international marketing and information

 Gotta ask the question. I dont know if they are but the below Twitter snippet might make a reasonable person think that at least some are. If not, then perhaps twitter should be redefined as the opiate of the masses…

Why else would exact copies of the same twitter post (or “tweet”) linking to an otherwise smart guy’s posts appear in different people’s twitter streams without any sort of indication that it’s an ad? Hopefully, this anything but the future of real estate marketing.

Here’s the problem even if this isnt a paid service. In my view, you can automate your own twitter stream to your heart’s content - put it someone else’s and it’s now an ad (even if unpaid). For all of the fuss that some in the re.net make about vendors (the term, “vendor slut” used by some comes to mind), at least you know that vendors are trying to sell you something.

Lots of people dislike the magpie service (including me) but at least they put a #magpie in their automated marketing posts to let people know that its an ad…. Perhaps it’s on his blog someplace that he is doing this. I didnt see any reference to it after a quick search. Perhaps its just pure coincidence…I’m sure some carefully crafted answer will be forthcoming.

Until then, so much for transparency, bring on the manipulation of the masses!