[Wikipedia-l] Polite Thoughtful Neo-Nazis, was NSM88, deletion of user page image, personal attacks

[Tony Sidaway]

David Gerard said:
>
> Astroturfing

Astrowhat?

astroturfing - definition from jargon
  astroturfing
   n.

     1. The use of paid shills to create the impression of a popular
     movement, through means like letters to newspapers from soi-disant
     `concerned citizens', paid opinion pieces, and the formation of
     grass-roots lobbying groups that are actually funded by a PR group
     (AstroTurf is fake grass; hence the term).

     2. What an individual posting to a public forum under an assumed name
     is said to be doing.

     This term became common among hackers after it came to light in early
     1998 that Microsoft had attempted to use such tactics to forestall
     the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust action against the
     company. The maneuver backfired horribly, angering a number of state
     attorneys-general enough to induce them to go public with plans to
     join the Federal suit. It also set anybody defending Microsoft on the
     net for the accusation "You're just astroturfing!".

Oh.  I learned something new.