We’re doing a little experiment here.  We received this from a blog reader who asked us to post it.  It’s an experiment that demonstrates how the AFT, the Machin Shin of Amazon, swarm in on reviews and execute down voting campaigns.

I was targeted by the bullies last July and they creepily stalk everything I do on line. For instance, I read Anne Rice’s new book, Beauty’s Kingdom, loved it and posted a review. That should be the end of the story but the bullies can’t let me AND Anne Rice get away with completely normal transactions on Amazon so they swarmed and voted my review “not helpful” 58 times. You wouldn’t think that was mathematically possible given the averages but somehow, within a couple weeks, 58 people felt compelled to neg my review on a book they hadn’t even read. Which begs the questions: why are you rating the reviews of a book you’ve never read and how do you know that the review isn’t helpful? Details. Anyhoo, through some glitch in the system, the text of the review went missing. I’m sure it was nothing conspiratorial but after reporting it, I was told to enter the review again BY Amazon! They basically told me to wash the review. So I did. Now I sit back and watch as the bullies get into a dither about the situation and spread the word that the review has been washed and they must all go back and neg the review. How else will I learn my lesson? So I thought you might enjoy watching the numbers climb back up while the bullies say they don’t carpet bomb or instigate. I got nine negs within 2 hours. This should be entertaining and educational!

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