Nvidia's "Manchurian Fans" shill for gear [Update]

Nvidia is awesome! Everyone should rush out and buy all their products.

Until it stops working, they won't care what we think.

I'm getting sick of the way advertising increasingly invasive like this. I make it a point to avoid products whose advertising campaigns I think are overly intrusive when I can.

This whole "scandal" is a lie perpetuated by ATI fanboy plants...

I covered this on my blog yesterday.

http://spaces.msn.com/matthewrerickson/blog/cns!2BFBD01D9C369EFA!165.entry

Basically, we need to stop this "PR" behavior right now as it cheapens the value of open "forums."

"This whole "scandal" is a lie perpetuated by ATI fanboy plants..."

...and the "Liberal Media" must be to blame too, right?

d4rk element

How do I know you're not one of them Nvidia dude they're talking about??? This has really hurt the credibility of forums and blogs.

Personally I think we need to call these plants what they are: con men(and women)

The way I see it, this is a corporation paying people on a large scale to lie to and mislead people. If you look up "Ethics, lack of" you'll find this cited as an example.

Christopher,
Since I wasn't contacted by your publication (nor was anyone else at AEG or NVIDIA) prior to the publishing of your article above, I'd like to take the time to point out some facts:

When the Elite Bastards article was originally written, it was filled with non-truths and based on rumors. From there, somehow, it was passed on as "fact" and posted on The Consumerist.

Please see the updated article on The Consumerist, based on actual conversations with AEG and NVIDIA, regarding this feedback program. The program, I assure you, is far less nefarious than your rather damaging article/blog above claims it to be. These members were not "paid in hardware" as your article states, but sent hardware to give us (NVIDIA through AEG) feedback, positive or negative, regarding their experience with it. They were never told what to say, nor did they sign any document forbidding them to discuss their relationship with NVIDIA or AEG. They are not actors: they were real, informed, hardware enthusiasts that could help us further understand what it was the community wanted from hardware vendors.

Here is the link to the updated and revised Consumerist article:

http://www.consumerist.com/consumer/evil/nvidia-focus-group-member-details-hidden-program-153378.php

I hope, for journalistic integrity's sake, you do the same as Joel and update your blog. To aid you in your research, I have included a copy of the AEG statement, which was published in entirety earlier this week on Shacknews (see below) and a link to one of the member's posts on Beyond3d forums.

http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showpost.php?p=691810&postcount=575

Thanks,
Stephanie Schopp
AEG


"It has been brought to our attention that there is some confusion regarding AEG’s relationship with NVIDIA Corporation; specifically that AEG has been retained by NVIDIA for “hiring employees to shill for clients on online discussion forums,” as recently stated by The Consumerist.

While there are agencies that engage in the practice of paying consumers for their opinions, it is not—and never has been—a practice of the Arbuthnot Entertainment Group. We do work to solicit the opinions of the community for NVIDIA. The names of those individuals whom we solicit opinions from are not made public in order to assure the quality and honesty of feedback from consumers. Furthermore, we take this precaution so that they, the enthusiast, are not barraged with unqualified individuals inquiring about participating.

AEG has found that monitoring forums and reporting to NVIDIA problems, bugs or fixes mentioned by members of the online community is a far more honest and effective way for NVIDIA to be aware of the needs of its customers. It is not our goal to direct public opinion; we monitor discussion in the community as a way to seek feedback from consumers, be it positive or negative, so NVIDIA can improve its current and future products. It is the ongoing opinions of the hardware community that direct the hardware vendors, not the other way around."