Reddit makes r/programming private after top post exposed chatgpt astroturfing
web.archive.org
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What I don't understand is why take the sub private instead of deleting the post? That's crazy. Were they concerned deleting a post would create more backlash than taking the sub private? Basically the same calculus as a tyrant declaring martial law and expecting the backlash from that to be less than from allowing protests?
Edit: works by clicking the comments button. Utterly pathetic move, so stupid. You'd think reddit of all services would know how to astroturf
I'd bet they've turned it up lately to try to nullify the effects of the blackout.
Predictable and sad, really.
> Hence post two predicting the sub would not join the protest.
Sorry I don't understand. "post two"?
That’s a bit more red handed than just milk toast language.
https://web.archive.org/web/20230612080526/https://i.imgur.c...
The idea is to make it look like support for/aversion to something is organic and popular (grassroots) when it's entirely artificial (astroturf)
The key characteristic of astroturfing is that it attempts to influence public opinion by presenting a false picture of the current public opinion. It's both of those things together that make something astroturfing.
> the deceptive practice of presenting an orchestrated marketing or public relations campaign in the guise of unsolicited comments from members of the public.