You may have heard of the monicker, "netroots". It's used to define bloggers who emerged "organically" online --without any intervention of mainstream media or political institutions-- and have been transformed into a powerhouse of meshed political interests. That may be a bit debatable in some cases, yet it's clear that many digital grassroots movements have indeed started without the intervention of corporate or political interests.
Which is why the word astroturfing [1] was invented. Originally it was used to define how a company or interest group would deliberately open up webiste or blog to make make it look as if a random citizen is advocating their cause. Nowadays you can find such activity in forums, discussion lists and in the recent astroturfing scandal, tampering with Wikipedia [2].
Now we have the potential astroturfing shenanigans of a certain Mr. Caputo. To say that there's more than a few things I love about this whole drama, is to put it mildly.
- It proves the internet and its technologies don't take on political biases ---it's how we use and implement these technologies that lead to bias.
- I find it hysterical that republicans in New York have to resort to faux grassroots communications efforts. If anything, Caputo has been doing what Spitzer should have done all along --use grassroots measures in order to tackle the monstrous roadblocks to reform.
- No internet deed goes on anonymously and/or pseudonymously for too long. If you give recourse for someone to out you because you've pissed them off, believe you me, you will be outed in a New York minute.
- If it smells like astroturf, tastes like astroturf and feels like astroturf, you will probably find a political or corporate interest behind the plastic and manufactured grassroots dissent.
In short, there is nothing like transparency. Own up to your opposition research and/or shenanigans from the start and build your grassroots support the old-fashioned way : networking.
Anyway, it's nice to see the guys do some investigative reporting for a change.
Of course, it's not that we want journalists' jobs [3]. It's just that we have to sometimes step in and do the work they almost invariably fail to do ---to ask the right questions [4]. It's something that is becoming tragically common when it involves local news and politics.
Here's a recap of what's behind the resent astroturf war :
The strange case of the anonymous emails [5]
Brand Spitzer [6]
The Strange Case Of Michael Caputo [7]
Bruno, Stone and Caputo: Emailgate [8]
Caputo Responds [9]
Emailgate hits the MSM [10]
About the W. J. Mahoney Club [11]
[12] | 
[13] | 
[14] | 
[15] | 
[16] | 
[17] | 
[18] | 
[19] | 
[20]