this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2024
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Amazon probably outsourcing to a PR that specializes in union busting.
But the PR firm that has little technical expertise - they just know they need bots to do some astroturfing.
So the PR firm outsources to an IT consulting firm.
But the IT consulting firm only bids on contracts, they don't do the actual work, so they find a subcontractor.
The subcontractor may hire subcontractors. Continue this step for however many iterations the value of the contract will allow.
Eventually the subcontractor hires a gig worker or an underpaid staffer to do the minimal amount of work possible.
The gig worker avoids as much effort as possible, because they're paid by volume rather than time.
At this point the requirements may or may not be fulfilled, but the admins of each org are satisfied, so they move on to the next contract without verifying the work.
Edit: I wrote this facetiously, but u/SpaceNoodle found a news article suggesting at least some of these accounts are legit, as backed up by a Belling Cat investigation.
No, they rolled their own in-house program to get real brainwashed dolts to be "brand ambassadors."
Not saying I don’t believe you at all, but would love to read about this if you have a source?
https://futurism.com/the-byte/amazon-bizarre-brand-ambassadors-real-employees
Searching for "Amazon brand ambassadors" should help you find more articles.
I think it's just speculations
Nope.
https://futurism.com/the-byte/amazon-bizarre-brand-ambassadors-real-employees
Interesting, I can't verify this though
How do you expect to verify it? Are the quotes directly from Amazon PR in that article somehow insufficient?
That's not what I 'm saying, I do believe you but it is not something I would tell someone else as a fact, knowing amazon it is very probable though
But ... it's a fact. It's documented. Amazon literally said they did it.
Alright, must have misread something, sorry
The article references a Belling Cat investigation where they find evidence suggesting it's legit: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/americas/2019/08/15/amazons-online-bezos-brigade-unleashed-on-twitter/
It looks like Belling Cat checked it out and figures it's real.
If Amazon wants better astroturfing from the gig workers, those gig workers doing the actual work need to get a much bigger chunk of the money. They should unionize!
Damn it seems even PR firms that specializes in union busting have been enshittified too? Is nothing sacred?
Sounds like they could use a union :p