July 10, 2004

Astroturfing?

Asa and blake recently started a drive to get Firefox users to tell c|net what they think of the browser.

aebrahim suggested that this activity counts as astroturfing. I'm not sure I agree - astroturfing is artificial grassroots - ours are genuine. :-)

But I do think I have found a case of astroturfing. This article encouraging people to switch to Firefox was apparently written by a "Paul Corkery". But, have a look, and tell me - haven't we seen this face before?

Asa Dotzler Paul Corkery

Are they related? I think we should be told.

Posted by gerv at July 10, 2004 10:27 PM
Comments

Gerv, I think you have the labels on the photos mixed up. :)

Posted by: Ali Ebrahim at July 10, 2004 11:57 PM

Ali: that's intentional. There's a satirical magazine in the UK called Private Eye. It regularly features lookalikes such as this one, and they always have the names mixed up.

You probably have to be English to find this particularly amusing. But anyway, see more examples here.

Posted by: Gerv at July 11, 2004 12:12 AM

btw Dobby doesn't look like Prince Charles...he's Vladimir Putin!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/831216/posts

Posted by: arielb at July 11, 2004 3:22 PM

Comedy is such a tricky thing...well, I got it atleast. The likeness is definitely there...long lost brothers?

Posted by: rgw at July 11, 2004 5:03 PM

Hello -

I AM the Paul Corkery in the incorrectly labeled picture -- black and white fellow with the baseball cap, and the writer of the "highly controversial" article in question. Despite our likeness, I assure you that I am of no relation to Asa. Apparently, none of you have spent much time in an IT department --- goatees and glasses are pretty common. The likeness is quite humorous.

If you require proof, please consider visiting my blog - c0rk.blogs.com -- or peruse some of my other articles at The Triangle -- Perhaps you would like to place me on Steve Jobs's payroll as well.

Thanks for the mention guys... I am flattered and amused at the same time.

- c0rk (Paul Corkery)

Posted by: c0rk at August 7, 2004 3:31 PM