February 21, 2004

Chicago Tribune Duped

Wow, I duped the Chicago Tribune.

They ran a story in today's paper (21 Feb 2003) about social networks, and it mentions that Amazon is getting into the business, with its new "Pricekut" network.

Only one problem.

I made Pricekut up as a joke, in a story I wrote in Denounce.com:

http://www.denounce.com/archives/000049.html

What's more, the Tribune even gets this guy "Tom Anderson", president of something called Myspace, to comment on Amazon's new Pricekut. Here's a clip from the Tribune story:

Amazon.com will join the fray when it rolls out PriceKut, a social network where customers can meet each other to discuss bargains, but only after first purchasing something at the site.

Tom Anderson, president of MySpace, thinks this branching out will only confuse consumers.

"People are always going to associate certain names with certain ideas and utilities," he said. "Their branding is too strong; they've done their job too well."

Mr. Anderson, according to this link is "a graduate of University of California, Berkeley with two Bachelors Degrees’ in English and Rhetoric. Anderson later received his Masters Degree in Film Theory at the University of California, Los Angeles." I wonder if he took a class on satire and parody? I've emailed him for more comments about Pricekut. This should be interesting.

Here's the Tribune story in full:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-0402210130feb21,1,7506479.story?coll=chi- techtopheds-hed

(That link, unfortunately, requires registration, but it's free and relatively painless.)

Also, I learned today that on February 4th, someone registered the pricekut.com domain. Now, if only Amazon would sue, my work would be complete...

UPDATE - Sun 22 Feb 2004, 19:20 PST: Ok now this is getting weird. I emailed Tom Anderson of Myspace, and asking him about the Tribune story where he'd commented on Pricekut. Here's his reply:

hi Brian,

I wasn't even aware I'd commented on it. I looked it up and read it was a fake; i.e. there is no rela pricekut feature being developed. :)

Tom

Which begs the question, did the reporter who wrote the Tribune story actually talk to Anderson? I've emailed Anderson again to confirm, and I've emailed Kraig Kujawa, the reporter. We'll see . . .

UPDATE - Tue 24 Feb 2004, 10:50 PST: The Chicago Tribune issued a correction today regarding its erroneous story on Saturday. Read all about it in today's brianstorms blog.

Posted by brian at February 21, 2004 08:23 PM

Comments

Please excuse my obscene language, but this is fucking hilarious! Excellent job.

Posted by: David Boudreau at February 22, 2004 08:07 PM

... is phonyquote.com available?

Point = you don't have to go out of your way to fool many a journalist. Many can't get the facts right, and don't check their minds for the things that were (and notes, are) before their very eyes.

I saw The Sun piece on intern Alex (re Kerry) recently and commented it wasn't a story from reading it. Turned out it wasn't. Felt I can still read a story, even if I can't write one.

Try not to get too excited. They duped themselves. I trust your original parody was evident and not misleading?

How are divine shares doing - time to increase my holdings? I'll have to check the Trib!

Posted by: Josh Forest at February 23, 2004 12:33 AM

Visited denounce.com - parody is well docced.

Could you please make the text flush ... right!

Posted by: Josh at February 23, 2004 12:51 AM

Looks like Kraig kaught on and removed any trace of the PriceKut story in his artikle.

Smashing job.

Posted by: J at February 24, 2004 07:01 AM

Praising what is lost Makes the remembrance dear. proscar buy proscar Lay on, Macduff, And damn'd be him that first cries, "Hold, enough!"

Posted by: proscar at November 26, 2004 07:49 AM

He that is robb'd, not wanting what is stolen,Let him not know 't, and he's not robb'd at all. martha Be great in act, as you have been in thought.

Posted by: alex at November 30, 2004 04:31 PM

I have heard of your paintings too, well enough; God has given you one face, and you make yourselves another. trevor Thou art the Mars of malcontents.

Posted by: trevor at November 30, 2004 04:31 PM

Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground. chuck The soul of this man is in his clothes.

Posted by: chuck at December 2, 2004 10:39 AM

Beware Of entrance to a quarrel; but being in, Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee. Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice; Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy; For the apparel oft proclaims the man. trevor If there be no great love in the beginning, yet heaven may decrease it upon better acquaintance, when we are married and have more occasion to know one another: I hope, upon familiarity will grow more contempt.

Posted by: trevor at December 2, 2004 10:39 AM

The end crowns all, And that old common arbitrator, Time, Will one day end it. mike He draweth out the thread of his verbosity finer than the staple of his argument.

Posted by: mike at December 2, 2004 10:40 AM

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