Nvidia "Forum Influencer Program*" *in search of the real name

[[GSV]Trig]

Such is the internet world we now live in eh, I had a similar discussion with someone a few weeks back about a legit review site where you could review products and companies etc, and the bottom line was you could build it up and build reputation etc, and then sell it on for enough money to do something else with and then just wash your hands of it...

[jimbouk]

I guess now with all the paid promotions on social media there is at least apparent regulation for it. Plenty of people still operate outside of it though, and it only appears to be a slap on the wrist when even the big names break the rules.

[TAKTAK]

Whilst trying to come across some of Rollo's posts again, I inadvertently stumbled across this which I don't recall in the slightest:

On the first day of Hexmas,
DR and PD sent to me,
a Saracen MegaPost©™.

On the second day of Hexmas,
DR and PD sent to me,
Hexus tv beta,
And a Saracen MegaPost©™.

On the third day of Hexmas,
DR and PD sent to me,
Matty makes a comeback,
Hexus tv beta,
And a Saracen MegaPost©™.

On the fourth day of Hexmas,
DR and PD sent to me,
a swathe of new users,
Matty makes a comeback,
Hexus tv beta,
And a Saracen MegaPost©™.

On the fifth day of Hexmas,
DR and PD sent to me,
Neck Clicker clicking!
a swathe of new users,
Matty makes a comeback,
Hexus tv beta,
And a Saracen MegaPost©™.

On the sixth day of Hexmas,
DR and PD sent to me,
JK going elsewhere,
Neck Clicker clicking!
a swathe of new users,
Matty makes a comeback,
Hexus tv beta,
And a Saracen MegaPost©™.

On the seventh day of Hexmas,
DR and PD sent to me,
Zak's kiddies veggies,
JK going elsewhere,
Neck Clicker clicking!
a swathe of new users,
Matty makes a comeback,
Hexus tv beta,
And a Saracen MegaPost©™.

On the eighth day of Hexmas,
DR and PD sent to me,
Rollo being Rollo...,
Zak's kiddies veggies,
JK going elsewhere,
Neck Clicker clicking!
a swathe of new users,
Matty makes a comeback,
Hexus tv beta,
And a Saracen MegaPost©™.

On the ninth day of Hexmas,
DR and PD sent to me,
A forum for the parents,
Rollo being Rollo...,
Zak's kiddies veggies,
JK going elsewhere,
Neck Clicker clicking!
a swathe of new users,
Matty makes a comeback,
Hexus tv beta,
And a Saracen MegaPost©™.

On the tenth day of Hexmas,
DR and PD sent to me,
A quintuplet of new mods,
A forum for the parents,
Rollo being Rollo...,
Zak's kiddies veggies,
JK going elsewhere,
Neck Clicker clicking!
a swathe of new users,
Matty makes a comeback,
Hexus tv beta,
And a Saracen MegaPost©™.

On the eleventh day of Hexmas,
DR and PD sent to me,
A trip around Japan,
A quintuplet of new mods,
A forum for the parents,
Rollo being Rollo...,
Zak's kiddies veggies,
JK going elsewhere,
Neck Clicker clicking!
a swathe of new users,
Matty makes a comeback,
Hexus tv beta,
And a Saracen MegaPost©™.

On the twelfth day of Hexmas,
DR and PD sent to me,
Knoxehs weekly roundup,
A trip around Japan,
A quintuplet of new mods,
A forum for the parents,
Rollo being Rollo...,
Zak's kiddies veggies,
JK going elsewhere,
Neck Clicker clicking!
a swathe of new users,
Matty makes a comeback,
Hexus tv beta,
And a Saracen MegaPost©™.

*Clearly stolen from Stew and ruined by me

Neck clicker

[[GSV]Trig]

I guess now with all the paid promotions on social media there is at least apparent regulation for it. Plenty of people still operate outside of it though, and it only appears to be a slap on the wrist when even the big names break the rules.

That's the problem with paid ads on YT, people can post pretty much any old headline-grabbing, clickbait BS crap that they like to get the click thru's and get paid on it, that then, for some reason makes them "internet famous"...

[Saracen999]

Such is the internet world we now live in eh, I had a similar discussion with someone a few weeks back about a legit review site where you could review products and companies etc, and the bottom line was you could build it up and build reputation etc, and then sell it on for enough money to do something else with and then just wash your hands of it...

Yeah, though that kind of opportunity, like many, tends to work best if you get inon the ground floor. Or maybe first floor.

I doubt it would work, and certainly not be easy, if someone tried it today. There's so much stuff out there, and to be worth selling (IMHO, of course) you have to have something buyers want, which is usually being able to influence consumers into buying whatever manufacturers are trying to flog.

In that sense, the schtick is the same as celebrities (like, oh, premiere league footballers flogging underwar) advertising products on TV, and though the medium is different and the model different, it is again the same schtick as social media influencers.

The difference between that and what I would call "proper" reviews is that the proper review is paid for by condumers, via buying or subscribing to mag's etc, whereas TV 'celeb' endorsements are pure advertising, paid for by someone selling products.

Social media "influencers", to be fair, could be either. An opinion could be impartial and honest, or it could merely be bought. I'm not condemning all 'influencers'.

It's worth noting that magazines also get paid by advertisers, and those advertisers will often include the same companies that are getting products reviewed. I can only speak of that in relation to my experiences iin that regard, but that experience is that not once, ever, in print media, online media and others, did I ever have a single conversation with anyone on the advertising side.

Also, as often (though not always, due to pen names) my actual name was on articles, I always read through printed copies of my work to see if anything had changed. Not much had, and while there was an occasional trimming of wordcount, and a rare rewording of aa sentence, never did they amount to changing the overall tone of the piece, either negatively or positively. I would have been very unhappy if they had, beecause my name was on it.

Even then, there's been a healthy degree of scepticism, even cynicism, about magazine "reviews" .... mostly unjustified. There were, of course, sometimes reviewers that just, well, weren't very good. Whether that was lack of expertise in assessing, or in writing, or something more insidious, I don't know. I did occasionally read a review that said a product did or didn't do something or other, that I knew to be incorrect, because I had the same product to review. Generally, those names didn't last long.

Part of the problem, IMHO, with "influencers" is twofold :-

- as they are often either a VERY small team, or a single person, there is inadequate separation between the opinion writer, and the business person negotiating payment (whether money, or in kind) and it's often the same person, and

- lack of clarity (and sometimes honesty) about exactly what the influencer gets out of it.

Which means anyone being influenced by influencers needs to think about their motivation. And source of income.

Oh, and just how much of their income or wealth comes from the social media posts. If a premiere league footballer does an advert, the importance of that fee is minimal, whereas if someone is an unknown, other than as an influencer, that income could well be 100% of their income.

Which is why, personally, I'd be entirely in favour of a LOT more transparency, backed at least by regulation if not primary legislation, on exactly what an influencer gets out of it, and who they get it from.

[Zhaoman]

Neck Clicker haha, another legend of the ages...

[treacle1]

It shoudl be objective.

[Pob255]

Hello Madduck and wow you've brought back memories.

I remember arguing with Rollo, even though I'm generally an nvidia fan, he was constantly trying to push 3d (the new nvidia feature) and downplay eyefinity when eyefinity was what people wanted and the mid range amd cards were much better deal