Faking it – What’s it worth?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

I’ve been watching in bemusement of late, the plagiarism going on in the poetry world, and I’ve been pondering the cost to people who fake it. While I have thought about putting up a hoax review, for other people of course, I don’t need to do it for myself, I just couldn’t bring myself to it.

Now, what I love is, the moment you do anything in this world, some smart character is out there building a name for it. And criminal activities get some pretty cool handles connected to them, hence, Astroturfing. While the expression has only been around for a few years here in Australia, the term came to life almost 30 years ago in the USA.

Of course, fake letters, bogus accounts, sham and phoney communications have been with us since day one – us humans are very inventive, at all sorts of things. But as we now have laws, groups, departments, companies and consumer protection helping us sway through the never-ending line of fakes in our societies, what’s it worth to you fakers?

What’s it worth faking your reviews, your product’s possibilities, or your identity? Crime, and that’s what it is, takes a lot of effort. Not that I’d know, but I imagine the energy a scammer puts into their scams, would be better served doing something legal, and clever. A scammer might find there are more rewards doing something innovative then simply trying to seem to be smart, by outsmarting people. I guess most of it is done by men, and the usual male thing of my dick is bigger than yours.

Whatever I say isn’t going to stop the majority of people (men) who think there’s a quick buck to be made, so I’ll move on.

Now, you’ve decided to fake a review, and you’re a writer, not really getting anywhere, feeling dejected by your lack of connection and sales, hmm, welcome to the world. You’ve come up with an idea to help promote your totally original, passionate and meaningful words. You’ll give yourself a few five-star reviews on Amazon or wherever, under a pseudonym, and then you’ll start spreading the word about “this” five-star book, maybe even dissing your competitors (fellow writers).

Ah, but soon, you’re caught out, and guess what, you’re seen as a dickhead. Now, you can learn from this, or change your name, move to a new country, reinvent yourself and start afresh. Phew, sounds like a lot of work. Maybe you could think about what you are doing and not become a faker; try hard, harder; do something new, endeavour like most people do, and aim to be something on this earth. I hope it’s not too much to ask of you fakers, to try to be something, other than just another criminal.

And, people who are swayed to buy books based on five-star reviews, from just any other person advertising on Twitter, are as stupid as any criminal or faker.

Grow a brain you fakers, it’s not hard. Be yourself, that’s what the world wants, that’s what we buy, originality.

Here’s a little story about some knuckleheads hit with fines for faking online reviews, which proves the costs are enormous. Businesses Hit With $350,000 in Fines for Fake Online Reviews