Shills around lately

[mojo]

I've been seeing shills on our forum and alot of other places lately. We just remove them. Some are so obvious it can be quite amusing. Usually whoever is posting the enthusiastic reply to buy whatever is being sold is seldom a regular poster and often it's their 1st post. Most readers can see right through them luckily.

Shill definition from Wikipedia:

A shill is an associate of a person selling goods or services or a political group, who pretends no association to the seller/group and assumes the air of an enthusiastic customer. The intention of the shill is, using crowd psychology, to encourage others unaware of the set-up to purchase said goods or services or support the political group's ideological claims. Shills are often employed by confidence artists and governments.

The word "shill" is probably related to "shilliber", or alternatively "shillaber", a word of obscure early-20th century origin with the same meaning. One possible explanation for the origin of the word is the English name "Shillibeer". George Shillibeer was an entrepreneur who developed the first commercial bus service in the UK. Shillibeer was believed to employ confederates who could help him solicit more customers for his bus line.

In the UK the term plant is used, being similar with the North American 'shill' in many instances, referring to having someone planted in the audience or in a crowd, or 'to plant drugs' (on someone).

Shilling is illegal in many circumstances and in many jurisdictions because of the frequently fraudulent and damaging character of their actions. However, if a shill does not place uninformed parties at a risk of loss, but merely generates “buzz,” the shill's actions may be legal. For example, a person planted in an audience to laugh and applaud when appropriate (see "claque") or to participate in on-stage activities as a "random member of the audience", is a type of legal shill.

'Shill' can also be used pejoratively to describe a critic who appears either all-too-eager to heap glowing praise upon mediocre offerings, or who acts as an apologist for glaring flaws. In this sense, they would be an implicit 'shill' for the industry at large, as their income is tied to its prosperity.

[Doolally]

I've noticed a few forums having these kinds of problems recently. They are generally very easy to spot but one or two or them are very cleverly disguised.

[kwblue]

Yep - seeing the same thing on a lot of forums... Some here, some at CAP, some in my own forums.

They are annoying.

[pgaming]

Must admit not familiar with the word “shill”, thanks mojo. Is this word interchangeable with people who have private agendas? If so I must agree there seems to be a lot of this going around lately.

I see it here or there and is a pretty disgusting way of doing professional business.

greek39

[kwblue]

I knew what shil meant, but actually always used the word Plant instead (even though I am from the US).

Basically, the type of shil I have been seeing lately are these types:


Marketer: Hey, I have this great product xxxxx that you should all take advantage of! I am offering 2% revenue sharing with $1 additional CPA per player

Shil: Wow - that is a great idea Marketer! I wish I would have come up with such an awesome plan! I will sign up right away



That's the kind of crap that you'll see lately.

[mojo]

Must admit not familiar with the word “shill”, thanks mojo. Is this word interchangeable with people who have private agendas? If so I must agree there seems to be a lot of this going around lately.

I see it here or there and is a pretty disgusting way of doing professional business.

greek39

Yes greek it can be used for anything from selling ice to eskimos or pushing your opinions on Paris Hilton. Some are harmless..I knew a forum owner who created one for her slow board to post "have a nice day".

I simply hire you follow me around forums to praise me or argue a point for me as kwblue said. Sometimes I may want you to post first so I can reply and tell you how wonderful me and my product/views are.