If your number one fan is sending you hate mail, you have a problem. So what’s with all the Zune related web sites carefully repeating the same talking points? It’s called astroturfing.

Instead of inspiring actual interest in a grassroots fashion, Microsoft has resorted to spreading fake grass, crafting each site to suggest the appearance of something other than the advertisement it is.

This is similar to the scam Microsoft pulled with its own imitation of Apple’s Switchers ad campaign. Titled “Confessions of a Mac to PC Convert,” the ad portrayed a professionally dressed woman complaining about her Mac, but ended up being a canned picture pulled from stock photography and voiced by a professional writer.

Similarly, Greenpeace staffers have assigned to post astroturf comments on websites saying “I’m a Mac user and gosh darn it I think that Greenpeace is alright with all their concern about the ecology!” More on that scam later!

Emphases (bold fonts) are mine

I have a question regarding M$ Gold Partners, do they get any kickbacks when they convert organizations to the M$ ideology? Something has always smelled fishy and I could never place my finger on it.

I know what M$ is thinking by doing this, get at the kids while they are young and easily waned into their Microsoft dogmatic BS in college. Whats next? Junior high??

D.