Inq. Reader blasts Beyond3D. World Explodes...

[Graham]

Please forgive me if this has already been posted, but I found it amusing:

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=38397

Reader comment:

Subject: Nvidia covert blog marketing

Nvidia's covert marketing attempts are indeed distasteful, but this contest is nothing different than any other that has been conducted for other products for quite a long time. I would also state that their marketing is no more distasteful than any other company's practices.

One interesting thing that has never been noted in the "controversy" is exactly where the news about their covert marketing strategies originated. The news first broke on the Beyond3d.com message board. An item of interest is that the individual who "broke" this story had received free ATI hardware in the past. In effect, the pot called the kettle black, generated a large stink, and then quietly acknowledged his own receipt of payola from the ATI side! The Nvidia-side "informant" was never identified.

Interestingly enough, the editor-in-chief of Beyond3d.com at that time, went on to work for ATI in their Public Relations department. It isn't a large cognitive leap to do the math; he went from covertly being a PR shill to officially being one. Amidst the Nvidia bashing, none of this was ever mentioned.

While ATI may have claimed that it was not in their DNA to use such underhanded practices, the fact remains that they very much used some that were even more underhanded - or at least their paid shills did.

Let's hope that AMD leads by example, now that they are the collective of DAAMIT. An excellent place to start would be to require that individuals-turned-evangelists disclose their own past payola benefits. At least the playing field would be even in the mudslinging. Even better, perhaps it would encourage both sides to release products that stand on their own merits without the shenanigans that have plagued the community.

Mel Steele

 

[K.I.L.E.R]

Beyond3D is and has always been a tech-site. How could he or anyone else accuse Beyond3D of being biased based on a former member's position and he's current career?
If Dave was offered an interview for a position with nVidia he would have also taken it, anyone would have. It's not everyday that someone is offered such a position or is even capable of getting into a position in such a corporation.

I've never read any article on this site that struck me as biased in any way.

 

[The_Wolf_Who_Cried_Boy]

the editor-in-chief of Beyond3d.com at that time, went on to work for ATI in their Public Relations department. It isn't a large cognitive leap to do the math; he went from covertly being a PR shill to officially being one

The only sane, rational response to such a slur would be to track down the author, nail them to an inverted crucifix and burn them alive. Who shall join me in our quest?

 

[SugarCoat]

this may be really really nerdy but

 

[dizietsma]

I'm still waiting to find out who told Geo about it ... he has never let on to me who his informer was.

Come on, safe to fess up now Geo

 

[3dcgi]

A former Extremetech writer or editor joined Nvidia's marketing department so does that mean Extremetech was covertly pushing Nvidia at the time. Give me a break.

 

[RussSchultz]

If Dave was offered an interview for a position with nVidia he would have also taken it, anyone would have.

I dunno. Word on the street is they're a sweat shop.

 

[WhiningKhan]

I dunno. Word on the street is they're a sweat shop.

...Waiting for someone to add Russ on list of covert ATI employees doing viral marketing against Nvidia...

 

[Martin Eddy]

Beyond3D is and has always been a tech-site. How could he or anyone else accuse Beyond3D of being biased based on a former member's position and he's current career?
If Dave was offered an interview for a position with nVidia he would have also taken it, anyone would have. It's not everyday that someone is offered such a position or is even capable of getting into a position in such a corporation.

I've never read any article on this site that struck me as biased in any way.

What have you done with K.I.L.E.R? He doesn't talk like a normal human being. IMPOSTOR!

 

[Tim Murray]

I dunno. Word on the street is they're a sweat shop.

Word on the street here (CMU, I've known ~10 guys to go to NV in various positions) is that they demand hard work but you get paid better than any other company, including Google.

 

[Geo]

I've written "Mel Steele" (my doesn't that sound like a nom de net) and Inq a little love note in return, asking where it was I admitted to having taken ATI payola prior to Dec 1, 2005 (when I created the original thread).

Dizzy, if I outlive my original source I'll be happy to tell you after s/he's gone. Other than that, my hands are tied. Tho that person is always free to step forward themselves, of course. Seems unlikely at this point. Tho I'll say this: you wouldn't find it satisfying anyway. Just a stepping off for another "and who told you?". What people don't seem to realize is that this wasn't as closely held a secret as it originally appeared, even to me on day 1. As soon as I pointed at in public, quite a few people privately were willing to say "Oh, yeah, I knew about that. Didn't dare say anything tho." So I had quite a few very well informed sources right after I threaded and continuing as the story continued, but none of them were red ones. :smile:

 

[Zaphod]

"Mel Steele" (my doesn't that sound like a nom de net)

In all honesty, so does "Geo Rule". If I didn't know any better I'd have thought you were a radical eco-terrorist group or somesuch...

 

[Geo]

Heh. I'll be happy to compare birth certificates with Mr. Steele. :smile:

 

[Bouncing Zabaglione Bros.]

Of course where Mel Steele has gone wrong is that his assumptions are backwards. Dave didn't leave B3D because he was shilling for ATI and they rewarded him with a job, he left B3D because once he got his job at ATI, he (a) didn't have the time for B3D and (b) he couldn't continue to be independent.

If you remember at the time, Dave said he was also offered a job by Nvidia.

 

[Dave Baumann]

A former Extremetech writer or editor joined Nvidia's marketing department so does that mean Extremetech was covertly pushing Nvidia at the time. Give me a break.

Actually prior to the most recent case of this, there was another that went from ExtremeTech to NVIDIA and then back to ExtremeTech.

 

[John Reynolds]

Loyd Case left CGW/ZD to do marketing for NV and then was enticed back to the ZD fold to write for ET. Bubba Wolford was hired to do marketing for 3dfx. Company goes bankrupt, he's out of marketing while owning SimHQ, gets hired by AMD for a marketing position. And there are plenty of other examples of media folk being hired. And why not? They're often quite knowledgeable and passionate about their interests and can be taught marketing-spak whereas someone with a stronger marketing background will have a harder time picking up on the technical side.

 

[Davros]

" Reader blasts Beyond3D."

I dont blame him - terrible place you'd never catch me there

 

[Geo]

" Reader blasts Beyond3D."

I dont blame him - terrible place you'd never catch me there

Mel, is that you?

 

[Farid]

I can't believe that a VNUnet press outlet, in other words a professional press outlet, green lighted the publication of this type of slander on their site.

This slander is ridiculous on so many levels I find it insulting to even feel obliged to respond to it.

 

[digitalwanderer]

Actually, does VNUnet have any money? Dave could be in a beautifully actionable position right now...