...

Still, someone wrote into boingboing with the following:

"I can't say who I am, but I do work at a company that uses Wikipedia as a key part of online marketing strategies. That includes planting of viral information in entries, modification of entries to point to new promotional sites or "leaks" embedded in entries to test diffusion of information. Wikipedia is just a more transparent version of Myspace as far as some companies are concerned. We love it (evil laugh).

Let's not get our knickers in a twist over this.

As a wise person once told me, "Don't ever think that an ad agency's business is to sell the product to the consumer. An ad agency's business is to sell the AD to the CLIENT."

That company probably lists viral marketing via Wikipedia as one of their unique services. And charges for it. Sure, they can plant viral information in Wikipedia. But how long does it stay there? And does it have any effect in marketing products? Or is it just more "subliminal advertising?"

They say their company "uses Wikipedia." They do not say whether the results are effective.

"I can call spirits from the vasty deep."

"Why, so can I, or so can any man; But will they come when you do call for them?"

"I can plan viral marketing in the vasty Wikipedia..." "Why, so can I, or so can anyone..."

-- Daniel P. B. Smith, dpbsmith@verizon.net "Elinor Goulding Smith's Great Big Messy Book" is now back in print! Sample chapter at http://world.std.com/~dpbsmith/messy.html Buy it at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1403314063/