Originally posted by: Killrose
Originally posted by: jiffylube1024
Originally posted by: SexyK
lol, you guys act like 'viral marketing' is some kind of unethical practice that nVidia should be sweeping under the carpet. Apparently none of you work at mid-to-large sized corporations, because if you did, you'd know that every company in the world is doing it. No one cares about banner ads and 30-second TV sports anymore, it's all about viral promotions online and product placements on TV. Any company that's got a marketing department worth its salt is in this business nowadays, and I can promise you that includes nVidia, ATI, Intel and AMD. You may not like it, and it's probably not good for the forums, but it's big business in 2005... honestly, to me, this 'backlash' sounds more like a way for the folks disgruntled by nVidia's recent success to 'get back' at them. 9500 Pro user and BTW, so please don't tell me i'm a fanboy, and i'm obviously not being paid since i post about once a month, if that. Just calling it like i see it...
The "everyone is doing it" excuse makes it no less unethical.
What makes it unethical is the fact that they "Do Not Want You To Know" that they ARE doing it. Some of you here may be OK with this, but I am Not, and I will lay the smack down on anyone I think is envolved in this. Yes I will Witch Hunt them. I will call them out on the table.
They must learn that THIS IS NOT THE WAY WE WANT TO DO Bussiness, nor Buy Their Product From Them.
SexyK is correct though IMHO, which means you'll have very little you are willing to purchase if every corp. involved in such practices no longer gets your biz. Unethical, yes, but since when did corporations begin to behave ethically? Perhaps some spend a great deal of money and effort on appearing to be so, but "playing dirty" is par for the course when they feel they can profit by it.
For example, product placement has been huge over the decades in motion pictures. Tobacco companies spent huge sums to make certain a leading man/woman would light up at a particular time/ponit in a movie. For a more contemporary example, check I, Robot, the first 10 minutes are one big product placement after another
😉
Now, the "seeding" or "viral" approach is more surreptitious, but I thought most adults were disenchanted/cynical enough to understand that corporations, and even goverments, are continously trying to influence them. It is everywhere, it pervades every medium we are exposed to. That isn't paranoia, that is a fact of life, as I hope you begin to understand now in face of this latest "scandal".
I too think it is unethical, underhanded, and "dirty pool", but it is
exactly what I expect from corporations, so it neither surprises me, nor finds me unprepared. What does surprise me is how many seem to think it is some devilish new tactic, and now see enemies all about them.
Nothing has changed, except perhaps you are now a little wiser, a little more cynical about this medium, and perhaps even a bit more disenchanted with Corporations.
The ramifications will include; Some will align themselves with a particular brand now, in an attempt to garner their attention and get in on the freebies. Some will now have a good old fashion McCarthy style witch hunt "already happening in this thread", Most will simply be more suspicious that they are getting nothing more from a particular post than regurgitated corporate propaganda. And for some like myself, it changes nothing, it is merely more evidence that our cynical perception of all mediums i.e. newpapers, magazines, radio, television. on-line, even many catagories of books, is both justified and warranted.
