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German Pranksters Spoof Google Nest At Tech Conference
phmadore writes: "Some clever German pranksters managed to put one over on a sect of the intelligentsia just the other day. In this 30-minute presentation (video) at the re:publica 2014 tech conference, activists going under the pseudonyms of Paul von Ribbeck and Gloria Spindle presented four new (and moderately credible) Google products making up the 'Google Nest': Google Trust, Google Hug, Google Bee, and Google Bye. 'We can't really guarantee that we protect your information, but we can do our very best to protect you,' says Spindle about eight minutes in. Google is reportedly rather upset about the whole affair. The conference organizers were in on the joke — the audience were clued in afterward and asked to participate in order to fool the media. For me, the discussion-worthy items here are: data insurance and the value of data."
You can't write Google is upset and then use as a source for that assertion an interview with the pranksters (who are still in character) themselves.
They couldn't fool the conference organizers, so they explained how it was clever satirical social commentary.
They couldn't fool the audience, so they explained how it was clever satirical social commentary.
The media didn't buy it either, so they explained how it was clever satirical social commentary
Is it me, or are the only people those "pranksters" managed to "put one over" themselves?
I agree. I expect to see a news item in the next six months that reads "German activitst company goes out of business after prank goes wrong" after Google's legal team sues the company into insolvency.
And if that doesn't work, don't expect to be able to have any useful google results on that company for a long long time.
Architectural plans are like computer source code with a couple of differences: You only compile once.
It was very German humor, really. Come up with four jokes and then spend the next 30 minutes explaining why they are funny.