[Nettime-nl] Spinning the web

[paulv <paulv@bikkel.org>]

Spinning the web 
http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/2002Q1/web.html

Enkele quotes :

"ActivistCash.com purports to expose the "hidden" finances of activist groups, accusing them of "hypocrisy" for claiming to be grassroots
organizations while taking funding from nonprofit foundations. Yet ActivistCash.com is completely silent about its own finances. It even
boasts of not taking foundation money--as though such grants are somehow tainted compared to receiving secret cash in large bundles from
tobacco companies. "

"The lesson to be learned from examples like this, Grefe warned, is that "We are being trumped. . . . In nations around the world,
grassroots movements are being formed that will spread fast and far beyond borders. These movements will often have a decidedly
anti-American and/or anti-corporate tilt. . . . I would like to be able to assure you that the United States Congress--that Washington
itself--is still the dominant player in handling world issues. That would be reassuring to those spending millions of dollars in this
country to defeat agendas being driven by millions of people in other countries. I cannot, however, offer such assurance." "

"Other firms like Infonic have emerged that specialize in monitoring discussions on listserves, websites and Internet chat rooms. In
September 2000, for example, leaked internal company documents showed that the Sony Corporation was relying heavily on Infonic in Europe
to perform "detailed monitoring" of environmental groups groups that criticize its line of electronics products, many of which contain
toxins and are difficult to dispose of. "

"A small industry is emerging among consultants who specialize in spinning online discussions to favor the positions of companies and
interest groups," the New York Times reported in October 1999. Audrie Krause, for example, works as a consultant for AT&T but has
represented herself online as a "consumer advocate" during discussions of broadband Internet access, a subject in which AT&T has a
vested interest. 

hoi,

=paulv


-- 

 _________________________________________ 
/ Too bad when I was a kid there wasn't a \
| guy in our class that everybody called  |
| the "Cricket Boy", because I would have |
| liked to stand up in class and tell     |
| everybody, "You can make fun of the     |
| Cricket Boy if you want to, but to me   |
| he's just like everybody else." Then    |
| everybody would leave the Cricket Boy   |
| alone, and I'd invite him over to spend |
| the night at my house, but after about  |
| five minutes of that loud chirping I'd  |
| have to kick him out. Maybe later we    |
| could get up a petition to get the      |
| Cricket Family run out of town. Bye,    |
\ Cricket Boy.                            /
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        \   ^__^
         \  (oo)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
                ||----w |
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