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Reichard

Week of August 8, 2001

'So you've now publicly admitted impersonating people in public and making libelous comments about me and other community members. Can you clear up one detail: why are you still working for internet.com/Linux Today?'
 - Alan Cox

After the fallout article in the Linux Journal by former LT editor Paul Ferris, Kevin Reichard today admitted astroturfing in the LT talkbacks. This news is - not surprisingly - causing shockwaves in the Linux and open source communities where people are clamouring for Reichard's immediate resignation.

For some time now there have been rumours of astroturfing and slanted 'modding' at Linux Today, and Reichard was earlier asked by Microsoft to function as a 'mole' within the Linux and open source communities, an offer he claims to have turned down.

Reichard's 'apology' in Linux Today may not be an apology at all: two posts very supportive of Reichard are being looked at with suspicion, as the names of the contributors lead here.

What this means is that no contributor to these forums can ever again know that they are not just talking to phantoms, that the whole thing is not some vainglorious phony setup. Which basically takes the oomph out of contributing at all.

Only internet.com can fix things.

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