PR Firm Fakes Online Posters to Stunt Research

revmuddswife writes: "I always suspected that some of the soapbox lunatics I was arguing with online weren't what they made themselves out to be, but now British columnist George Monbiot has raised the issue about how Internet discussions may be undermined by Invented PR People *cue scary organ music*. The article relates to a biotech paper written by two University of Calif., Berkeley scientists, Quist and Chapela, that was retracted in Nature last month, partially on the basis of allegations on a listserver and online discussion. Monbiot looks into the identities of some of the individuals leading the criticism, and finds out that what we all know is true: nobody could be what they seem online. In fact, they might even be slimier than we suspect."

Comments

Yes its slimy, but also empowering..

[rufusdufus]

Yes PR firms can use internet as a way to anonymously persuade people to believe what their clients want them to believe.
The glorious thing is, you can to!
In the past, all they had to do influence an editor, or buy some adspace. Today, they have to influence everyone.

My opinion is this: it is unethical to try to convince people of things that you yourself believe are untrue, but that you benefit from. Ye old biblical false witness. If you truly believe something, there is nothing wrong with paying a professional writer to make your views clear. So let them spend their money.

All you have to do is hone your own writing skills and reposte vigorously.