He (or she) said:
Cyen, the "Save the Internet" site seems "fishy" because it is just that. In trying to promote their agenda, the folks over at STI have conveniently over-simplified many aspects of the net neutrality debate and totally omitted other aspects that proved particularly troublesome to their position. For a more comprehensive understanding of the issues surrounding net neutrality, I'd encourage you to visit my coalition's website at HandsOff.org.
Well, I took a gander to see what HandsOff.org had say...
First impressions: The site looks to be corporate run under a guise of a blog.
Well, looky here... another blogger who thinks the same, and found the link to prove it. Funny, how ATT is one of their members isn't it? Here's another blogger who found some info on them too.
Oh and look what else just turned up on some digging I did... I googled the 800 telephone number (that's how I found the above bloggers) and on page 3 of the google search I see a title called "Arlington comcast". I clicked on the link, and with some confusion, there was no reference to the phone number. Hmm, could google be wrong? So I clicked on the cached page (which means it's the website google searched at the time it generated the hit), and sure enough... The P.O. Box and phone number is listed as Arlington Comcast.
So handsoff.org is run by Comcast - AND they are sneaky enough to try and hide it.
A bit more confusing, but a bit more evidence... I did a whois lookup on handsoff.org. The technical contact is "The Mercury Group" So back to google...It looks to be a lobbyist or maybe just a PR firm website, with clients like the NRA and the "Cellular telecommunications Industry".
Found their website
So thank you "handsoff" for leaving a comment on my blog, but if anything, your website has reinforced my support for Net Neutrality. If the Corporations are going to stoop to playing games like putting up websites that look to be a grass roots blog, then that tells me something right there. I don't like being manipulated. By handsoff or SaveTheInternet.
I hope some of my digging here will help others find information about handsoff.org. If you are a blogger and find other "dirt" about either group, please feel free to leave a comment.
2 comments:
Oh, nice e-detective work here, Sherlock! I'm truly impressed!
So, "HandsOff" has hired someone to scan the blogs for Net Neutrality posts and then post comments that question the motives of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition:
Thanks Cyen for calling their bluff.
This HandsOff troll called SavetheInternet.com's work "fishy" and asked your readers to visit HandsOff.org for "a more comprehensive understanding of the issue."
If this corporate shill (AT&T funds HandsOff) really wants to gain "a more comprehensive understanding" of Net Neutrality, he should open the HandsOff "blog" to comments.
Maybe then he would find out what people really think of such phony efforts to woo the blogosphere and deceive the public.
Not allowing comments on their Astroturf blog?
Not admitting in his comment to you that he is being paid by the phone company to troll cyberspace and discredit SavetheInternet.com?
Seems fishy to me.
Tim Karr
SavetheInternet.com Coalition
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