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A harassment campaign on Goodreads

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270 points ilamont | 14 comments | 06 Jan 20 20:20 UTC | HN request time: 1.538s | source | bottom
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wyldfire ◴[06 Jan 20 21:06 UTC] No.21973326[source]▶
> Not all of these fake reviews are one stars – some give five star or other highly rated ratings. The catch with these highly rated reviews is many of them are created to give the false appearance that they were written by Tomlinson to raise his own Goodreads ratings, spoofing his name and photo and sometimes even using his own copyrighted writings.

Wow, that's devious. I wonder if any of the fake product reviews I've seen are obvious fake endorsements placed there by the competition.

replies(2): >>21973501 #>>21974868 #
degenerate ◴[06 Jan 20 21:24 UTC] No.21973501[source]▶
This problem isn't one born with the internet. Think about all those "WE BUY HOUSES 4 CASH" signs you see at stop lights. Why can't the city simply look up the phone number on them and convict the business owner for breaking advertisement laws? Because there is no proof he put the sign there. It could be the competition trying to frame him! Thus, the signs are simply thrown out... and he can put new ones out tomorrow.
replies(5): >>21973565 #>>21974177 #>>21974243 #>>21975186 #>>21976871 #
1. baxtr ◴[06 Jan 20 22:35 UTC] No.21974243[source]▶
This reminds me of a related point: Almost always when I find of the "We will buy your car" cards on my car's windshield I wonder what to do with the card. I don't want to litter the streets, at the same time I never asked for the stupid card. To this day, I am still not clear what is -from a morale standpoint- the right thing to do.
replies(5): >>21974313 #>>21974377 #>>21974564 #>>21974988 #>>21975226 #
2. 9dev ◴[06 Jan 20 22:42 UTC] No.21974313[source]▶
You just put it in the nearest trash can.
3. therealx ◴[06 Jan 20 22:50 UTC] No.21974377[source]▶
I think the answer is obvious: a trash can or recycle bin. It's clear this could turn into a DDoS by them, but thankfully they havent thought like that. I'd prob backfire advertising wise anyway.
replies(1): >>21974604 #
4. bluesign ◴[06 Jan 20 23:08 UTC] No.21974564[source]▶
Main point is to do something to increase the cost of this kind of advertisement or decrease the effectiveness.

Decreasing effectiveness is kinda hard, so for short term putting on a trash can I guess, for the long run littering the street can be better option (can maybe push city to increase fines etc for this kind of advertisement)

replies(1): >>21976354 #
5. narag ◴[06 Jan 20 23:14 UTC] No.21974604[source]▶
Less obvious since I found out that my city's council taxes those cards. When the rain turns the usual dozen of flyers into a plaster that harden later with the sun, it takes a few minutes to clean at best.
replies(1): >>21975684 #
6. ◴[06 Jan 20 23:55 UTC] No.21974988[source]▶
7. matheusmoreira ◴[07 Jan 20 00:21 UTC] No.21975226[source]▶
Whatever you choose to do with the card, know that they are the ones at fault. Advertisers just swoop in, leave their garbage on people's cars and then make them clean up the mess. Why should people have to go out of their way to clean up after an advertiser?

It is moral to clean up after yourself. Cleaning up after others is a job that demands payment. Cities must tax advertisers so they can employ people to clean up after them.

replies(1): >>21980388 #
8. velosol ◴[07 Jan 20 01:14 UTC] No.21975684{3}[source]▶
File a police report for vandalism by the company?
replies(1): >>21985279 #
9. andrewflnr ◴[07 Jan 20 02:57 UTC] No.21976354[source]▶
It won't work. Not even a little bit. Just throw it away. Some things you can't fight on your own.
10. SamBam ◴[07 Jan 20 14:51 UTC] No.21980388[source]▶
Unfortunately, being an adult means sometimes doing the right thing, whether or not it's "fair."

Throw the card in the trash, like a decent human being.

replies(1): >>21992616 #
11. narag ◴[07 Jan 20 21:46 UTC] No.21985279{4}[source]▶
Vandalism? So illegal activities are now taxed instead of fined? Not that I find more logical that the council rents my car to those companies as an advertisement medium. But there's zero chance that report would be taken seriously.
replies(1): >>21994329 #
12. matheusmoreira ◴[08 Jan 20 16:08 UTC] No.21992616{3}[source]▶
Advertisers think it's okay to leave unwanted stuff on other people's property and force them sort out the mess. Roommates who did that would be told to knock it off by the people they live with. Why should people accept the same behavior from advertisers who are total strangers?

They are counting on people being decent human beings who do what they're supposed to do without complaint. That's exactly what enables them and lets them get away with their unacceptable behavior. If nobody did that, maybe the situation would become unmanageable and the city would be forced to deal with it.

The right thing to do is to put an end to all advertising. That's the true solution. Nobody's gonna do it because the money speaks much louder than right and wrong.

13. velosol ◴[08 Jan 20 18:34 UTC] No.21994329{5}[source]▶
I understood your previous comment that you're already in a situation where it's taxed; I was thinking of someway to have it cost the advertising company money even if it only serves to have them put out the flyers on sunny days.

I was thinking more as tool for insurance and/or attempting to force the company to pay for the cost of an exterior detailing of your car since they plastered something to it (with the help of the weather).

In many US areas there are online police reports for minor incidents and the purpose of the report is almost solely so that you have a record for insurance.

It may also help if you call up the company (or publicly shame them with a tweet) to ask for reimbursement for the cost of a car detailer to remove their litter from your car without damage. Having a police report means you could put it all in the hands of your insurance company who have lawyers on staff or use it as part of the negotiation with the company.

Maybe enough police reports about a given company and you could petition the council to revoke that company's ability to flyer any longer?

I know I'm probably dreaming that it would make a difference. The only time I've had an experience with this a friend used twitter and got a public apology from the company along with some monetary compensation around the removal of the ink residue from the windshield.

replies(1): >>21995692 #
14. narag ◴[08 Jan 20 20:54 UTC] No.21995692{6}[source]▶
It seems there's a huge culture difference here. Not trying to criticize the US way, I guess it works for you, congrats! Here I would be laughed at, unfortunately.

People that put the flyers on the windshields are just a step from insolvency, so no use to go against them. The "company" behind them, just a little step up the food chain.