German Pranksters Spoof Google Nest At Tech Conference 45
phmadore writes: "Some clever German pranksters managed to put one over on a sect of the intelligentsia just the other day. In this 30-minute presentation (video) at the re:publica 2014 tech conference, activists going under the pseudonyms of Paul von Ribbeck and Gloria Spindle presented four new (and moderately credible) Google products making up the 'Google Nest': Google Trust, Google Hug, Google Bee, and Google Bye. 'We can't really guarantee that we protect your information, but we can do our very best to protect you,' says Spindle about eight minutes in. Google is reportedly rather upset about the whole affair. The conference organizers were in on the joke — the audience were clued in afterward and asked to participate in order to fool the media. For me, the discussion-worthy items here are: data insurance and the value of data."
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they seem to be more dumb than evil.
Seems their plan has worked...
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Wait, I thought AC was calling the pranksters liars, not Google.
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Perfect English (Score:1, Redundant)
German pranksters? They've mastered the Orwellian English of advertising to people who think they're smart. Bravo and brava!
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Yeah, Germans have historically been far too straightforward for propaganda, and the decade in which Orwell wrote that book provided no inspiration whatever.
Anyway, I'm spectacularly happy to see Google parodied in this way. It's about time the fawning stopped and serious people started taking them for what they are.
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Yeah, Germans have historically been far too straightforward for propaganda,
That's true. It's why this guy's [wikipedia.org] propaganda had such a hard time sticking. Think what could have happened if the German people had fallen for that shit.
Re:Perfect English (Score:4, Funny)
It was very German humor, really. Come up with four jokes and then spend the next 30 minutes explaining why they are funny.
Google Lawsuit (Score:1)
Google Lawsuit - Think Google is powerful and evil but wondering just how terrible our wrath really is? Did you wake up this morning thinking that despite what little you make as a full time activist, you'd like to know what effect losing a lawsuit whos damages will read "more money than God" at the end? Introducing Google Lawsuit. If you thought Google had a lot of programmers, just wait until you see our legal department. And if you're thinking "Well, at least I still have my family" think again, we'll pa
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And if that doesn't work, don't expect to be able to have any useful google results on that company for a long long time.
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Well, no. The whole "google is upset" thing is part of the joke.
Or, to put it in a way slashdot readers can understand:
Woosh!
[ insert slashdot editor in car-crash analogy here ]
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wait, what? (Score:5, Insightful)
You can't write Google is upset and then use as a source for that assertion an interview with the pranksters (who are still in character) themselves.
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Sigh... the problem isn't that you didn't post a "vetted" source. There is actually NO vetted source because the only people who are saying that Google is upset are the activists themselves, who are only pretending to be Google employees and talking about things that they made up themselves.
How did you write a post about pranksters giving a fake presentation about fake products, but then don't realize that they are fake employees who are fake resigning based on fake conversations with fake colleagues?
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Sigh... the problem isn't that you didn't post a "vetted" source. There is actually NO vetted source because the only people who are saying that Google is upset are the activists themselves, who are only pretending to be Google employees and talking about things that they made up themselves.
How did you write a post about pranksters giving a fake presentation about fake products, but then don't realize that they are fake employees who are fake resigning based on fake conversations with fake colleagues?
I can't decide if phmadore was pranked by the second fake interview himself, or if he is trying to prank Slashdot.
Google Contract (Score:1)
Have a Contract on your Contact.
A 'click' is now a click away.
Wait, what? (Score:2, Interesting)
They couldn't fool the conference organizers, so they explained how it was clever satirical social commentary.
They couldn't fool the audience, so they explained how it was clever satirical social commentary.
The media didn't buy it either, so they explained how it was clever satirical social commentary
Is it me, or are the only people those "pranksters" managed to "put one over" themselves?
A 'sect of the intelligentsia' (Score:1)
First: dickhead points for saying 'intelligentsia'.
But a 'sect'?
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Google is upset as their plans have been unveiled. (Score:1)
This hoax is too close to what Google are planning to do and they don't like the press finding out in advance of the products they are going to launch.
Google Hug (Score:1)