.

I wasn't aware I was a member of his forums, I should go register over there to make sure you're right about this, and not just assuming. :sneaky:

There, I kept your whole quote just to make sure I wasn't being "super annoying". The point to deleting a wall of text is because not everyone likes to scroll through the same nonsense 3 or 4 times one on page. There is this little button people can click if they are confused about which post I was quoting, right next to the username in the quote. How wonderful!

Wait, people are wrong in your world because they actually post an opinion and not some drivel?

The same can be said for Grooveriding, who said IDC was "wrong". Where is your scolding towards him?

 

[Quantos]

The concept of internet anonymity comes in play here. We don't know who people on forums are. While still being reasonable, most things that people say should be taken with a grain of salt.

Now, going around accusing people of being actually paid by any company is a dangerous behavior. It's not very hard to see if a person is fair or not. I have a hard time imagining that certain companies would actually pay people to be unfair. That said, I wouldn't be outraged to know that companies sign up accounts and post pro-themselves content on hardware forums. It's cheap marketing, yes, but it's probably quite useful.

The lesson to learn of all that is that you cannot trust entirely anyone, especially on the internet. I know some of the websites out there favor either AMD or Nvidia. That doesn't stop me from visiting them, though. Why? Because I know that I cannot trust everything that everyone says. That's why I visit multiple sites in the first place. Averaging out the overall feeling usually delivers the best opinion.

I don't like to quote whole blocks of worthless text, saves forum space.

Perhaps you should quote as "blah, blah, blah", it does make it sound like you don't care what the person said.

 

[blastingcap]

Thread was reopened to allow keys to defend himself against accusations that he leaked IP info as a mod. Given that he has apparently abandoned this thread and seems to have no intention of coming back, and the investigation of whether or not he leaked IP info is outside of this thread, I'm not sure what the point of this thread is, now.

 

[Idontcare]

Wrong.

The chiphell thread is based on one of the people who run Chiphell having said they had to remove users and posters based on what they felt was suspicious posting styles from newly joined members. It was also relevant enough that two other mainstay hardware tech sites picked up on it and reported it. I see no site anywhere paying the trash this thread is the subject of any interest, just this one, in a forum thread no less.

This thread is a troll thread by a poster here who has displayed a continued need to post this same topic here time and again. With links to the ravings of what seems to be a nut making direct accusations against the members of the forum here, with no evidence.

On the surface you can say they are the same because they are both related to viral marketing, but underneath the surface they are completely different. Your lumping together is irresponsible and ignoring the context.

I don't like the sounds of your wording and it sounds like 'well we'll get rid of this refuse laden thread created on hyperbole but we're going to have to get rid of this other one because it keeps things fair' This thread deserves no balance or respect in process and should of been nuked from orbit long ago.

Just look at it, this is reminiscent of a Rollo thread with the number of people who have expressed their disgust with it and gotten infractions for what were correct sentiments.

In fact looking at this thread there is no one who saw any worth in the OP. It's almost universal disdain except from a few posters, almost all of who seem to be the ones who are also posting on ABT and participating in this garbage.

Do you read Chinese?

Have you read the chiphell thread firsthand, pm'ed its OP to determine the level of due process he went through in determining and verifying that those he has accused of being Nvidia viral marketing are in fact what he accuses them to be?

Or are you just taking it on blind faith that what other's are claiming, without demonstrating proof, to be fact enough to parrot as if it were proven? Perpetuating a witch-hunt, joining the mob while raising your pitchfork high into the air...

I believe you truly do not get the irony, the hypocrisy, of your outrage expressed over the implications that ABT and Apoppin were painting you to be a shill and yet you are right there in the thick of it supporting accusations in kind against individuals in another forum on a Chinese website. Individuals who have been tried in the court of public opinion, the very same court that you nearly fell victim to yourself.

I see little difference between the pretext of either discussions in these sister threads.

What I do see is that the discussions themselves are effective tools in exposing pre-existing bias and prejudice that reside within certain members of this forum.

And for that information I think it was worth leaving both threads open. It has been enlightening to me at a personal level. I have learned much, as well as being reminded of just how biased and blind people can be even when it hits as close to home as possible.

 

[blackened23]

Summary: 6 users circle jerking each other congratulating each other over their speculation of shills. 1 Article from 2006. bla bla bla. No worthwhile hardware
reviews or tech stuff in the past several months.
Its pretty funny hearing of their "relations" with nvidia/amd...pretty sure if he emailed anyone they'd be like "ABT? Who's that? Crickets"

Close it down IDC, close both threads down.

 

[ArchAngel777]

The concept of internet anonymity comes in play here.

I can't wait till we get rid of that aspect of the Internet. A good way to find out how decent a person is, is to give them anonomity and see what they do with it. Many people would get a beat down if they acted this way in normal life, hence is holds them back. Having consquences beyond a screen name getting banned is what we need...

 

[Madcatatlas]

What an absolute ass of a mess eh? Someone should not have been given the keys to this place all this time. Ill take Virges word on my IP adress not having been given out by a mod, but the fact it could have been done, by someone with bad motives, makes me feel unhappy.

And i would echo Grooveridings very well thought out post above. How much of this can one person or a few people spew out before we "have had enough"?

sad really.

 

[blackened23]

What an absolute ass of a mess eh? Someone should not have been given the keys to this place all this time. Ill take Virges word on my IP adress not having been given out by a mod, but the fact it could have been done, by someone with bad motives, makes me feel unhappy.

And i would echo Grooveridings very well thought out post above. How much of this can one person or a few people spew out before we "have had enough"?

sad really.

The only thing i'll say on this issue is that its impossible to prove. After seeing who viewed my profile in the previous days, pretty neat though. Whatever. Oh yeah, come have lunch with me at Fuddruckers in greensboro NC today and tell me what an AMD shill I am. I'm still waiting on IDC to send me a paycheck for shilling. He's in charge of human resources (and yes i'm kidding jebus christ)

 

[Quantos]

I can't wait till we get rid of that aspect of the Internet. A good way to find out how decent a person is, is to give them anonomity and see what they do with it. Many people would get a beat down if they acted this way in normal life, hence is holds them back. Having consquences beyond a screen name getting banned is what we need...

Well, the problem is that we have no real way to confirm who we are. It wouldn't necessarily be a good thing to require that either. In order to have constructive, interesting conversation on forums, it's not needed that we know each other's names, for instance. However, knowing each other's names would also be useless information. There's also virtually no way of knowing if a person is working for a particular company. After all, what's the different between having a conversation on a forum, and having a conversation in a bar? No information about the other person is required in either case, and the end result is that you can't entirely trust anybody.

 

[Vesku]

This thread and the Chiphell NVIDIA thread are about equal in their lack of substance. Probably should leave these two open just so there is a place for baseless GPU vendor rants.

 

[MrK6]

Do you read Chinese?

Have you read the chiphell thread firsthand, pm'ed its OP to determine the level of due process he went through in determining and verifying that those he has accused of being Nvidia viral marketing are in fact what he accuses them to be?

Or are you just taking it on blind faith that what other's are claiming, without demonstrating proof, to be fact enough to parrot as if it were proven? Perpetuating a witch-hunt, joining the mob while raising your pitchfork high into the air...

I believe you truly do not get the irony, the hypocrisy, of your outrage expressed over the implications that ABT and Apoppin were painting you to be a shill and yet you are right there in the thick of it supporting accusations in kind against individuals in another forum on a Chinese website. Individuals who have been tried in the court of public opinion, the very same court that you nearly fell victim to yourself.

I see little difference between the pretext of either discussions in these sister threads.

What I do see is that the discussions themselves are effective tools in exposing pre-existing bias and prejudice that reside within certain members of this forum.

And for that information I think it was worth leaving both threads open. It has been enlightening to me at a personal level. I have learned much, as well as being reminded of just how biased and blind people can be even when it hits as close to home as possible.

IDC, I feel you're missing a much larger picture of context here, and have been caught in the trap that many ABT forum members sprung here, namely that apoppin's "article" has the same merit as the chiphell forum post.

Chiphell's post was never meant to sensationalize or market anything, unlike apoppin's. Simply put, they mods noticed some shenanigans and dealt with it accordingly. Do you or any of the other mods publicly and specifically spell out disciplinary action that you take against individuals? No, so why would you expect Chiphell to? As I said, the fact that this was news on other tech sites just points to the high regard Chiphell holds in the community, especially regarding their rumors/leaks/inside info. Do you really think there's a big AMD conspiracy over there or that they were acting legitimately? For what it's worth, one of my good friends can read Chinese fluently (she's Chinese) and basically summarized what was taken from the translation anyway, so I don't think we're missing much.

In contrast, take a look at apoppin's article. The only reason anyone is reading it is because Keysplayr posted it over here. Also look at the context and the voice of the original post, and how it was followed through in the thread. It's come to light that AMD snubbed apoppin for reviews, and he "suddenly" decides to write an article to disclose a supposed viral marketing campaign that took place over five years ago? Furthermore, not only has he not followed through with proof or reason, he's reversed his initial stance and acerbity and rather downplayed his initial assertions once he was called out. Also, Keysplayr has yet to come in to defend the piece he felt was so important to post. You don't see a discrepancy or at least the irony? It seems this was all a knee-jerk reaction by the NVIDIA focus group to downplay the damage the Chiphell actions have caused.

 

[Madcatatlas]

I believe you truly do not get the irony, the hypocrisy, of your outrage expressed over the implications that ABT and Apoppin were painting you to be a shill and yet you are right there in the thick of it supporting accusations in kind against individuals in another forum on a Chinese website. Individuals who have been tried in the court of public opinion, the very same court that you nearly fell victim to yourself.

Excuse me, i aware there might be a loss in translation here, but this is ridiculous as far as sane behaviour goes. Do you expect him to lay low to divert attention away from himself? What exactly is the hipocrisy or the irony in standing up and saying: look at these people accusing me of being some ringleader shill?

Did he accuse them first? no.

He nearly fell victim to the same court? what in Gods name is this about? Excuse me for backing up someone who is perceived by most people here as a hardware entusiast with a leveled opinion and balanced view.

I think ill leave this forum and join apoppins now, there must be some truth to his "ATF is full of AMD kneejerking crowd" when you fall into such a hollow defence against someone who as said above was the focus target for this crap.