How To Crater On The Internet

[Thorin]

Paul Christoforo.  Just as millions of other people, I was first made aware of him by reading Penny Arcade's postings.  I read the entire post from Gabe, and happened to be online and awake as it was happening.  I couldn't help but be drawn in like a fly to @%&#!  Hours later the internet sleuths were busy tearing him a new one, and I got to encounter much of it in real time (reading a thread on Reddit that when I updated the page, would have ten new posts to read, for five hours straight).

If you haven't read anything about him yet, take some time to Google his name, or better yet, read Penny Arcade's post first: http://penny-arcade.com/resources/just-wow1.html

If you take the time to read about this, you will end up shaking your head in utter disbelief at this guy's approach to life!

[Lazybones]

Yep, haven't followed all of it but he made a big mistake dragging the PA guys into it... They have no problem getting into something like this.

[Mr. Analog]

I was reading about it as it unfolded as well, it was amazing to watch how quickly the hatewagon filled up and spread the word around the net about him... probably the largest scale white-knighting yet seen.

Obviously he is a horrible dick without remorse, though one has to admit he found a very fast way to go viral (raise the ire of PA fans). The sad thing is that the product (and company) he was hired to promote has paid the price for the utterly inept marketing company they hired.

[Lazybones]

The sad thing is that the product (and company) he was hired to promote has paid the price for the utterly inept marketing company they hired.

I don't think the product got much hate out of it... In fact I had heard about the product once before but forgot about it... All this did was remind me it existed.

[Mr. Analog]

There were hundreds of negative reviews on Amazon (who knows how many other sites).

The company ended up discounting existing pre-orders to keep people from leaving while the storm was raging.

It was a mess.

BUT everyone knows what The Avenger controller is, even if they'd have no need of it...

[Thorin]

He's one of those people who blame others for all their troubles.  Basically, he's showing a large number of the traits of narcissim.

Even now, after doing an AMA and an AMAA (Ask Me Anything and Ask Me Almost Anything) on Reddit where people told him several times that it was entirely his fault and he needs to apologize without trying to blame someone else, he still maintains that he's sorry but it's not his fault.  And it totally, completely, is his own fault.

[Thorin]

I'm willing to bet the new guy they have working on PR will find a way to counter those Amazon reviews - he seems pretty on top of this kind of stuff.

And there are lots of people saying the same as you, Mr. A., that we should separate the product from the rear-end-in-a-top-hat (my new favourite term!).

[Mr. Analog]

One of the worst responses that I read was that he was really sorry because he didn't know who he was talking to...

Un-freaking-believable...

All I'm saying is stay away from 'roids kids, it clearly destroys cells in the moral centres of the brain.

[Thorin]

Ha ha, you haven't been reading his tweets (was @OceanMarketting, then became @OceanStratagy, now is @OceanDeepSea).  He's actually stating he has multiple interviews, a book deal pending, and is offering his services as an "unconventional" PR firm.  And others are still actively searching out his background information and keeping us up-to-date on when he changes twitter accounts, facebook accounts, youtube accounts, etc.  And they're smart enough to take screenshots!

I think his worst response was that any press is good press.  And I think the absolute worst thing about him as a PR person is that he's actually made up customers that aren't real companies.

[Mr. Analog]

I think his worst response was that any press is good press.[/i].

Yeah, but, people are following his every move on social media, everyone knows the product, who he is, his company... it's like a really bad disc jockey, some listeners like them but most hate them and are waiting to hear what he says next.

At this stage he could drop a product name and hundreds of people would look for it.

[Lazybones]

There were hundreds of negative reviews on Amazon (who knows how many other sites).

Since the reviews predate the release of the product I suspect they company can get them RESET based on that alone for some sites.

[Mr. Analog]

There were hundreds of negative reviews on Amazon (who knows how many other sites).

Since the reviews predate the release of the product I suspect they company can get them RESET based on that alone for some sites.

I'm sure they can, especially in lieu of all the other nonsense. However for the clueless the damage would be done I suppose.

[Darren Dirt]

LOL "Who are you again?" oh boy somebody really doesn't know when/how to shut up...


"Love penny Arcade !!"

"I’m glad you like it! You will be on it tomorrow:)"

"Great !! Love PR" :epicfacepalm:



http://penny-arcade.com/resources/real-talk.html  "Ocean marketing is OUT OF BUSINESS"   


"I think there is a big difference between being sorry and being sorry you got caught." Yeah, never mind the  this idiot dug his own grave...

[Thorin]

I think his worst response was that any press is good press.

Yeah, but, people are following his every move on social media, everyone knows the product, who he is, his company... it's like a really bad disc jockey, some listeners like them but most hate them and are waiting to hear what he says next.

At this stage he could drop a product name and hundreds of people would look for it.

See, that's the thing, lots of Westernized internet-savvy people know who he is.  But there are still an untold number of people who have no idea about this story or this man.  People who aren't checking Twitter religiously, who don't watch Tech TV, who don't read Penny Arcade or Kotaku or Reddit or SomethingAwful.  Would these people know about the Avenger because of him?

By the way, he had the administrative passwords to N-Control's web host, web site, email addresses, etc, and was holding them hostage (refusing to release them to the company or the company's new PR firm) until he had a contract written guaranteeing him some amount of money.  He suddenly changed his mind about this at some point; people assume he talked to a lawyer who explained to him this could be considered extortion, punishable by jail time.  And even with that, he claims he was in the right to hold these passwords hostage since he "increased the visibility of the product a whole bunch".

Ultimately, he very closely matches those typical symptoms of narcissism I linked earlier.

[Tom]

I think his worst response was that any press is good press.

Yeah, but, people are following his every move on social media, everyone knows the product, who he is, his company... it's like a really bad disc jockey, some listeners like them but most hate them and are waiting to hear what he says next.

At this stage he could drop a product name and hundreds of people would look for it.

See, that's the thing, lots of Westernized internet-savvy people know who he is.  But there are still an untold number of people who have no idea about this story or this man.  People who aren't checking Twitter religiously, who don't watch Tech TV, who don't read Penny Arcade or Kotaku or Reddit or SomethingAwful.  Would these people know about the Avenger because of him?

By the way, he had the administrative passwords to N-Control's web host, web site, email addresses, etc, and was holding them hostage (refusing to release them to the company or the company's new PR firm) until he had a contract written guaranteeing him some amount of money.  He suddenly changed his mind about this at some point; people assume he talked to a lawyer who explained to him this could be considered extortion, punishable by jail time.  And even with that, he claims he was in the right to hold these passwords hostage since he "increased the visibility of the product a whole bunch".

Ultimately, he very closely matches those typical symptoms of narcissism I linked earlier.

Man what a douche.

If I was the company, and had a maintenance window coming up for the server, Id get the host to let me reboot into single user mode, and wipe the password. Take all of a couple extra minutes \o/ at least for the server passwords. It'd take some more time to change the passwords for email and the like, but usually not too hard unless its gmail or some other hosted service.