Sock puppetry is the act of creating a false identity to manipulate an online discussion. The “sock puppet” appears to be a neutral third party on a message board or blog. A sock puppeteer creates a fake identity while having a personal interest in the discussion — usually as the author of a blog post in question or as a representative of a company under discussion. Sock puppetry involves an intentional act of deception and is not the same as the mere use of a pseudonym or “handle” — a common practice online. Lee Siegel, a television critic for The New Republic, was temporarily suspended in September 2006 after using a “sock puppet” to attack critics who posted comments on his blog. In 2007, the CEO of Whole Foods was discovered to be using a “sock puppet” on a Yahoo! Finance message board to trash rival Wild Oats Market.
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