Sock Puppeting: assuming a false identity online to promote a product or company online.
(in word-of-mouth lingo, as seen on MediaPost.com. Flickr photo by greefus groinks )
Sock Puppeting: assuming a false identity online to promote a product or company online.
(in word-of-mouth lingo, as seen on MediaPost.com. Flickr photo by greefus groinks )
It’s not just in the commercial sphere. Sock-puppeting can be used by people on web forums, assuming other identities to pretend that others agree with a certain position. It’s used a lot on Wikipedia, which makes many decisions based on the consensus of users.
It’s related to, but not identical to, Astroturfing, which is marketing-created grassroots activism, usually promoting a specific product.