In a February 6, 2015 TedTalk, Sharyl Attkisson explains what astroturfing is and how it affects information on the internet:
Astroturf and manipulation of media messages | Sharyl Attkisson | TEDxUniversityofNevada
Attkisson a few days earlier testified about how the Obama uses astroturfing and other intimidation methods to stifle freedom of the press and to suppress information:
Sharyl Attkisson: If You Cross Obama Admin They Will Treat You Like “Enemies Of The State”
As victims of propaganda and media of control, we should understand the obstacles that we face when trying to spread our message.
Also, there is so much astroturfing going on in U.S. politics that it is understandable that sometimes comments made by Brockers, such as below the line comments, will be misinterpreted as astroturfing.
There has been very real astroturfing or other kinds of attempts to control the message at the Isaac Brock Society. A good example was when 30 year IRS Vet was here to provide guidance.
Isn’t this what we do when we jump on article comments on mass?
@Neill
No.
@Neill, Not even close. It is not the same at all. We are the genuine victims of FATCA/CBT/FBAR/the compliance industry/OVDP, etc. If we complain in comment streams, we are the real deal. That has nothing to do with astroturfing–for which people are paid to appear as though they are grass roots, or neutral experts on a subject (but really hired by a political party, a drug company, etc.).
If I were paid by a political party or a commercial interest, I’d let you know. But the people who started Isaac Brock Society are the genuine article: all of us are the genuine victims of the US government’s expat policy.
We are coordinated and do it on mass to show our side. By doing so we inflate the apparent numbers of people harmed I think.
I might not get paid in cash but if things change I get paid back in time if the forms go away.
If even a small number of very concerned individuals through coordinated effort make their voices heard that is still not astroturfing, by definition. It is like the difference between real grass and astroturf. We are the real McCoy.
Well, here you have it. The Egg government is telling Americans how mayonnaise shouldn’t have eggs
http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2015/10/22/senator-mike-lee-fights-back-against-big-government-egg-cartel-campaign-against-small-businesses/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayonnaise
and you can see the editing war in Wiki here
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mayonnaise&action=history
We are most definitely NOT a fake grass-roots organization. As a matter of fact, we’re not an organization at all, but something more than that – a movement. Paid propagandists aren’t a movement.
Democrats Abroad is one such organization the speaker describes.
Isaac Brock Society is Grass Roots.
Democrats Abroad is Astroturf.
The difference between the two is self-evident.
Actually, it’s not self-evident in that many expats are still under the illusion that DA represents them.
One only needs to read the DA facebook feeds to figure out that there is nothing about expats, only propaganda about the homeland.
@Walt, That is why American Expatriates is also problematic. The Admins control the message, to keep off-message analysis from appearing. They called me a nutter, and worse things. This too is astroturfing.