Astroturfing
- “what is astroturfing”
- “astroturfing examples”
- “astroturfing vs grassroots”
- “who coined astroturfing”
:: COMPARE ::
AstroturfingvsSockpuppetry
The short answer
Sockpuppetry is a technique — fake identities. Astroturfing is a campaign structure — hidden sponsorship. You can astroturf with entirely real, entirely sincere people, provided nobody says who is paying.
Side by side
| Aspect | Astroturfing | Sockpuppetry |
|---|---|---|
| Is a | Campaign | Technique |
| Needs fake people | No | Yes |
| The deception | Who funded it | Who is speaking |
| Scale | Organised | Can be one person |
Which one you meant
Readers who land here meaning Astroturfing rather than Sockpuppetry are usually searching for phrases like “what is astroturfing”, “astroturfing examples”, “astroturfing vs grassroots”.
Sockpuppet
- “what is a sockpuppet account”
- “sockpuppet vs alt account”
- “meatpuppet meaning”
- “fake review accounts”
Which came first
Astroturfing. 1985 — Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas, buried in insurance-industry-coordinated mail, coins the term.
- 1985AstroturfingSenator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas, buried in insurance-industry-coordinated mail, coins the term.
- 2007SockpuppetA supermarket chain's chief executive is revealed to have spent years posting under a pseudonym on a finance forum, praising his own company and attacking an acquisition target.
Read either one in full