New example of 'spamview' (marketing SPAM disguised as "review" from Beta 'News'), complete with googlebombing of "Linux" (this comes with Windows, not GNU/Linux)

THE Web is littered or polluted with stuff that's optimised for money, not for information, so any kind of Web search is likely to yield something that's not what the title (or headline) claims. Here are just 3 common scenarios (for pages presented as "news" or "reports"):

1. A product 'review' which is actually product promotion, sometimes complete with 'test unit' as a bribe (Microsoft does a lot of that)



2. A survey or review of products which is actually just a catalogue with specially crafted links (typically Amazon or similar online stores) for revenue by referral



3. An 'article' which is ghostwritten or partly prepared by a PR firm hired by the company that it's all about

"It's hardly surprising that many people no longer trust the media (for news, reviews, analysis and so on). It's hard to blame them. Because the underlying presumption is correct."Every day I receive some spammy E-mail trying to lure me into the third (of the above). The (1) above is also attempted sometimes, but less frequently. IBM attempted (3) several times over the years, e.g. in 2011 and earlier this year (Dell did the same months ago). Many GNU/Linux 'news' sites have sadly become mostly or partly (2), so in effect they're full-time or part-time marketing SPAM sites.

It's hardly surprising that many people no longer trust the media (for news, reviews, analysis and so on). It's hard to blame them. Because the underlying presumption is correct. Publishers are, with rare exceptions, in it for the money. Those that aren't eventually perish as they aren't sufficiently well funded. Economic downturns make that only worse. ⬆