Reply #155: I remember reading a hilariously dishonest example a few months ago.

[chrisa]

I forget exactly where it was, but it had to do with computer hardware. On a hardware review forum, one of the posters who seemed to be a little too enthusiastic about a certain company's line of hardware (pretty much kissing the floor with everything the company put onto the market, and killing all other competitors' hardware) was actually a high-ranking member of that company / paid plant. It was proven and documented, with the company admitting it in the end (and trying to back peddle with some lame excuse).

The thing is, this forum was supposed to allow those who are more experienced with hardware help those who are less experienced with their purchasing decisions. This was a clear ethical failure and embarrassment for that company.

I didn't think such a problem existed until I saw that.