The War on Free Software Reporters - Part IV - Impersonation and Menacing Behaviour, Defamation Under One's Own Name
THIS short series looks back at a bunch of dirty Microsoft tactics (yes, mostly Microsoft and I can prove it) that are used against critics, including phoning their employers and threatening them.
I've already told the "cut my dick for Linux" story many times here in the past. Basically some idiots used my name to post lies about me online, ranging from somewhat plausible things to outright crazy (like "I cut my dick for Linux"). The intent wasn't just to defame me but also to provoke me, under the assumption I'd react fiercely and my reaction then presented without context. That's connected to the methods shown in Part III. In Part I, Part II, and Part III I covered some social engineering tactics, set aside technical things like DDoS attacks.
As recently as last year, some militants who wanted to work for Microsoft (by their own admission) showed that there's no sign of abatement. They would intimidate you by using false accounts bearing your name and photo and creating several fake blogs for a fake person claiming to be your ex. And yes, they did this to me as recently as months ago. That's just the start. They're then attacking people you know using your own name, e.g. saying they're nazis or saying nazi stuff for "oneself" (the fake account), talking nasty words to online friends of mine and to fellow writers, expressing support for terrorism using an account that's made to appear like it's genuinely mine, after roping in people who know me as "followers" (by tricking them).
Such serial defamation (that went on for a very long time) is coordinated and relentless. People did the same in blog comments as far back as more than 15 years ago, so I had to announce I'd no longer leave blog comments anywhere. And if my name appeared in blog comments somewhere, it should be presumed a fake (imposter). So I lost the ability to comment in blogs.
In order to damage the reputation of Microsoft critics they'd do all sort of illegal things. They don't care and they use proxies. █