So after I write about Shelfari I do a little digging and find some dirt from their competitors, taking them to task for invite spamming and astroturfing (hired PR posing as actual users) – including on my own blog. (Tsk tsk.) See LibraryThing‘s blog on the astroturfing and invite spamming, and Goodreads on the invites.
You rarely see such a public bicker on corporate blogs, and it fascinates me. First, note that it’s impossible to be 100% sure which party is right – both have a plausible story. Did Shelfari engage in unethical practices in an attempt to overtake their competition, or did a design flaw and an overeager intern leave them open to attack? Second, whether intentional or not, does astroturfing and invite spamming (and the concomitant PR hit) help or hurt a company? Right now, peeking at compete.com, I see Shelfari’s catching up to the competition. (If you trust compete.com.)
So there are two boolean variables here, both relating to Shelfari’s behavior – ‘intentional?’ and ‘worked?’ That makes four different combinations, with four different implications.
If the spamming was intentional, and it worked – no lasting PR hit, and continued growth – then you really have to hand it to the Machiavellian bastards. Not exactly admirable, but hey, the results speak for themselves, and no one ever said capitalism was pretty.
If the spamming was unintentional, but it worked, then really, you just have to laugh at their dumb luck. Unless you’re a competitor, in which case it sucks to be you.
If the spamming was intentional, but all the bad PR helps tank the site, then you’ve got a classic ‘they got what’s coming to them’ story. Justice is served, good triumphs over evil.
Finally, if the spamming was unintentional, but the bad PR still drags Shelfari down, then you’ve got a cautionary tale. Pay attention to details, respond to complaints quickly, keep tabs on your interns. Justice is served, but this is less good triumphing over evil and more competence beating down incompetence.
The number of liquidity events in the social-networking book niche is probably going to be between ‘none’ and ‘one’, so this is serious business for these companies and their investors. And I have no idea how it’s going to turn out. You know, some days I love the internet.
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