Blockbuster Offers Journalists Bribes For Anti-Netflix Tweets
- Thread starter vansau
- Start date
Recommended Videos
Well, a back and forth between competitors is nothing new, this kind of attack compaign is rare but not totally unprecedented.
That said, I'd question the journalist in question because taking a photograph of a computer screen is dubious, and easy to fake. It's sort of like the point someone was making about changing the terms of their EULA, and then sueing the company due to their refusal to acknowlege it being implicit acceptance, with no documents other than second hand images of
a computer screen being presented to justify this. I don't take anything that is purely electronic as being binding, or real. I have little respect for EULAs (and the techniques used here are dubious) and feel they have yet to be challenged properly, and tend to have little respect for someone presenting evidence that exists only in a twitter account.
For all we know Netflix paid him to set up Blockbuster. It's a picture of a screen... I could produce a post saying that Themis Media gave me ownership of "The Escapist" right here on these message boards, take a picture of it, and flash it around on other sites and claim I was cheated because they reneged on the agreement... all that would do is make me a moron.
That said, I'd question the journalist in question because taking a photograph of a computer screen is dubious, and easy to fake. It's sort of like the point someone was making about changing the terms of their EULA, and then sueing the company due to their refusal to acknowlege it being implicit acceptance, with no documents other than second hand images of
a computer screen being presented to justify this. I don't take anything that is purely electronic as being binding, or real. I have little respect for EULAs (and the techniques used here are dubious) and feel they have yet to be challenged properly, and tend to have little respect for someone presenting evidence that exists only in a twitter account.
For all we know Netflix paid him to set up Blockbuster. It's a picture of a screen... I could produce a post saying that Themis Media gave me ownership of "The Escapist" right here on these message boards, take a picture of it, and flash it around on other sites and claim I was cheated because they reneged on the agreement... all that would do is make me a moron.
Blockbuster Canada is going through the chopping block right now.
Now the American one is in the gun sights. I vote she be sunk too.
Now the American one is in the gun sights. I vote she be sunk too.
Pffft! Who even uses Blockbuster these days anyway? They're so 80's...
Seriously, this is one hell of a dick move. I've never wanted to subscribe with them and I can't say this would ever help their cause either.
Seriously, this is one hell of a dick move. I've never wanted to subscribe with them and I can't say this would ever help their cause either.
As much of a dick move as this may be, please inform your readers properly:
This is not a bribe, but an aggressive marketing campaign aimed directly at the consumers of the opposing company. A bribe constitutes a crime and, as such, is illegal, while this appears to be a (probably poorly thought out) publicity campaign.
The company asks it's "tweeters" write some stuff and sign it with "#GoodbyeNetflix", it doesn't ask for legal proof. It could just as well ask you to say "HumptyDumptyHadAGreatFall".
Also, the reporter contradicted himself by calling the whole thing a "bribe" repeatedly, but at the end writting "Nothing about Blockbuster's offer is actually illegal" while, as stated earlier, a bribe is illegal.
I couldn't care less, honestly, but please don't insult your readers.
Thank you.
This is not a bribe, but an aggressive marketing campaign aimed directly at the consumers of the opposing company. A bribe constitutes a crime and, as such, is illegal, while this appears to be a (probably poorly thought out) publicity campaign.
The company asks it's "tweeters" write some stuff and sign it with "#GoodbyeNetflix", it doesn't ask for legal proof. It could just as well ask you to say "HumptyDumptyHadAGreatFall".
Also, the reporter contradicted himself by calling the whole thing a "bribe" repeatedly, but at the end writting "Nothing about Blockbuster's offer is actually illegal" while, as stated earlier, a bribe is illegal.
I couldn't care less, honestly, but please don't insult your readers.
Thank you.
I wasn't aware Netflix had a costume department, let alone one worth bribing.Zulnam said:
How e'er... The little "raffle" they're having for anyone with a Twitter account with the "entry" being their posting of that hashtag is aggressive marketing. Offering the equivalent of that prize specifically to journalists for the same hashtag is trying to bank on the perception of credibility of those same journalists to induce those journalists' audience in making a decision.
And yes, it is indeed bribery, because, second point:
...
Source: Merriam-Webster online (http://www.merriam-webster.com)
You will note the absence of anything regarding legality in that definition. If you slip a bouncer twenty bucks to let you into a club or a DJ five to play a specific song, that's not illegal. It may or may not get the DJ or bouncer in trouble depending on their boss and the contract under which they're employed, but it isn't breaking the law.
It's still bribery. It may not be illegal. Some might regard it as "aggressive marketing". Some might be okay with that. It not falling into the realm of illegality doesn't prevent some from finding it sketchy, to say the least.
Some of us believe that even as "journalist" becomes an increasingly open title in a world where anyone can become a blogger, it's still a description that reasonably brings with it a certain expectation of integrity and commitment to the truth, expectations that don't fit with an overt tit-for-tat exchange of goods and/or services for a particular formal or informal report made to the reporter's audience.
For those who believe otherwise... I'm sure you'll be double-plus good consumers.
Nice rimshot (also, edited).Callate said:
However, bribery is a form of corruption and thus constitutes a crime. The Black's Law Dictionary (I don't know, some important book in the USA) defines it as "the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or other person in charge of a public or legal duty."
I wouldn't know about the bouncer or DJ examples, I guess they differ from country to country (we don't have bouncers over here, for one).
However, even if it looks like bribery, it's not. For once, from what I understand, if you write that whatever-thing down you enter a competition to win a prize. Journalists got them probably out of two reasons: a) they were following blockbuster in case of anything newsworthy or b) blockbuster actually tried something and sent them the invitation to the contest in hopes of some media.
I did a little snooping around (and realized that I have too much time on my hands for "who gives a damn" topics) and found out that the contest took place somewhere around the 24th and that winners are already selected, and once again people were asked ONLY to write their reason for leaving netflix and that stupid twit thing. Nobody who joined the competition was asked for legal proof that they actually left netflix before winning the grand prize.
And the number one reason for it not to be a bribe is.... Well, it's on the bloody main page. If it was really a bribe, don't you think somebody representing some official laws would be on this company's ass by now and they'd be duking it out in a court instead of twitting about how cool it is to rent movies? As much as people like to waste time on forums (me included, i guess) and talk about how stupid the big people running the big companies are, we shouldn't forget that they're big companies for a reason. And that reason is not because the main attraction of the board meetings is to throw poo at each other.
Again, I don't care about Blockbuster or Netflix. Apparently I just have too much spare time and forgot I've got work tomorrow.
There's actually a Blockbuster just right around the corner from where I live. The reason it's still in business is a reason that's shrouded in mystery, nobody goes there. (My friends and I have a theory that it's actually just a front for gambling which happens all the time around here because gambling is illegal where I live.)
Well let's see
- it's not illegal
- they didn't say they did anything wrong
- they're doing something similar for the public
It's pretty clear to me they don't think they did anything wrong, so a lot of the reactions seem like forcing your morals on a company that admittedly was very powerful once but now is just trying to survive, and in any case no amount of disappointment or "Blockbuster who?" is going to change their minds. The part I'm most unhappy with is restricting all this to Twitter, that's one newer thing I wish would go the way of video tape.
- it's not illegal
- they didn't say they did anything wrong
- they're doing something similar for the public
It's pretty clear to me they don't think they did anything wrong, so a lot of the reactions seem like forcing your morals on a company that admittedly was very powerful once but now is just trying to survive, and in any case no amount of disappointment or "Blockbuster who?" is going to change their minds. The part I'm most unhappy with is restricting all this to Twitter, that's one newer thing I wish would go the way of video tape.
So who really gives a shit what Blockbuster does? I actually forgot they existed. I'm not saying netflix is all that great (fuck you netflix for jacking your fucking prices) but I mean, nobody cares if bb is bribing people.
I don't really like Blockbuster but I was actually considering giving them a chance again since I heard rumor they were getting movies a whole month in advance ahead of Netflix. That being said, there's no real need to act shady, as shown in this article.
To be fair here too, I've given Blockbuster my business for years and years and what do they do to me? They charge me with late fees for movies I dropped off on time and sell me the wrong games (I only glanced at the bottom of the xbox game to make sure it wasn't scratched. Say what you will too about me not looking but I shouldn't have to check to see if the merchandise is actually in there.. not from a large corporate chain like that anyway. It's just sloppy and unprofessional. I wouldn't run a business like that anyway).
Netflix on the other hand has been nothing but awesome to me. Not only does the company try hard to provide value to myself and other customers by keeping costs low but they also (generally) are pretty fast about movie delivery. One time however, they were late.. but Netflix immediately apologized and gave me an automatic discount on my monthly fee for that.
Now compare the two companies.
To be fair here too, I've given Blockbuster my business for years and years and what do they do to me? They charge me with late fees for movies I dropped off on time and sell me the wrong games (I only glanced at the bottom of the xbox game to make sure it wasn't scratched. Say what you will too about me not looking but I shouldn't have to check to see if the merchandise is actually in there.. not from a large corporate chain like that anyway. It's just sloppy and unprofessional. I wouldn't run a business like that anyway).
Netflix on the other hand has been nothing but awesome to me. Not only does the company try hard to provide value to myself and other customers by keeping costs low but they also (generally) are pretty fast about movie delivery. One time however, they were late.. but Netflix immediately apologized and gave me an automatic discount on my monthly fee for that.
Now compare the two companies.
Oh goodness, it didn't take long for the CORRECTION SQUAD to find their horses. So I'll just go ahead and insult Blockbuster in a way that doesn't get me quoted over technicalities:
This may not be shady or illegal, but seriously, when it's all said and done, who gives a toss? The point is this is an irrelevant business being cute by trying to start up an anti-Netflix chain. And it's great, because it's Blockbuster; the company that has screwed the majority of us over and is one of the ones that deserve all the hate and poor business they've gotten since Netflix has middle fingered them up the hole.
Also loves, it *is* bribing. Once a definition accepts that person's interpretation of the word, your only real choice is to expand on the definition...not ignore the dictionary and pick and choose which one you want it to mean.
This may not be shady or illegal, but seriously, when it's all said and done, who gives a toss? The point is this is an irrelevant business being cute by trying to start up an anti-Netflix chain. And it's great, because it's Blockbuster; the company that has screwed the majority of us over and is one of the ones that deserve all the hate and poor business they've gotten since Netflix has middle fingered them up the hole.
Also loves, it *is* bribing. Once a definition accepts that person's interpretation of the word, your only real choice is to expand on the definition...not ignore the dictionary and pick and choose which one you want it to mean.
Wow. This is pretty low and desperate even for them. I wonder how well this'll work.
You gotta admit though, if Blockbuster has one good quality it's tenacity.
You gotta admit though, if Blockbuster has one good quality it's tenacity.
Still missing something...ColdStorage said:HOLD ON A MINUTE!Ser Imp said:
Much better.
oh yeah!
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! [http://yeahbutton.com/]